New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-31
rU0 DJD BLTE1T HfNC0cK,


Not for the world would we venture am
unsccmly interruption of the hair-pune now
in procrpss among the Democratic factions Of
tins city over the stirring question, Who caused
the late Democratic defeat? They all seem
30 serious about il, and ont of it there leaks
50 much wholesome truth OF general public
interest, that we are of no mind to interrupt
if For this is one of those QuJrrcl5 which,
while they serve to occupy the minds Of the
participants, usually rebound TO the advantage
Of the public But now that there is prospect
of a momcntary lul in the debate, we seize
the occasion to inject the remark that, as a
historical fact, the Republican party had a
great deal 10 do with the defeat. This seems
10 have been overlooked by the organizers,
reOrganIzeTs and disOrganizers who have been
electine scapegoats and loading them for the
mast month. The Republicans were lndcbed,
il is true, to Mr. john Kelly for his invaluable
services, not less in making the bolt of
1879 than in his conspicuous relation
10 the reconciliation and reunion Of 1880
But so also were they indebted to Mr.. TiIdcn
for the Cipher Conspiracy; to General Han
cock for hi. GLORIOUS victory" telegram 10
Paisted, of Maine, and his tax on the tariff
WIN TIC Nth-JtiSN9 N'l'Oi w Nii' W "'''i
son for the revenue tariff plank in the Gin
cinnati platform to MIR. Birnum for his in
Vulnerable contributions to the Democrats in
Congress; the Confederate Brgadiers the
inventor of the 1920" trick in shoIt to
every Democratic leader in the country.
They all helped.
But, practically, the Republicans did the
business for the Democratic party themselves;
and, what is more they are proud of it. We
are quite willing that the Democratic factions
should keep up the quarrel as to which leader
or which faction did them most hahn. And we
do not object to their charging each other
with treachery and freeing their minds on
each others moral character; but the truth Of
history demands that it should ut least
be said that the credit of defeating
them is claimed by the party that openly
opposed them 1t must be confessed
moreover that the Republicans, however well
pleased they may be to see their opponents so
industriously occupied quarrelling among
themselves, are getting n little lonesome
They are SO much accustomed to being in the
thick of the fight against the united Dcmoc
racy that their arms are in danger of getting
hrusty while they stand as spectators of the
Democratic squabbles. IL there no way by
which they can be counted in in this dispute
as to who killed Cock Robin Is it too late
for Mr.. Kelly and the Tammany wing to re-
| sumo the attack on the Republicans which was
| foreshadowed by his famous accusation, that
! the Republican vote in this city WIS swelled
by the importation of thousands of repeaters
| from Vermontl 1t has always seemed to us
| that too little was made of that. For our
selves, we do not believe that repeaters from
Vermont did swell the Republican vote in this
city--that is to say, not by so many thousands
as Mr.. Kelly seemed to think. But there
are differences of opinion, and whether the