New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-30
rather than with the Commissioner of Publ
PFc1LCJTR4yT T4NNANY.

RECHLCIIR1NI I1nIHN1'
We observe with sOr.ow that the Democrat
ic newspapers, which few weeks ago were
displayine head lines and exchanging cOngrat-
ulations over the "great Democratic victory "
in this State, are not feeling SO good as they
did. 1t seems that when they burst into re-
iojcincs over the victory they did not take
into account the existence of Mr.. John Kelly
and several Tammany Senators and Assembly
men without whom il was no victory at al;
or rather they did take them into account by
including them in their calculations as quiet
and submissive Democrats who would walk
unquestioningly into the party caucus and be
hound by its action. The discovery that the
Tammanv representatives are balance OF
power instead ola few unintiL initial units in ma
iority, and that they propose to act as balance
of power instead Of being used by the party. has
greatly disturbed our friends of the Irregular"
Democracy. 1t seems to have taken them by
surprise. Some of them are very indignant at
what they call the treason of Tammany.
They denounce John Kelly as ga traitor and
marplUt dictator and political boss" ard
call upon the Democrats in the Legislature to
repudiate him and Tammany, and make no al
lance with or offer any terms TO them. Says
The Boston Post In the name of all
that is decent and honorable, make no trade
"orcompronsc with Kelly. ifthe Republicans
" choose to trade with this corrupt outcast, let
" them trade. Their alliance with the Virginia
"rcpudator viii lose their party votes and
" an alliance with John Kelly viii prove any
" thing but permanent advantage"
But what is the offence Of Mr. Kelly and the
Tamnany representatives For what ar they
called traitors ard outcasts and so loaded with
opprobrious epithcts2 Why, simply, as we
ind rstond IT, because they decline to go into
caucus in which their bltcrcst opponents
have the power and submit to be governed by
its action. II is none of our quarrel to be
sure; but in the name of reason and common
sense, what else could be cXpcctedl Tamnany'
Hall has been engaged for the last three
years in a fight for its own political exist
cncc. Because, ms it claimed, the Tildcn fac
ton pushed it to the wall in 1879, it bolted
and set up for itself. Since then, with the
exception of the period OF the brief truce in
the Presidential campaign, there hts been re-
ieutlcss war upon Tammany. Tremendous Ell
forts have been made in this city to crush it
GU. OF existence as n political power, ana
the State Convention has lent them its
aid. Practically the whole party was arraycd
AGAINST it in the late election, and nearly, II
not quite, III the Democrats elected to the
Legislature outside the city may b" properly
classified As Anti Tamm'ny. Il is a notorious
fact that the regular Democracy were
moro bitterly opposed to Tammany in
the late election than 30 the Republicans.
1t was 10 Ordinary fractional quarrel, but in
their own words "a fight for funeral" in
which no quarter was asked or giTon. Had
the election resulted in clear Democratic
majority, independently OF Tammany, does
anyone suppose the Tammany representatives
would have been consulted in the organization
or had any consideration shown thcml Not
much.
But Tammany holds the balance of power,
and n this state of affairs the very men who
were lately crying that Tammany must be
destroyed have the assurance to expect that
its representatives viii creep mcekly into
caucus of their enemies and submit themselves
to the dictation of the men whose openly pro
claimed purpose it is 10 destroy their organi-
zation. 1t is treason" if they do not do
it. So they made this desperate fight for
existence simply for the sake of delivering
themselves bound to their enemy after it was
J
As to the talk OF trade between Tam
many and the Republicans, we believe there
j. nothing in 1t. We can easily see how the
1anmany representatives, might, as a choice
of evils, prefer giving their votes to Re
pubicans rather than TO Democrats who are
their deadly opponents, since the Republicans
naturally desire the eyi ,tcncc of the Tammany or
ganzation 10 be- prolonged, rs il continues
the Democratic division, while the Anti-Ium-
many Democrats will be content with nothing
but Tammauys determination. II in this view
of the case the Tammany representatives de
eide to give the organization Of the LceiAli
turc to the Republicans, we apprchond the latter
will not object. And we donot quite understand
why certain Democrats who are willing andcycn
advising that the Bourbon Democrats of Nir-
gna should make an alliance with the
straight Republicans against the Rcadjusters
or -Bourbons should rise up aud howl
themselves red in the face because a few
Democrats vote for Republicans in New York.
"
4 CLEAN POSE OFFTCF DELITERK
One Of the advantages of the long official terms