New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-23
MISPLACED CONFIDENCE.

Whatever else the County Democracy may
do, we insist that in common decency they ought
to make an apology to MesSrs Purroy ana
White, the leaders of the youngest Democratic
organization in the city, There is no question
but that these statesmen have been misled and
had their confidence abused by McSsrs Develln,
Oney and the rest, leaders of the County
Democracy They supposed the gentlemen
who invented the County Democracy were in
earnest and meant business, and they acted ac-
cOrdingly. The result is that here on the
crumbling verge of an election they find
themselves absolutely nowhere in particular.
When the movement in which the County De-
mOcracy originated began, Messrs. Purroy ana
White.were active and influential members of
Tammany, and Of course had no inducement
to become p6formers. But there came time
when tSney could not get what they wanted,
apI they pursued the usual course-became
! Rnformcrs. Naturally they would have gone
over to the County Democracy, but 1t so hap
pcned that there the front seats were all taken
and the good places all spoken for and as 1t
cOuld hardly be expected that statesmen OF
such prominence would serve in the ranks,
they were under some embarras sment as to
their duty.
The only thing left for them was to march
boldly ont of Tammany and set up another
and a new Reform party. This gave them the
prominence to which they felt themselves
entitled, and put them in a position to be
invited in as a distinct faction whenever
reign of harmony should be inaugurated and
the Offices ralled for. They never would have
taken this step, however, if they had not be-
heyed that the eminently respectable Demo-
Gratis engaged in the County Democracy move
ment were in dead earnest and bent on the
determination of Tammany. They had watched
the progress of the enterprise, had remarked
the wonderful success of the popular uprising
and mass meeting at Cooper Institute, had
listened to the pledges of uncOmprOmisng OPP
position to Tammany, had heard Mr. Hewitt
and others pronounce Tammany Hall "a thing
of the past" and under all the circumstances
deemed it perfectly safe to go out from Tam
many and themselves organize an opposition
to that corrupt and tyrannical concern.
Nothing in the world would have ever in
duced them to do it if they had not believed
in the professions of the County leaders and
made up their minds that Tammany if not
absolutely "a thing of the past" was on its
last legs.
And how has their confidence and trustful-
ness been repad2 Shaken somewhat by the
action of the delegates to the State COnven-
lion, the hope still survived that when it came
to dividing up the Offices they might be re-
membered and invited IN, and perhaps have
their efforts for reform rewarded by some
small bone. How were they treated To
their supreme disgust and the Encouragement
of any serious effort for reform in the party
in the future, they were not even invited to sit
at the board where Peter b. Oney, John Kelly
and Sheriff Bowe divided the offices among
their followers. Now where, we ask, does this
leave the latest-b0rn Of Democratic Reform
organizaHOns2 Where does it leave Purroy
Where White2 Where the devoted band be-
hind them7 Echo answers: "Out in the
cold" 1t is too late now of course to undo
what has been done. The spoils have been
app0rtiOncd and the RefOrmers who cOniided
in the County Democracy have been betrayed.
The very least the County leaders can do is to
make an apology. We move that John Z.
Develin and Peter b. Olney be appointed a
committee for that purpose.