The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-18
THE SITUATION IN NEW YORK.


II ID painful and huiniliating to Democrats
III every part OF the Union to contemplate
the results Of the Syracuse convention, and II
is the duty Of the Democratic leaders and
press everywhere to use their influence to
heal the dissensions which q mere personal
issue has engendered, and to avert o disaster
which the ambition Of Mr.. Tilden and the OBJ
stinacy Of Mr.. Kelly have made possible.
With the lights before us we can see moth
ing In the fight between Tilden and Kelly but q
contest for supremacy in the Democratic party
III New York. Mr.. Tilden aspires to 70 Into
the National Democratic Convention In 1880
as the master of the New York Democracy
and with solid New York delegation sup
porting him for the nomination for the Presl-
dency. In 1876 Kelly was opposed TO Tilden
and made fierce and stubborn fight against
his nomination. Mr.. Tilden has never for
got or forgiven this hostility OF
the Tammany chief, and he and Gov.
Robinson have made merciless war
upon Kelly, Strengthening, sometimes In
the most arbitrary manner, his friends and
followers on every hand. Pursuing this pol
Icy, the administration Of Governor Robin
son, though II has been In the main an ex-
ceptionally able and economical one, has
brought about most violent and irrecon-
cilable issue between Mr.. Tilden and Mr.
Kelly. Indeed. Governor Robinson has sown
the serpents' teeth from which have sprung
passions and conflicts more dangerous than
armed men and which threaten to bring
upon the country q most terrible disaster In
the loss OF New York to the Democratic
party.
That Mr.. Kelly has had grievances at the
hands OF Mr.. Tilden and Gov. Robinson can
not be denied; that common manhood prompt
ed him TO exert all his energies to defeat
Robinsons nomination and destroy the power
and prestige OF Tilden In the New York De-
mocracy must be conceded; that Mr.. Tilden
has displayed gross selfishness and a vault
Ing and overbearing ambition In forcing such
fight In view Of the tremendous issues in
volved In the campaign Of 1880, we do not hest
tate to affirm.
But we can 90 no further. The combatants
met squarely In the Syracuse convention !;
Mr.. Tilden was triumphant and Mr.. Kelly
was defeated. A very large majority Of the
delegates voted for and nominated Gov. Rob-
| inson for reelection. The defeat was, we I'M
derstand, very bitter one to Mr.. Kelly, and II
there Is any way In which he can take indi-
vidual revenge upon Mr.. Tilden or the nomi-
nee, we do not see why he should not do 80.
But Mr.. Kelly has no right to revenge him
self upon the Democratic party; he has no
earthly right to drag his personal
quarrel with Tilden and Robinson into great
struggle on which largely depends the ma
tional struggle Of 1880. When Mr.. Kelly did
this; when he, the leader of a great Demo-
cratic body, bolted regular Democratic con-
vention and set UP the standard OF revolt. he
forfeited all claim to sympathy or support
from Dem ocrats and all title to Democratic
serious bolt on the part OF party
leader based on such Aimsy grounds
as those Mr.. Kelly and his friends
SGT up as a pretext for their action. From
one end Of the country to the other the Demo
craticpress and the Democratic masses should
condemn his course and cry down with him
Indeed, II this bolt Of Tammany, In crisis
like this liz To be tolerated, condoned or JUS
titled, there will be an end Of party discipline
every disappointed aspirant for Office, every
discounted leader in the party will be In re-
bellion, and the party on whose power, unity
and success rests the preservation Of the con-
stitution, will be split into factions In every
State and 60 to pieces.
And how does Mr.. Tilden stand before the
country? He has made direct personal war
upon Mr.. Kelly and his friends; he has gone
deliberately to work to crush them In the
dust Of humiliation or force them into his
support. In making this issue he has forced
division in the Democratic party in New
York which may be far reaching In Its disas-
trous and terrible consequences. Before this
division in New York the signs OF the times
pointed to decisive Democratic victory In
1880. In the late extra session the
Democracy arrayed themselves In favor
OF the constitution and fully ex-
posed the revolutionary tendencies OF the
Republican party, and the people, a great ma
jority Of the people, were with us. We sub
NIT that Syracuse, In 1879, was no place for
the political aspirations Of Mr.. Tilden or Of
any other man to find assertion. There, with
1880 looming in the horizon, all personal con-
siderations all personal hopes, wrongs and
aspirations should have been subordinated to
the organization Of the Democratic party for
the final struggle for the constitution.
And yet 1t was there that Mr.. Tilden made
his fight to master the New York De-
mocracy and control 1t in the inter-
est OF his nomination for the Presi-
dency. Can he carry New York in spite Of
the issue he has made? 1.-The succeeds he will
have certainly won great victory. If he
fails he will deserve and receive the denuncia.
ton Of the country. He has staked every.
thing upon desperate struggle, which, how.
ever 1t may result, ought to have been avoid.
ed.
But the Democratic party cannot afford te
be mere spectators Of Nj. Tilden's legerde
main, or, possibly we should say, gladiatoria
feats, In politics. The issue In the party II
New York should be healed, and we trust
that the National Committee, which meets II
Washington to-day, Will exert it's influence tx