New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-29
CONNECTICUT DEMOCRATS.
No BooMn FOR ANYBODY.

DATES
The Connecticut Democrats met at Hartford
Yesterday and appointed delegates to the
National Convention of the party. There
WAS some discussion of candidates, but
IN the end no resolution Of instructions was
adopted, IN fact the whole platform OF reso-
iutions was laid on the table. The delegates
at.large are Alfred E. Burr, w. E. Parsons
David A. Wells and w. H. Barnum.
A DISCREET AND PEACEFUL MEETING.
A LITTLE FURRY ONCE WHEN AN ATTACK WAS
MADE on TnDEN, But THE CONVENTION OTHER
WISE QUIET ONE.
irRoN STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
HARTFORD. April 2s.-The condition of the Con-
necticut Democracy in this trying crisis is best de-
pjcted by the remark of a rural Democrat OF agrl-
cultural proclivities who came to Hartford Just
after the late municipal election when his party
had been defeated by about 1900 majority. FIX
Mayor Sumner, meeting him on the street. sald:
4Well, Mr.. Blank, are in afoOt OF a-hOrsebackf
aGreat Heaventh ~ said the agriculturst, who had
n little difficulty in mastering the sibilants-" Great
Heayenth! Mithtcr Thurman! Air in anywhereT
This was the cloud that brooded over the Con-
ventlon today. The body itself was thin and pro-
foundlv Respondent and it all there seemed TO
hang murky environment from which, II any Ut
terance came it was the gasping inquiry "Good
Heayenth air in anywhereT 1t was not al
encouraging Convention. There were towns un-
represented and towns half represented and nan
that to Edward Spicer Cleveland's large oratory'
Thomas NJ. Walters turned periods, ana James
Gallagher's deep-mouthed eloquence returned only
echoes There was no enthusiasm IN IT. notmng
of the "git-up- git" order which was the rule
two or three years ago when the party was on tne
top of the wave The delegates themselves in
had no hope of carrying Connecticut except in the
event of Grants being nominated by the Republic
cans or a Connecticut man by the Democrats.
Only few sanguine souls were at all hopeful, anu
they were chiefly men who were willing to lay
odds on the nomination of Grant at Chicago. One
of these was ex-senator BaTnum, who is absolutely
eertain-in his mnd-that Grant will be nomi-
mated at Chicago. and the man W no will win Will
be nominated at Cincinnati.
And yet thin as the Convention was--so thin
that one would suppose there might have been
the largest liberty of discussion and no fear what
ever of doing damage to the Use unrestricted
freedom of speech-it was noteworthy feature of
II that everybody seemed to DO treading on thin
ice and everybody shivered when any one spoke
above his breath. How better can l describe this
state of feeling any familiar with Connecticut
Democratic Conventions and their orators than by
saving that Thomas NJ. Waller, one of the readieSt
speakers in the State. discreetly committed to writ
ing the short speech with which he accepted the
temporary craftsmanship and the long,r one with
which he entered on the duties of permanent chair
man and read them both from the manuscript; and
that Edward Spcer Cleveland with whose robust
rhetoric Connecticut audiences are familiar and
who has probably left more unfnishe sentences
hanging over the state from his imprOmptu adj
dresses than any one man could finish in life time,
did the same That must have been an uncommon
emergency--One that called for discretion of the
highest Order-that drove these two impassioned
orators to coldly commit themselves!tO paper In
stead of trusting to the divine aff1atus and the
wellings-up of the infinite within them with which
1t has been their habit to up the Connecticut
Democracy to tho pitch of bowling
There was some talk last night to the effect that
Waller on taking the chair would let himself loose
against Tilden He did contemplate it at one time,
but one of the auti-Tilden men who was most
earnest to have him do 1t, and to have the Conven-
ton take a positive stand against TIlden, found
after dligent probing of the delegates that there
was not enough pronounced Tilden sentiment In the
Convention to warrant any outlay OF force In
kicking against it, and so he decided to put
himself ia writing and take no chances
of being run away with by his impulses. Cleveland,
however, suspected that he might fire away at the
old man, and accordingly, contrary to his habit,
withdrew from the public gaze into retirement and
put himself on paper in elaborate defence OF the
statesman of Gramercy Park. Walters prudence
babe fair at one time to give him grevOus disap-
pointment, and leave him with his eloquence un-
bottled and his manuscript on his hands. Judge
Blake of Bridgeport. however, bullying in with bis
proposed amendment to the resolutions reported by
the committee gave him his occasion and oppor-
tunlty as will be seen later
The Convention. which was called to meet at 10.
did not get fairly under way till H. the delay being
occasioned by the inability of the lid District eau
Gus to agree upon delegates. At IL an organization
was effected and Waller. as temporary chairman,
made neat little opening speech. Then there were
the usual preliminanes. and after while the Com
mittee on Permanent Organization reported, recon-
mendlng Waller for permanent chairman. whereat
be read another speech prepared with care, in
which, curbiHg his impulses, he eulOglZed Tllden
with a reading between the lines rejecting mildly
upon the old Rentleman's lack of courage In not
taking the White House by force in 1875. At the
end of the manuscript he fled along the current OF
his thought for sentence or two which was evil
IDENTIFY unprecedented, but before lie had fairly
committed himself abruptly stopped. He wanted
to be sure the Convention would be against TIlden,
but did not want ito say anything TO excite discus
sion or disturb the harmony. lie was wise beyond
his wont. In the announcement of delegates as Sc
lected by the several district caucusses. the only
disturbing incident was motion or one of the
Hartford delegates to substitute Ex-Governor Hub
bard's name for that of Alfred f. Burr, of The
Hartford Times. There was little furry of discus
son over IT, but the movement had no
significance whatever. except as it was
indicative of the local opposition to Mr.. Burr.
The two gentlemen do not differ in any important
particular as to the policy of the party at Cncn-
natl. Mr. Burr will probably be counted as Til
den man, as he has defended Iilden in bis paper,
but it is by no means certain that he Will vote 1or
trlAen /, fbe Convention and it is quite certain