Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-09-22
AND ANrr-rAMmANx.
SARAToGA. Sent. I0. ls71-

g SARATOGA, Sept. 10, 1877.
|, AS the probabilities of success
: the State next November seem
e favor the Democratic side the ma
s interest in the approaching polite
4 conventions centres in the Dem
]. cratic body. A careful canvass
1 the opinions of leading citizens frol
: all parts of the State induces the b
5 lief that there will be found whe
2 the Democratic delegates assembl
a good majority in favor of the r,
: nomination of the present State off
GERS, and for very obvious reasons
There is no question of the capacit
f and honesty of many prominer
Democrats who have been or ma
be named in connection with tn
But two points are urged with con
, siderable force by leading member
of the party who have no persona
interests to subserve, no prejudice
to crafty, and who look solely t
the good of the Democracy and, a
they claim, of the whole State. TIL
first is that as the present State off
GERS have done well, are in accorC
with Governor Robinson's policy
have inaugurated reforms which ar,
not yet thoroughly completed anC
have commenced prosecutions ye
pending against persons who have
defrauded the State, the people vii
be benefited and the ends of justice
| promoted by their continuance in
office, and there can be no opposition
to them ON public grounds. The
second is based on the questionable
character of the opposition to theiI
denomination, and to the fact that il
that opposition should succeed in
putting a new ticket in the field, the
candidates, however respectable per-
sOnally, must necessarily be under
the influence of those to whom they
would owe their positions.
WHO OPPOSE DENOMINATION.
First and foremost among the adj
vOcates of a ''new ticket" are the
members of the several canal con-
tracing firms, engineers and Canal
Commissioners, who, before Mr..
Tilden became Governor of the
State, made vast fortunes or snug
perquisites out of the canals. These
include among others the Lords,
Jarvis and George; Willard John
son, "DOc" Dennison, Belden, w.
w. Wright and others of less politi-
cal note. Attorney General Fair
child has prosecuted the suits against
members of the old canal rings
which have been commenced during
the administration of the present
State officers under Governor Tilden
and under Lucius Robinson, both as
Comptroller and Governor. A GRIM
inal prosecution was instituted
against George ID. Lord, and, after
the interposition of every legal OBJ
struction on the part of the defence
which could secure delay, was finally
brought to trial before Judge Dan
iels and resulted in the conviction
of the accused. An order was then
obtained by the defence to suspend
the sentencing of the prisoner until
the proceedings had been reviewed
at the General Term, some minor
exceptions having been taken at the
trial; but the main reliance for a re-
Versal being on the Statute of Limi-
tatiOns, which was pleaded in vain
before Judge Daniels. If Attorney
General Fairchild should be re-
elected it is not Likely that there will
be any relaxation on the part of the
prosecution, and the probability is
that sentence will be eventually
passed on the appellant in the case
and that he will suffer the penalty
of the law. If, however, a "new
ticket" should benOminated through
the efforts Of the Canal Ring, there
is danger that the new Attorney
General, being indebted for his Of
flee to Mr.. George ID. Lord and his
friends, will not follow up the case
as vigorously as it would be pressed
by the present Attorney General.
A civil suit to recover money al
legged to have been cOrruptly taken
from the State has also been COM
menced against DennisOn, Belden,
Willard Johnson and others, and is
known as the Port Schuyler case.
OF course all the tricks that legal in
genuity can devise and large wealth
pay for are reSOrted to by the de-
fence to delay the proceedings. But
if the present Attorney General, who
is thoroughly familiar with the case,
should continue in Office, it must
eventually come to trial, and there
is not much doubt as to the result.
Now this suit involves a very large
of money and is, besides, a
test one, on the success of which
other proceedings will be taken un-
til the millions of which the State !
has been robbed have been disgorged
by the plunderers. The money of
the Canal Ring as well as the per-
sOnal liberty of some of its members
is in danger should the present State
officers be renominated. But would
a "new ticket put into the field
the efforts of the DennisOns,
Lords, Beldens and JOhnsOns, of the
old canal contracting combinations,
be likely to prosecute their support |
ers as resolutely and effectively as
would the present State officers?
THE CHURCH PARTY.
The party attached to Chief JUS
tice Church's political interests are
the allies of the old canal rings in
the 'Enew ticket" policy. A citizen !
of LockpOrt, an intimate friend of
Judge Church, has been n guest at |
the eGrand Union Hotel this summer, |
and he denies very positively that |
the Judge gives any encouragement |
to the present movement, made pro-
in his interest.
"Judge Church" said this gentle
man to the Herald correspondent,
''was deeply mortified at the part he
was induced to take in the Albany |
intrigues to prevent the nomination
Of Mr.. Tilden at st. Louis. He has |
that action ever since and |
| know that he has condemned the |
Albany people for their continued
to all Mr.. Tilden's friends.
know that Judge Church has no
liking for Mr.. Tilden, but he does |
not believe that he will ever again
be candidate for the Presidential |
and at all events he |
does not desire that his own name |
should be used to fight Tilden men
now. But the Parkers, Pruyns,
COrnings and the rest who got en-
in a family feud with Mr.. |
Tilden are in such mortal terror at /
the bare idea of his reappearance in
the Democratic National Convention |
Of 1880 that they would use Judge |
Church or anybody else to relieve |
of the fear. They argue |
that the present State government, |
all friendly to Mr.. Tilden, if renom-
mated and reelected now, will hold |