New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-14
THE "UNITED DEHOCRACY."


The chief ground for confidence in Hancock S
| election seems TO be, judging from the tone CT
the Democratic press, that the party is united
and harmonious in his support. They talk
| about it as though it was the first time in many
years that the party had presented solid
| front to the enemy. and count upon this unex-
| amDlel harmony as a sure augury of success
II is true that the nomination of Hancock
| is stronger one than they might have
| made and were thought to be in danger
| of making. But it may be well 10 remember
that the nominations they were in danger OF
making would have been a virtual giving up OF
the contest at the outset. The best thing that
can be said of the ticket is that 1t might have
been worse. Had Dir. TIden been nominated
the party would have been irremediably
split and not ghost OF a chance would have
been left il. The same is true to certain eX-
tent OF Hendricks and other candidates who
were prominently mentioned; and there was
such fear that some one of these would be
nominated and the Republicans thereby given
a "walk- ovcr,n that when that danger WAS
passed there was a reaction from extreme
depression and dependency to the height OF
confidence. Simply because they have escaped
made sure of one for themselves. The reaction is
not unnatural, but the grounds of their CON
fdence will not bear analysis. The nniOn and
| harmony they predicate so much upon is not so
complete by any means as they are trying to
make it appear and even If 1t were, 1t is not
| the first time III twenty years, by any means
| that they have marched with a solid front to
| defeat.
| In this State, notwithstanding the fact that
! both wings of the party are supporting the
same Presidential ticket, they are not united
| or harmonious. Two electoral tickets remain
in the field, and thus far little progress has
! been made toward adjusting the claims OF
the rival factions TO leadership and authority,
and agreeing upon a single ticket. 1t is hardly
| necessary to point out that, with these two
electoral tickets running, they have as little
chance for carrying NeWYOrk as Vermont.
1t seems a simple enough thing, to be sure,
! for the two wings to settle their differences
an agree upon one electoral ticket, and 1t Is
! of such importance to them TO do 1t that one
would suppose time would be lost IN bring
| ing it about. But the fact nevertheless re-
mains that no practical progress has yet been
made in that direction. We do not count
upon the continuance of this state of things,
| and yet each faction is so anxious for ascend
ancv over the other and so jealous of lis in
| fuence in the INDEPENDENTLY with the
prospect of Federal patronage to be distrib-
! uted-that il is not impOss BILE. At any rate,
with affairs in this condition IN New \ Ork, it
seems little premature, to say tho least, to be
discouDting Presidential victory on the score
| that fhe party was never before so harmonious
and united. similar state OF things exists in
Virginia, where the united and harmonious
Democracy will have two electoral tickets in
the field unless some new basis of union IS
agreed upon, of which there is no present
prospect. in Maine, too, though perhaps they
do not include that State in any of their calcn
lations, they are united-with the Greenbackers
but at the cost of at least half of their cleo
| toraI tickle, if they should be fortunate enough
to calIy it.
| II will be SEEM therefore, when the facts are
examined, that so fai from being more bar
monious than ever before, there has not been
time in twenty years when they were more
| divided and broken up. AT no time siGce the
Breckenrldge-D Douglas split in 1860 have they
! had in any one State two electoral tickets III
nomination. Now they have them in New
York and Virginia. They are not so united as
they were in 1876 or 1868 in each OF which
| years they either carried or counted New
York for their candidates. They are dis
counting the union and harmony they propose
| TO have, if they can only bring 1t about. Inc
unthinklng Democrat who, with all his barren
ness of observation could not help seeing that
| the nomination of Tildcn, or any one OF half
| a dozen others that were named before the
| Convention, would have been fatal as skipped
| to the conclusion. now that these dangers are
passed. that everything is plain sailing. and
| the election of Hancock assured. The practical
politicians, who do the working and figuring
| and planning take no such rosy view OF the
| siiuatiOn The men who ayOW confidence in
Hancocks success in the present state of
| affairs have given no thought to the actual
facts. If the election were to be held to-
| morrow the Democratic ticket would not have
| the slightest chance. There is not a Demo
cratic politician in the city, in the country
even, who will. if be gives the matter a
moments thought, deny it, The Republicans
| would carry New-York and Virginia beyond
| any question, and in all human probability In
| diana, Connecticut, and New-Jersey.
This Democratic brag, when You come to
apalyze it, has nothing at all behind it. The
sunion and harmony they talk So much about
| does not exist. 1t is what they hope for. not
what actually is. They have not got it yet, and
| if they ever do get it, it is far from beng SO
| formidable as they would make ii appear.
| For they have been beaten before when they
| were in perfect accord and presented solid
| front and beaten, too. when the Republicans
| were dissatisfied and divided, which they are
not now, for the party has not been so abso-
| utely harmonious and so enthusiastic for the
| cause and the ticket since 1868.
A GALA DAY IN PARIS