New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-20
kill these messengers of death, but we can
starve them out.
RNTER SPOPFORD.


These are stirring times. Everybody that Is
anybody seems to have rolled up his sleeves
and gone to making history. AT the rate
things are going on, the demand for history
can never keep up with the supply. We shall
have over-production the market will be
oyerstocked: and then great number OF
statesmen who are now engaged in promoting
the general welfare, and passing the cOntribu-
tion-box, will find themselves out OF business
While all these high goIngs-on are in progress
and the time seems big with great affalrs' we
cannot be too careful in selecting out
the really great events that drift adOwn
the tide, like the occasional whole
watermelon which floats away from the
heterogeneous delivery of the dump-scow
to bruse the bather and bump the beach at
Coney Island. One such event is the return
of Richard s. Spofford known Familiarity as
"DickD 10 the duties of active politics and
the unseIfish service of his native land. We
mention it here and now as marked event.
for fear it may be lost sight of in the rush
and whirl Of things of vastly less consequence
II is known now of course the world over
that the friends of the bold, bad Butler did
enter burglariOusly ard possess feloniously
the hall hired by the Massachusetts,
Democratic State Committee; that they
did intimidate and brOwbeat the elderly
and peaceably disposed delegates; appro-
pirate the machinery of the convention, seize
the nomination for Governor, appoint new
State Committee and jeer at the fugacious
minority. This is In the nature of revolution
and passes into history as great central fact.
But let it not be forgotten that Spofford came
IL nnth m
into what might be called the public eye, and
grazing incidentally the public stomach. Spot-
ford was there, and presided. Everything
combined to make it n thrilling occasion Tor
Spofford and a great day for the race. Many
persons sat up all night to see the dawn OF
the new day, and several went for ladders ana
lock picks and skeleton keys to aid in usher
ing it in.
The man and the hOur-quite an early hour
came together when Spofford was called to the
chair. Now Spofford knew-nO man better
than he-th the present lamentable state OF
things, the depressed condition of industry and
trade, the prevalence of official extravaganza
and dishonesty, and the low tone OF public
morals, could all be traced to his withdrawal
from active politics. He felt that some expla-
nation at least, if not an apology, was due for
his having so long abstained from public
affairs, and permitted the concerns OF the State
and Nation to 20 at loose ends. 1t was emil
nently proper, then, that he should explain to
the noble band of delegates before him
who, he knew, had missed him from
public life and been YEARLY longing for his
return-that if he had been debarred of late
years from the active cooperation which he
formerly had with the party, it had been
lowing to long illness, and not from any
"lukewarmness 10 Democratic principles and
"their maintenance" Is it any wonder that
these delegates, many OF whom had been
painfuly occupying the hall since four o'clock
in the morning, and all of whom knew that
the Democratic party had been suffering re-
verses ever since Spotford's active cooperation
ceased, broke out in wild applause at this
assurance1 The suspicion that he had
deliberately Withdrawn from the public
life which he so much adorned, aud
through mere lukewarmness had permitted
the country 10 go 20 the dogs, was at once dis
PEELED, and in ITS place came the inspiration OF
his leadership. There may have been men
in the Convention, it Is true, who had not
missed Spolford from active politics; IN fact,
who never saw or heard Of him before IN
convention constituted by means of ladders
and lock picks, aud going into camp before
sunrise, 1t is unavoidable that some unintellI-
gent voters should climb up or sneak In. IL
is certain. however. that most Of the delegates
knew who Spofford was; otherwise he would
not have taken so much pains TO tell them he
had not been lukewarm, but sick.
The remainder of the speech was OF n warm
and hearty tone, and beautifully expressed.
When he told them that it depended on them
whether the Commonwealth should be called
"longer 10 endure all the calamities of mis-
"rule and maladministradon of its AFFAIRS"
or they should have "a change of adminstra-
ton with Its attendant blessings" the
men who had been uD all night and those
who got up at 4 o'clock TO bear mp under
these caamties, broke out in another round
of applause. He kept touching chords that
yibrated. But when he said If we are wise
land patriotic we have the destiny Of the
" Commonwealth In our hands, and an Oppor-
"tunty such as has never before presented it
"sef to strike death-blow at that great party
of privilege and prostituted power, in whose
" fostering embrace the Commonwealth and
"country have been so long involved" he
reused them to tremendous cheering. For
here were men who had beheld the Common
wealth and country involved in these Tester
ing embraces ever since the disappearance of
SpoffOrd from active politics, and had vainly
cried, "Where, where is Spofford Is there
"no hand on high to shield the brave y
And they doubtless thought that Spoford was
lukewarm, and didn't care a picayune who
embraced the Commonwealth and country, or
hon, ,,uch thev festered IL wus worth SIT
ting up all night TO have this assurance
IL IL h..o.. n.