New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-29

Democratic voters Is continually set against the
other, and the Republicans not infrequently
carry of victories and honors. Thereupon the
cry is alW avs that Democratic reorganization Is
necessary. And the reorganization proposed
always proves to be some plan by which the
same old leaders may effect some new under
standing as to the division of the plumber and
the disposition of the blind votes at their COM
mand.
More or less pretence of appeal to the popular
will there is always. But it is always fraud.
The people vote as they are told, IN primaries
or anywhere else; and the real question Is
whether Jones. with the 5000 blind votes which
he controls, and Smith, with the 10000 which
he controls, and Brown, with the $1,000 which
he controls. and Others with their tools and fol-
lowers and blind votes, can agree to act to-
gether. They never quarrel about ideas. They
have never been caught in any dlssenslon about
public measures or political principles. The
sole question always is whether the leaders
can agree about the partition of the plumber.
The fundamental TACT is that there are more
hungry politicians than there are offices and
mOrsels of pap TO distribute. That is the case
in all parties and all cities Offices have been
multirhed and plumber increased under Demo
cratic rule in New York, in fashion frightful
to taxpayers. But the voracity of the politi-
clans, and the number of hungry creatures who
must be fed or will "kick," grow faster still.
That too, is inevitable in a party based upon
no principle, held together by no sense OF
public duty. When the cohesive power OF
"public plumber is the only thing that makes a
party continue to exist at all, every man VINO
works for it or has Influence in it is governed
by an appetite for plumber. That appetite has
absolutely no limit, and no Government mat
can possibly exist among men can ever nope 10
satisfy the greed of party workers and party
leaders who have no devotion to a political
principle as their motive and bond OF UNION
AS there are not enough offices and jobs 10 go
around, some of the party workers and leanefS
must be left out in the cola. No matter no"
cunniugly they scheme and how sklfully they
combine, it comes to this inevitably, that part
OF the Democratic workers and leaders get pald
for their work, while another part get nothing.
Hence these tears.
Reorganization every week, no matter how
long kept up or how thorough, must utterly tail
to overcome the fundamental difficulty that
thee is not five that there are more mouths
than there are mOTsels and that pint cup VIII
not hold quart. Any new reorganization VIII
sahsfy somebody; for it will give him a chance
so to use the blind votes at his command as to
get Office FOR himself and fat things for his
workers. But that same reorganization Will OF
necessity dssatisly somebody else, because 1t VIII
give MIN no chance TO get Office Tor himself OF
fat things for his workers. The somebody
dissatisfied VIII proceed to ne the blind votes
at his command to beat the party. That he VIII
do at the earliest opportunity, because expert
ence has taught that every beating brings about
another new reorganization. No tie OF Drincl-
pie, TO care for public interests, restraints
New-YoIk Democrat from mutlny. Wnen
Presidential election is pending he may stick to
the party because, with National power once
gained, the next new reorganization would give
him a larger chance. But Democratic National
prospects have become too thin to be seriously
considered Hence any new reorganization Is
the progenitOI of new muIiny The malcon-
tent is emboldened and stimulated when he sees
that the men who led the last mutiny are now
the leaders of the latest reorganization, and he
Immediately proceeds to make a proposition to
the Republicans