The New York herald., 1879-09-29
MIR. John KeIly's Canvass.

said to have beguA and the city CANVASS
lies in embryo; but. so far as 1t is possible
to Judge from present Appearances, Mr..
Kelly will have no difficulty in defeating
Governor Robinson and electing Mr.. Cor
nell, (which, if not victory, is yet revenge.
But the canvass may take new shapes as 1t
advances, and men of cool judgment-men
who are not hurried by party bias or wishes
to precipitate conclusions-will reserve
their Judgment until the forces on both
sides are fully in the field.
| Among the things which may affect the
political result in New York is the Ohio
election to be held early in October. The
republicans are sanguine that they will
carry that State. Should they carry it by
a rousing majority the republican party
will have easy work in New York. In that
event the New York republicans will be
exposed to no strong temptation to abet Mr..
Kelly's canvass. and will be more likely to
treat him as a foe than as an ally. 1t is for
the interest and credit of the republican
party to keep clear of disreputable coali-
tions. So long as republicans in this State
continue to treat Mr.. Kelly with marks of
''high and distinguished consideration"
SO long it will be apparent that they dis
trust their ability to carry the State un-
aided by the Tammany bolt. Why should
they 'plough with strange heifers" if they
hive full confidence in the strength of
the republican oxen? The way in which
some prominent republican journals
are caressing Mr.. Kelly is virtual
acknowledgment that they have misgiv-
ings as to their ability to carry the State
against the united democrats. Should the
Ohio republicans win a splendid victory
the New York republicans may cease to pat
Tammany on the back and to give it en-
couraging words; for such an alliance is
not only confession of fear but source
of discredit. What could be more incon-
sistent or preposterous than the new
that Tammany shall have one-half
of the inspectors of election, when
they have been declaiming for years and
years against the illegal voting and false
counting of Tammany, and pleading such
dishonesty as justification Of the federal
election law? The New York republicans
will cut loose from Tammany as soon rs
they think it safe, because they all feel
that such an alliance is dishonoring after
their hideous representations of Tammany
election frauds. If the republican majority
in Ohio should be heavy enough to relieve
the New York republicans from their
fears they will make haste to wash their
hands of the defling Tammany coalition,
and will put an end to their coqueting
with Mr.. Kelly
If, after the Ohio election, the New York
republicans should feel strong enough to
elect their ticket unaided by the Tammany
bolt, MIR. Kelly's chances of regaining con-
troll of the city government will pass into o
hopeless eclipse. 1t is only by republican
aid that Mr.. Kelly can hope to re-
| cover his lost power in the city. He has
been again and again defeated in local con-
tests when he had the full prestige OF demo-
| cratic regularity. When he has so often
| failed to elect his local tickets after coming
back from the State Convention as q con-
queror, with ''his blushing honors thick
upon him." what reasonable hope can he
u
he has been flung out of the State crganiza-
ton "neck and heels" and rests under
the ban of accommodation as
political hereto? If he could not
carry the city last year, when he returned
as victor from the Democratic State Con-
vention, what chance has he now apart
fiom o coalition with the republicansf
But such coalition is impossible unless
the republicans despair Of carrying the
State by other means. "Who can touch
pitch and not be defiled ?" There are
thousands of republicans who would
doubt whether they ought not to rebel
against their party if it required
them to come into contact with
the Tammany pitch. Certain it is
that if, after the Ohio election. the republi-
cans OF New York should think themselves
strong enough to carry the State without
Mr.. Kellys aid, they will prefer to keep
their party clean from the stains of such an
alliance which would convert into mock
cry and by-word the reasoNs they have
always alleged in support of Slat federal
election law which they have recently made
the corner stone of their politics. A repub-
lican alliance with Tammany, repub-
lican assistance to Tammany in getting its
tools appointed as inspectors of election,
would contradict and belle all the charges
which the republican party has been
vociferating against Tammany since the
enactment of the federal election law.
A coalition with Tammany now would
make the republican party an object
of contemptuous derision among large
portion of its own supporters. The
party will not thus stultiiy itself unless
in consequence OF its fears. An alliance
with Tammany would be such q confession
of conscious weakness by the republican