The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-01-11
THE PACIFIC
mmertlalAOOertlser
SATURDAY. January II.
Letter from New York.
NEw YoEk, DECEMBER, Is

Letter from new 1Orks
NEw YORK, DECEMBER, 1875.
~ desire to ske,ca. briefly, a chapter in the
recent political history Of this city. IL is Of inter-
est TO you, in a distinct sense, only because il con-
Germs the metropolis q America, and its relation
70 the national government. \ great political
battle was fought % the 9Th Of this month. The
&c inwardness " Of the causes which led to it, and
OF the reasons that determined the result are not
generally known. even TO those who have consi-
derable knowledge nf political matters, and, least
Of all 10 the people Of New York, who are the
most deeply concerned IammaDy has been de-
feated. and samuel J. Tilden has won the victory
in spite Of d" clphsTs.' | have 10 political bias
whatever. for ] belong to that increasing party Of
independents. who are utterly regardless OF party
obligation, and L believe l can speak without pr
JUDGE. The Republican party finished its work,
at the close Of the war. aud at the restoration 10
the Southern States 20 their political rights. IL
has lived for several years only by the blunders %
the Democratic party. Its recent triumph in 50
many States is owing almost entirely 10 its hard
money doctrine. Ii saved itself Just 10 time. by q
long deferred. but finally unreserved opposition 10
I greenbacks. So far as the Republican leaders are
( concerned il has not been an honest opposition.
For some time the leaders have been divided.
Some have advocated greenbacks. and thus have
opposed them. The majority was waiting 10 Sec
which way the cat would jump. &PoOr, distressed
politicians waiting down anxioh9y to the shores
Of the great political sea. and urgently inquirlng,
what are the wild waves saying? Greenbacks?
or hard money II was finally perceived that
the temper Of the people was for . Gnal settlement
on a gold basis; even Senator COnkling maintained
an ambiguous silence. until the eve OF the elec-
ton, and the temper Of the people was manifest.
The Republican leaders proved TO be better
/ judges of the popular thought than the Democratic.
There were other and minor causes for the success
of the Republican party, but the main issue was
hard money. The people came TO the front. and
men who had property Of actual value voted
against greenbacks, which meant huctuating value.
Behind all this there is an interesting history,
which l will briefly relate. as it concerns one OF,
] 4h. nror,fnnp. candidates in tho last Presidential
election.
Ate the Tweed ring in this city was broken up
in 1871. the Democratic party were called upon 10
. nominate a candidate for Governor OF the State.
The Tammany section was the most compact aud
intelligent force in that party. As usual, they
desired a candidate. who would. if elected, obey
the ~Tammany leaders, and dispose of all official
patronage in their own interests. y selfwilled,
Independent. opinionated man was not wanted.
They nominated Tilden. He was not, and never
had been a leader. For a number of years he was
Chairman Of the State Democratic Committee. He
was satisfied with the honor, but rarely had intlu-
ence in the management. He maintained this
position. during TwePd's reign. He was a figure
head. but Tweed did the work and snabbed him
constantly. On Tweed's downfall, he payed off
old scores. by ferretirg out his frauds, and thus
became a - reformer.' lie was elected a member
of the State Legislature in 1873, but during the
entire session he failed to leave any impression on
that body.
I was in Albany during the session, and seeing
him one day in the house, | inquired of one Of
his intimate friends, a Democratic member, what
he was doing. receiving for answer, - that the
boys didn't pay much attention to the old man."
He was nominated for governor for two reasons:
because he was available. by virtue of his re-
form " character. and because it was thought that
"A man who had been for so many years dOcile and
humble in the Office Of Chairman of the State
Central Committed would remain docile and ODE
dent as Governor of the State. and in any event.
- take care of" Tammany. There was indeed.
another reason. he had money and could contribute
the sinews OF war. He was elected Governor. 1t
soon became manifest to Tammany that TIlden
was not going TO take care OF the party. but was
about to take care of himself. The ease and
docility Of his nature quickly disappeared. In all
Of the confidential discussions among the Tam
many leaders, it was never once suggested or be-
lieyed that he was a true refoTmer. II he had
been. or Tammany bad even suspected II. he never
would have been nominated, but he was considered
~ TO the time of election. a square man; that
is, one who would stand by the men who put him
in power. The Tammany men were quick TO see
that they had elected a man who would not be
led. They said, be wasn't " square" y breach
opened nj once. II was Tor this reason, that he
was bitterly opposed by John Kelly at the con-
Yention for nominating n President held in st.
Louis. 1t was said by the New York men, we
may work and spend our money TO elect him he
will make great promises, but be will not keep
them" The rank and file Of the party believed
in him. Democratic politicians in other States
believed in him, but the New York men. who
came in contact with him daily. saw his official
acts in detail. noticed the men around him, saw
him prosecuting the canal thieves vigorously on
one hand. and holding intimate relations with
another set of thieves on tine other hand, mis-
trusted him thoroughly. Repeatedly l have heard
Tammany men give these reasons. l heard one OF
them say. =! | have been badly fooled; he has fooled
us all. | wouldn't mind 1t so much, If he was a
real TeiOrmer. but he Is not. and Is foOling every
body" In the political drama the people rate as
audience. merely. and are rarely admitted behind
the foOtlights, and TO the green room where the
actors are dressing and undressing. or making up
the parts. frequently heard Tilden's character
discussed during the election by leading Demo-
Gratis. who were working. and did vote for him,
but the idea Of his being a reformer only produced
a laugh. In one instance. where as Governor, he
was acting in a judicial capacity. the facts of
which were personally known to me, l always
thought, and still think. he was governed in his
decision by personal motives.
Since the Inauguration of Mr.. Hayes, Tilden has
been carefully arranging p~lans-for his renomina
ton at the next presidential convention. The
politics of the State aud the city have turned on
that issue. His plan has been to keep the frauds
before the people. and his methods have been
very ingenious. The Potter" committee is his
child. He was afraid of being forgotten, or of being
pushed aside. Believing as l do most unreserved-
ly that by The actual UOte cast. he was elected Pres
ident of the United States, | do not wonder that be
was disposed to keep his gr,evanc" before the
people. So far as | can see, 1t Is the judgment of
sober. thinking men Of all parties that he Is deeply
involved by the cipher dispatches. and there is no
escape for him. The most that can be said in his
favor is, that. believing he had received a majority
OF the votes in Flerida, and seeing that the electors
were being bribed to vote against him, be at
tempted to pay them for doing what it was their
duty to do. Although Tlden now ceases to be q
political power in the country, he made a decided
success in the last city election. Edward Cooper,
the Anti-Tammauy candidate for Mayor, is his in
innate friend. He wa the Treasurer Of the Demo
cratic fund for political purposes. and If called
upon to rise and explain. could tell some curious
stories about the Florida matter. Cooper was
elected by the Tiiden men, the respectable mer-
chant party, the dissatisfied workmen. and BY the
swarms Of political bummers who have been
turned ont of Tammany. The reform element Is a
humbug. The defeat OF John Kelly is a calamity
to the city.
The Democratic party OF this city, Is a vast mass
Of ignorant Irishmen. seven thousand gin-mill
keepers. some hundreds Of active fellows who wish
Office that requires no work, and he must be an
autCcrat indeed who can hold il safely. Kelly Is
honest and capable. He Is serving the CITY as
well as any man can. under the circumstance. He
Is hated because be Is despotic. / doubt II the
damncrncY hive had q hnffar lnalnr IN rnnrr