New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-21
NEW-YORK DEMOCRATS.
PARTY WITHOUT A HEAD.

A PARTY WITHOUT HEAD.
EFFECT OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF Mr.. TnDEN
FROM THE LEADERsHP-FACTION YrGHTERs
WEARY OF FIGHTING HARMONY WITHOUT
HOPE OF VICTORY.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBUSEL
SYRACUSE, N. Y, Sept. 20.-The feature Of this
years Democratic Convention, judging from pres
ent surface Indications will be Its utter lack Of any
virile quality There are all the elements for ar
old-time factional fight. New-York City furnishes
four distinct factions each claiming regularity and
demanding admission to the convention, but all Of
them In sort of weak and staggering way, and
none of them having either the stomach for a fght
or the light of battle in its eye. Worn out with
years of Improbable pummelling Of each other,
they come up like tired pugilists, striking
out YEARLY over each others shoulders and
liable at any moment to fall into each
others arms. The same old delegates here from
the rural districts and the gangs of city
statesmen, ruddy In Vsage and large IN paunchs
adorn the street corners with the picturesque dyed
mustache and wide expanse of shirt 'front.' But
they look weary. They discuss the outlook with .
languid, stless air. and there is a melancholy mo-
notony even in the clink of their glasses over the
bar.
The state of affairs here to-day. the eve Of tho
State Convention, differs very widely from that
which preceded the convention here three years ago.
In that year the quarrel between TIlden
and Kelly as rival leaders. which had
broken the party into two hostile
factions in the city, became open and
fragrant IN the convention and extended through
the State. The claim of Tammany the regular
organization was practically undisputed, though
there were, as always, contesting delegations. But
Tammany had little fear of such opponents, and
her delegates among them Kelly Dorsheimer and
Augustus Schell. sat In convention and cast the
vote OF the CITY Democracy. There were leaders
there Mr.. Iilden was still alive. He was in feeble
health everybody said; but there were abundant
evidences all around that convention that he was
very much alive, and that the fighting stuff In him
had not grown flabby.
The prelIminaries of the Convention Of 1879 were
everything but solemn. Whatever else there was.
no air of indfferentism prevailed there. The pre-
vailIng city statesman was no less loud OF mouth
than of manner. His voice was audible at street
corners ; his glass clinked with a fighting jingle
he gestic ulated with animation he had doubt
whatever to who his candidate OF what his
policy; he knew precisely what he was here for and
the consciousness of it thrilled him all through and
into his boots What came of 10
everybody knows Kelly and Tammany
went to the wall were beaten in the convention
and marched out in open revolt. There has been
three years Of desperate faction lighting SINCE and
the number of city factions has doubled They have
done each other much damage and seemed to take
great comfort in it, while their opponents have
looked on cOmplacently and the public generally
has been amused. No wonder they seem fatigued.
They all here again-shifted about somewhat
between Tammany and the County Democracy and
Irving Hall and the Purroy-White combination.
but practically the same old crowd. with the sems
oil ~ n md adj dad IN
but tonight they are hobnobbing instead of howl
ing.
The city factions are trying hard TO be sweet
toward each other, and the country delegates arc
going around pouring ont OIL and balm in the not
difficult endeavor TO bring together factions that
are tagged out with useless fighting, and only too
anxious to end It, find no one here who does not
consider it extremely probable that the differences
in the party In New-York will be healed-so far as
they can be by any action Of the State Convention
by the admission of the whole or
part of the Tammany delegation. Prominent
leaders of the County Democracy, who year ago
proclaimed undyng hostility to Tammany as the
prime article Of their political creed preferrng de-
feat without Tammany to success in alliance with
IT,, ready now to acquesce in any proposition
for a settlement of old scores, to division Of
the representation. In this juncture of affairs,
strangely enough, the Tammany leaders themselves
seem not only doubtful of their admission to tho
convention, but almost Indifferent whether they
are admitted or not.
noteworthy feature of the situation is that,
Notwithstanding the party seems to be on the verge
of settlement of all these long
standing quarrels and the establishments
of something like harmony i'll the ranks 1 find no
one of any intelligence among the leaders who
presses the least confidence in their ability to carry
not be effected through the hope of achieving sue
cess with united party, but will come from sheer
WEAKNESS of fighting With all the conditions but
one in to-morrow's convention favorable for al
old-fashioned high daddy" disturbance-the one
exception being the condition of the combatants-
there will be. from present appearances. nothing
to ruifie the serene surface of affairs.
These are fighters with sore knuckles. more careful
of unheaed wounds than anxious to open new ones.
No sudden Pat Cowan will bulge in upon tur-
buent session with assuaging candidate; no
unambitious John Jacobs will at his boss's" n-
visible wink thrice refuse the crown . nor will
any dramatic D0rsheimer stalk down the aisle and
thrill the Convention with an appeal to which 1t is
forbidden to respond. With all these old fighters
SCARED and bruised III many III the body and
the fringe of it, it promises to be but tame con-
ventoD.
The question that naturally arises s-What has
so tanned these belhgerent factions down think
you may find the answer Ill Mr. Til
den's formal withdrawal from active poll
tics, announced by JOIN Bigelow in an
authoritative manner some days ago. The leader
felt John Kelly has outliyed him. The Tilden
period in the history Of the Democratic party has
reached an end. The time for estimating It's weight
and influence will come later The great fact that
this convention brings out into relief is that Mr..
Tilden has been in his time the greatest leader Of
his party. His withdrawal leaves the party with
out head.
THE EVE OF THE CONTEST.
CANyAssING THE CHANCES OF THE VARIOUS CAM