New-York tribune., 1879-04-23

| All the political philosophers who are engaged
in the present dispute either are or have beer
connected with the school of statesmen known
as the Tammany Society. There has been
much going in and coming ont, and re-
| forming and reorganiZing; and the ire
guency of the changes has given the Society
| something of Kaleidoscope character, Du'
in and through all Tammany has been the
source and the home and the university oil
| Democracy. 1t has contributed several names
to the roll of fame, and no end of names to
the pay-rolls of the city. And while 1t has
! furnished the city with rulers of unusual gifts
and the most comprehensive grasp, 1t has
generously sent abroad some of the most
| amply endowed of its graduates to such foreign
nations as do not CXtradite. For these reasons
many of us would gladly hold to the belief
that the Democratic dispute is over grave and
serious differences upon doctrines and prlncl-
! pies.
We regret 10 observe that the statesmen who
are carrying il on treat it as falling out among
rogues. Leading and influential men OF the
! Tammany Society unsparingly denounce the
| leaders of the opposing combination with big
! big ID, while Anti-Tammany leaders return
| the dcnunciatiOns with bigger ID and accrued
| interest Great unfrendlness has been exhIbl-
ted on the part Of Tammany toward the
! late standard bearer Of the party. lie
has been charged with Insatiate ambition pub
! liclv. and damned into the minUtest mince-
meat privately. On the other hand the Anti
Tammany statesmen say uDkiad things about
Mr.. John Kelly and Mr.. Augustus Schel and
/ A i1llyt L rice
and demand that the Tammany ncumbents Of
municipal Offices be turned out for incom-
pctencc and dishonesty. It's II very queer
mess they make of it. Mr.. Tweed and his
noble companions used to run Tammany
Hall and the New-YOrk Democracy upon the
theory that the Republican National Admin
istration was corrupt and bad, and that the
hone of the country lay in the devotion of Tam
many Hall to pure politics aud honest admins
tration. After that had been carried so far
that it ceased to be even joke, Mr.. Illden
and a few others reformed Tweed ont ana
hung ont a new banner of Reform. Mr..
Iildrn made a reputation as Reiormer by
kicking out number Of dishonest Demo-
crats who got caught at il, and they called
the Democracy the Reform party. Then Mr..
Kelly and few others charged Tiden with
beina no Reformer at all but an old humbug
and cheat, and they reformed him out, and
hung ont still another new Reform banner.
And now there are two Democratic parties
here. each devoted to Reform aud each trying
to reform the other. The Anti-Tammany
rcople are trying 10 reform Mr. Kelly and
his Sachems and SagamoIcs and WisldnEes
out of Tammany Hall, and all Their depend
ents out Of Office; aud the Tammany people
are beginning to reform the other folks out
f organized existence. And each faction
charges the other with Iascality and roguery
in pretending to be in favor OF Reform when
it actually is not
And when Grand Sachem Augustus Schell
sends to County Clerk Hubert o. Thompson
an invitation to attend an election of officers
of the Tammany Society, and calls him
brother" and says, cit should command
"the attention of any brother who loves his
"country and desires that it should be
ruled by the people," tho County Clerk
sends back hot answer in which,
after twitting the venerable Grand Sachem
with having been frequently defeated for
Office, he says the society is nOtoriousy
"vithout expressed convictions on all National
"and State issues, and exclusively devoted to
" the requirement and retention Of municipal
"pover and plunder," and that "the
venerable order is absolutely controlled
"by ambitious fgure-heads, trembling
" oflice-holders and hopeful eXpectants." Mr.
Thompson evidently has very positive con-
victions with regard to the sincerity of the
professions of the Tammany leaders. There
is abundant reason to believe that the Tam
many leaders are equally pronounced III their
views ofthe purposes of Mr.. Thompso spOlitical
associates, and equally certain that the object
of the latter is likewise the requirement and
retention of municipal power and plundcr.
Taking their own words for it then, this is
not a difference among doctors, but a falling
ont among rocues. Ii isn't a puzzle which
no one can answer, but quarrel which prom
ises to honest men their dues.