The New York herald., 1879-08-07
MR.. KELLY's MISTAKE.

From the Buffalo IN. w. Courier-Deml
In the HERALD interview with Mr.. Kelly the latter
alluded to the canvass Of 1877 and the Democratic
State Convention held at Albany in that year. With
reference to the action Of that body Comptroller
Kelly is reported to have used the following Ian
guage:- A-h-
As soon as the Convention adjourned began to
With nssy d ~s shss os
hos . sI I s9s he
here and endeavored to mske combination usfeAt the
ssa & ss TO .ers
particularly friendly with him or his friends devoted
%oa a ra s sss ss %df
Seymour put the ticket to please Robinson To
mated they Of suppcrl from all
true democrats. and had, as said. 10000 majority.
1t will be that the difference between the
majorities received by Messrs Olcott and Seymour
on the one hand those of the rest of the ticket
the other is here virtually charged upon Cover
Robinson and his friends II the charge is true.
then these persons were guilty of treachery which
is not rendered any the less grave because Mr. Reilly
has done himself the injustice Of threatening do
likewise in the next State convention shall take
action contrary to his wishes. The charge is not
new one, but we believe this is the first time SO
influential democrat Mr.. Kelly has lent it the
weight Of his name. It is at any rate wholly un-
founded. While it has not q single fact to stand
upon, the causes that led to the difference in the
number of received by the several democratic
candidates in 1877 are by means obscure. 1t 10
strange that Mr.. Kelly should have overlooked or
forgotten them.
THE 1877 TICKET
In the first place the ticket OF 1877 by
means an ''antiTilden" ticket. Mr. Kelly himself
is reported saying that Messrs. Olcott and Sey-
mour were put on it "to please Robinson" But
sonal aud political friend OF Mr.. Tildsn while his
immediate predecessor, Mr.. Ross. was not. This be-
ing the case why the friends or Governors Tilden
and Robinson should have made him u victim Of
their alleged revenge and treachery il nconcevsbe.
Again. Mr.. schoonnaker was not the first choice of
the new ticket men OF 1877 did his record place
him in unfriendly relations with the particular
friends OF the Governor. 1t IL also Uncomfortable
that any faction which hoped for q future in the
party should have intrigued against the head OF tho
ticket Mr.. Beach. On the whole. indeed. and
pecially in view Of the platform upon which the
candidates nominated. the ticket of 1877 gave
reasonable cause tor complaint to what is some
times called the Tiden wing Of the party. The fact.
ceived fewer votes than their associates demands,
and we believe, admits of better explanation than
the alleged treachery of that element.
FACTORS IN THE CANVASS.
1t will be remembered that an impression went
abroad that Tammany Hall had lorded 1t in the Con-
vention of 1877 ana defeated the Governor Now. it
Is not unreasonable to suppose that number of So
called independent" supporters of Governor Rob-
inson, whose votes he held not the slightest
control. may have resented this circumstance.
whether 1t were real or imaginary. Other voters,
unattached to any political party. no doubt sup
ported Mr.. Olcot. a mark OF confidence both in
the Governor anu in the young State Comptroller
while Mr. Seymour. besides beng the bearer OF an
honored and popular name. had won honorable
nown Ly his services to the cause OF canal REFORM
Moreover. the republicans had found IL necessary.
during the canvass. TO make change in their npmi-
nation for Comptroller and there also charges
against their candidate for State Engineer which
his friends did not successfully reiute These cir
cumstances all had their effect But still another
factor in the canvass what known at
the time as the Ottendorier ticket" Mr.. Often
dorler. of New York. an influential leader OF the
Gernan voters in that city. was, and we believe is
still, bitterly hostile to Tsmmany Hall. He has
never. however, been 'Tilden democrat" In fact
he claims to be more of an independent than a dem.
ocrat and IL IL tain that his political actions have
at no time been controlled either by Mr.. Tilden
MIR. Robinson. 1t is known that Mr.. Ottendorfer
favored the old ticket in 1877, and regarded the
result of the Albany Convention q victory for
Tammany. With view to punish that organ zation
he became the sponsor of a mixed ticket composed
OF Messrs Ocott and Seymour and three republican
candidates For this ticket Mr.. Ottendorfer solicited
the aid and support of German voters throughout
the State. lie was particularly successful in this
county. where there happened to be u work ingmens
organization mostly composed of Germans. These
workingmen in of a ticket and were easily
persuaded by an agent of Mr.. Ottendorfer to adopt
that gcntlenan's composite The result was
plainly visible in the returns.
WILL. KELLY BOLT?
In view Of the tact that Messrs. oicott and sey-
ciates in minority, Mr.. Kelly's theory would
apply to this locality well to any other in the
State-perhaps rather better. But any one who
should assert that the friends of Messrs Tiden and
Robinson IN this county rcsponsi ible tor this
feature of the result would make himself ridic uous
in the eyes of all who were familiar with the
Of local politics that year. And, as In this county
have doubt that, to the state at large Mr.
Kelly's theory is wholly erroneous The difference
OF the majoritics is amply accounted for by the
facts we have recountcd. No democrat claiming to
be in good standing in the party could fail TO sup
port state ticket regularly nominated. Nor can
believe that Mr.. Kelly Will be the first TO devate
from the acknowledged rules of party loyalty,
no matter what the result of the next State
ion may be.