The New York herald., 1878-09-24
Hon. John Kelly mt syrae....


ing in his belt well sharpened tomahawk
and the knife with which he hopes to take
the scalp of that hated paleface, Governor
Robinson. If he should return in triumph,
with the dripping scalp of the Governor as
a trophy, there will be no bounds to the
admiring welcome with which he will be re-
ceived by the Tammany braves. In that
event not many city democrats Will be
bold enough to resist his will, and
he can nominate any city ticket ne
pleases with certainty of getting 1t
elected But if, on the other hand, MIR.
Kelly should resemble the well known
character who ''went forth for wool and
came back shorn," his power and prestige
in the city will have become so diminished
that the candidate for the Mayoralty whom
he is supposed to have nominated IN petto
will be dropped, and Mr.. Kelly will have
to look about for a substitute whose real fit
ness will commend him to the people.
At the present moment Mr.. Kelly's pros
poets at Syracuse rest under heavy
cloud The loud boasts of his organs that
he had secured control of the State Con-
vention are just now taken at large
discount There is, perhaps, also some
bravado in the counter boasts OF his
democratic opponents; but their boasts
differ from his in very important circum-
stance. Mr.. Kelly's organs make only
vague general claim, that he has a majority
of the delegates but the Robinson faction
furnish detail ed statement, county by
county, of the delegates it has secured, and
it is able to reckon up clear and decisive
majority. That the Robinson estimate IS
correct and that the Kelly faction know 1t
to be substantially correct, is rendered prob
able by rumor which they set ahoat
yesterday morning that q contesting
delegation had been chosen in Oneida
county, with Governor Seymour at its
head Had this story been true the
outlook would have been rather bad
for the supporters Of Governor Robinson.
Mr.. Seymour is the most respected. infiu-
entail and popular democrat in the State,
and were it true that he headed an anti
Robinson delegation from Oneida county
his influence would easily bring all waver-
ing members of the Convention over to the
Tammany side. But before the close of the
day on which this report was started it was
ascertaine ed to be baseless fiction. Gov
ernor Seymour, instead of being the head
of contesting delegation, was chosen as o
member of the regular Robinson delegation
from his own county. But, unfortunately
for the Robinson faction, the ex-Governors
health will not permit him to attend,
and his kinsman, John F. Seymour, is to take
his place. Even if his health were better Gov
ernor Seymour would probably be reluctant
to 90 into O convention Of which his friends
would insist on making him the president.
But the fact that he is known to favor the
Robinson side will increase the difficulties
of Mr.. Kelly's position and weaken him with
the rural democrats.
The Syracuse Convention will consist of
three delegates from each Of the 12S Assem-
bly, districts, making total OF 3S4
that they have clear 220 of the 3S4,
with the probability of considerable in
| crease from doubtful districts. But the
situation is complicated by an unusually
large number of contestingdelegations It's
rule established by agrent mass of prece-
dents that contested delegations take no
part in the preliminary organization OF
Dem ocratic State Convention, and that the
delegates whose seats ars not contested con-
| troll the initial proceedings and appoint q
| committee on credentials to adjudicate con-
| testing claims. In view of this rule the
| opponents of Tammany have gotten up
set of contestants for the sixty-three seats
from this city, with the purpose of shutting
out Tammany from the preliminary organi-
zation. But the sharp and alert Tammany
chief has attempted to retort this game
upon it's inventors by getting up contesting
delegations in the Robinson districts, in the
| hope of excl uding greater number OF
Robinson than of Kelly delegates from the
early proceedings of the Convention. The
consequence is that about one-third of the
Assembly districts will have to stand aside
under the rule until their claims are passed
upon by the Committee on Credentials.
| The contests are II from Albany, ~ from
| Kings. SO from New York, 8 from Onon-
| daca. from Westchester, 3 from Orleans
and from Niagara, making total of 123,
or nearly one-thirl of the number Of seats
But it is claimed that this sharp game will
rebound to the advantage of the Robinson
faction. In spite of all the exclusions
il is claimed that the Robinson men
will have 147 of the 26l uncontested
delegates, and be able to decide the
claims of the contestants. If this he cor
rect estimate it is certain enough that the
Robinson men will not admit n sufficient
number of the Kelly delegates to enable tho
latter to control the Convention. With such
an unexampled multitude Of contested seats
to be passed upon it is next to impossible
that the Democratic Convention should con-