New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-08
INIT THE FEArD CRT MEMS

The Democratic party is supplying The
country with some very interesting reading
and valuable information. At present, II Is
engaged in discussing how General Hancock
was beaten, and therein is disclosing its own
utter c0rruptucss and lack Of principle. Onc
Democrat after another comes to Che front
with information that Repaid cjl electoral
tickets were ian ont Of Tammany boxes. and
that Democratic workers systematically traded
votes for Garfield, wherever tley could, in
exchange foT votes for Grace. Working
Democrats assert, with great indignation, that
they were Induced TO make such trades be-
cause, they were assured, the State was GER
tain to give a heavy majority for Hancock IN
any case On the other hand, some Republi-
cans say that they participated il the trading
because they had no Idea that M. Grace
could possibly be defeated, ard deencd
it their duty TO put the electoral ticket
beyond all danger OF defeat. Il is easy
to understand how honorable Republicans
NAV have been Influenced in ibis way, and II
is true that many failed to b. convinced,
when assured by TIE TRIBUNE that Mr..
Dowd could be elected, and a clear ma
joiIty in this state secured for Sen
eral Garfield at the same time. BUt the
Democratic lea Ter who represented 10 his
followers that General Hancock was Cut OF
danger, at any time after the Indiana cleo
ton, was simply deceiying those who trusted
him, and bttraying his party to defeat. i is
asserted that 5000 or 10000 votes were eX-
changed in this fashion. Though tie state
ment il probably an cXlgGeiatiDn, if j; were
true there would thus result a change of not
n1oIc than 10000 in the majority. A. the
majority for General Garfield is considerably
larger than 10000, 1t appears that the Re
DuhlicanS would have carried the State if all
Of them had stood las to their own nominees
BIT il the trading helped Mr.. Grace TO the
extent of only 1880 votes, it su!liced to elect
him.
The net result of the Democratic testimony,
therefore, is that the tIickUy Of Demo
cratic leaders actually saved Nh Grace from
defeat without sacrificing an electoral ticket
which wouid have been beaten in any case.
Nh Kelly became convinced, apparently, after
the election in Indiana, that he could not save
the State for the Democratic electoral ticket,
and thcreupon proceeded TO pull out OF the
wreck that control Of the City Government
which, to him and 10 the Tammany OrganiZa-
ton, appeared more important than the
Presidency. 1t is openly charged by Demo-
Gratis, however, that he never meant to elect
General Hancock at all, after he had learned
that the Influence of Mr.. Tidcn and his
friends would be paramount. There Is
great deal of evidence against this assertion.
In counties where Mr.. Iildcn and his
most trusted friends have the control,
it is noticed that the change of
votes from the Democratic to the Republican
side was very heavy. Boss Mclaughlin. of
Biooklyn, for example, Is Mr.. TIlden's tool |
but Kings County shows Democratic loss |
greater than in any other county except New !
ok. Smith VI. Weed, one of the iayOrite !
c0palceners OF Cipher Samuel. did not pre-
vent a heavy loss in Clinton County, nor did |
Mr. Tilden himself prevent loss Of over !
2 900 in WcStchcstcr. Many other ilustra- !
tons are given. If Mr.. 1iden was really !
anxious to elect General Hancock, h" and his |
most trusted friends took very singular way |
to do it, The weight OF evidence decidedly |
favOrS the conclusion that General Hancock |
was stabbed first by Mr.. Tilden's f.iends, and |
that Nh Kelly only traded off the CORPSE for
the MayoIalty Of New-York when he saw III al |
General Hancock had no life left in him.
The root OF the matter is that neither Dem |
ocratic faction had any regard Whatever for |
II was with both mere scramble
for spoIs. What does either care for hard |
money or soft. loyalty or disloyalty, free |
trade or protcctionl The Tildcnitcs scram-
bed for the post Offices and were Disguised |
v hen the man who would have paid them for |
their services was set aside. The Kcllyitcs 10 |
not propose to give mp the fat pickings of city |
government which pays out thirty millions II |
year, until they are sure OF something better. |
How can a party IN such IA condilinn ever