Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-09-22
NEW YORK POLITICS.
OnkIing--Anti-COnkIing-T0mRna-
ny-AnIi-Tamman

ny-AnGi-TammnnY
In his very amusing, if not very
accurate, life of Andrew Jackson,
Mr.. Parton gives a trenehant sketch
of political morality, or rather inn
morality, in New York. The fol-
lowing are articles extracted from
the political creed of that State ac-
cording to the traditions of Aaron
Burr and Martin Van Buren,, and as
they are recorded in the eleventh
chapter of PartOn's book:
/. Politics is a game, the prizes
of which are offices and contracts. |
IL. The game so far as Our Side |
is concerned must be played with |
fairness. With respect to the Other
Side, all is fair in politics, as in war. |
\
". The people are sovereign, as !
Queen Victoria is sovereign. Treat |
ed always with the prOfOundeSt de- !
ference, the sovereign is NOTHING. |
In England the ministers, in Amer
ca the politicians are everything.
But the sovereign is to be humOred
to the top of his bent, and so led.
The whole creed is an admirable
and truthful satire and we propose
shortly to print it entire, but this is
the portion which suits our present
purpose.
The fourth article is still in force
always has been and always will be.
1t is the very essence of the dema-
gogues' creed in all places and in all
ages; CleOn Of Athens, Jack Cade of
England, and Kelley of Tammany
have all equally cherished it and
equally hadled it as their ready
tool for bamboozling King Demos
bit for the jaws of the otherwise UNI
manageable monster whom they
lead about.
But the second article of the creed
is by no means in force now. In
both the great parties there are
more bitter animOsities and more
knavish trickeries going on between
the competitors within the same
party than between the antagonists
of opposite parties. Tammany hates
anti-Tammany and COnkling hates
and plots against FentOn, worse than
any Radical hates any Democrat or
Democrat hates Radical.
The real objects in view are, so
far as Tammany and anti-Tammany
go, to determine whether the present
prosecutions of the Canal Ring shall
go on or cease, and whether Mr..
Tilden shall be renOminated in 1880
or some favored Tammany pOliti-
clan shall get the nomination. The
COnkling and FentOn sqabbles, on
the other hand, are to settle wheth-
Mr.. COnkling is to regain the pos
session Of power and patronage in
New York, and WELD them for the
purpose of wreaking his revenge on
the President and Mr.. Evarts or
whether Mr.. FentOn nOminalIy,
Mr.. EVarts really, shall hold them
for their own purposes.
The point noticeable in both is
how completely both parties ignore
any question of public policy and
concentrate their efforts upon the
personal interests of politicians.
Neither of the squabbles are of
the slightest interest to us South.
As to the nomination at the next
Presidential Convention, we are
strongly of the opinion that neither
Tammany nor anti-Tammany will
get it. y strong opinion is grow.
ing there that Western man will
be the right nomination for the DEM
Ocratic party, and if such a nomi-
nation had no OtherrecOmmendatiOn
it would at least keep the canvass
clear of Tammany and all its en-
tanglements.
And it is for this purpose, and for
this only, that we have laid before
our readers the disgusting details of
New York political intrigue. This
Tammany has been now for many
years a cancer prGying upon the vi
tai organs of the Democratic party.
1t must be eXtirpated or the party
must die. We must cut loose from
it ut any cost at the cost if it must
be, of giving up New York to the
Republican party-nOt that we think
this necessary result; Tammany is
one of those reptiles which can only
sting if timidly approached; firm !
ly and boldly grasped it writhes,
Kisses and then collapses, as it did
when Tilden made it feel his grip. !
But in any case it must he shaken /
off. 1t has always been the willing |
tool OfpersOnal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and !
surreptitious gain; it has never |
enunciated n public principle-in- /
Identification indeed with any prin-
ciple is what it has always shrunl /
frOm-it has more than once coal /
eSced with the extreme Radicals for /
some scheme of peculation ON con-
dition of dividing the spOils when !
the plot is carried out; it did its /
best to disrupt and tear asunder the |
whole Democratic party in the Ma
tional Convention ut st. Louis last /
fall, and would have done so but for |
the great wisdom, fOrbearance and /
patriotism of better men; it invent |
eel every possible form of enven-
omed SANDER against Mr.. Tilden,
so long rs it hoped to defeat his
nomination, and then licked his .
feet, covering them with Il slime .
more disgusting than its former
poison. As national organization 1
we can no longer afford to be in any /
sense Unidentified with it. The Re .
publican party has been compelled .
by the force of public opinion to
break with the carpet-baggers at the
risk of the utter disruption of the
marty, and unless we do the same
with Tammany, we must expect to