The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-11-12


liug's Trump.
New YORK, Nov. IL, 1878.
do not believe there was living soul in New
York, no matter what party he belonged to, or
In what direction his sympathies ran who fully
anticipated the remarkable political events of
last Tuesday. The And-Tammany forces,
composed of a part of the Democrats and all of
the Republicans, were hopeful Of eecting city
officers. The Republicans were sanguine of
carrying the State because they had great
leader to fight for and great cause to sustsin.
But that everything should have gqae one
way-that the Republicans should dave gained
two congressman in the city and half dozen
Assemblymen, and carried the Legislature
three to one, was as unexpected to the victor-
ous as to the defeated party. Tammany holds
elk congressional seats; the Republicans one.
In the next House Tammany will have three,
the Republicans three and Anti.Tammany one
(James O'Brien) Fernando Woods election
was secured by strategy. Hs would have bsen
beaten by Hardy, Anti-Tammany, If he hadn't
hired Republican to run. That performance
which undoubtedly cost him many thousands Of
dollars, enahied him to squeeze through with
plurality Of 300 votes in poll of some 20, 900.
McCook carried his district by some 5000 ma
joritY and L. P. Morton beat Willis tive to
one.
The happiest man met on the night of the
election was the venerable Peter Cooper He
was up and on his feet till near m idnght,
which is pretty good evidence of vitality in a
gentleman SS years of age. He seemed quite
to have lost sight of his soft money vagaries
in his great elation at receiving the information
that his son had been chosen Mayor. He was
at reception given by Cyrus W. Field in COM
pliment to Dean Stanley, and great number
of the thousand or more who were guests on
the occasion, cordially rendered their congratu-
lations to the great-hearted philanthropst, on
the event in which he had such deep personal
interest. What impaired additional zest to his
feelings Of satisfaction was the fact that some
wretched Bohemian had invented and circu-
lated story that Mr.. Cooper was not in favor
OF his sons election and had spoken disparag-
ingly OF him. This was so tough fiction that
nobody of average discernment believed
syllable Of it, bat discernment is not unyer-
sal quality with New York voters. For the
matter Of that all sides made appeals that were
more ludicfous than persuasive from a common
sense point of view. One of the objections
urged against Schell was that he was director
in the savings bank that had recently been
robbed OF three millions of securities. As d.
rectors are not supposed to sleep at nights in
the vaults of the bank it was hardly fair to
presume mans unfitness for the Mayoralty
because he was the victim of burglars. 1t isn't
rotl iba1v hal A.. C.Iu1
account OF this imputation, as the chances are
that no person whose education had progressed
SO FAR as learning to read, would bs influenced
by it. 1t was gravely stated of Mr. Cooper that
be was undeserviug of support because he pre-
ferred an Eoglish to an Irish coachman. Mr..
Morton was denounced because be was q men,
bar of the syndicate through whom the last is
cue OF government bonds was placedi As likely
as not the aleg alton gave impetus to his can
vass; at any rate he got az enormous msjority.
The most unfortunate man in this contest,
was Mr.. o. B. Potter. He is an entirely fresh
hand in politics, never was candida ate for any
Office before. He was introduced at late hour to
run in Mr.. Hswitt's district, after Mr. Kelly
bad decided to take the risk of setting Mr..
Hewitt aside. 1t was bold undertaking any
way to rule out a gentleman who had bsen
chairman of the Democratic National Uommit
tee, whose character was of the very highest
and whose attainments made him most valu-
able acquisition to Congress. 1t seemed to invite
the criticisms of the entire Democratic party
throughout the Union on Tanmauy 8 way of do
ing things. However the decree had gone forth
and there was no appeal from it, Now, the Tam
Ghiaf oil he
applicable to the conduct of the business of
organizations that derive their authority from
the popular will He has his county, con.
gressional, assembly and other conventions
precisely as if they were so many delbsrative
bodies. There was congressional convention
held in the 10th District with the usual num-
Der of delegates in it; the proceedings were
similar to those that take place in
gatherings where everything has not bsen
cut and dried beforehand. In this case the del
egates hadn't been instructed whom they were
to nominate long enough beforehand to get fa-
miliar with the name. So when it was men,
toned voice here and there broke the silence
with the awkward question "Potter, who is
he!" AS nobody could tell the situation be-
came more embarrassing. Presently, however,
one of the faithful exclaimed, "No matter who
he is; he has been selected by our leaders; we
must have faith in them. Let us declare him
the nominee" And of course the suggestion
was adopted, cheerlessly and In silence. This
was Mr.. O'Brien's opportunity. If Mr.. Hewitt
had been nominated he would in ell probability
have been elected. OBrIen ran against him in
1876 and was badly defeated. Bot to beat Pot
ter, whom nobody In that district happened to
know, was very different matter, and much
easier to bs done. So O'Brien thought when
he entered the lists, and so the event proved
But the fact is that Mr.. Potter is an eminently
respectable and intelligent gentleman, and
would have made a highly creditable Repre-
sentative. 1t was his misfortune that he was
not put forward on his merits, but solely in yir
tue Of his fidelity to the order of Tammanv
lie suffered the penalty OF being found in bad
company, but it will be a misfortune if this lit
tie reverse should discourage him from making
further essay in the political field, for he is
one of the kind Of citizens that has the capaci-
ty to render good service to the community in
the discharge OF almost any official trust, dis
connected with national affairs, which Demo-
Gratis are by nature disqualified from attending
to benedcently.
The one man to whom the result of this elec-
tion is great personal triuriph Is Roscoe
Conkling. For rather more than a year, The
Senator has been the object Of a .ceaseless IL
rade of gable and gossip, that has been ex-