New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-15
Mr.. EDISON FOR MAYOR.
THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEES AGREE

FINALLY PERSUADED TO CONSENT AND HIS
NAME ACCEPTED.
The Democratic Confere nee Committees reas
sembled in the Park Avenue Hotel at noon yester-
day. to continue their work Of parcelling out tho
municipal offices among the Democratic factions.
The usual throng of hangers-on were early in at
tendance. among whom were such well-known
" statesmen as Tim Campbell. Mike Norton.
tom" Creamer, and others who figured ia tho
Legislature slieutenants Of Tweed. Felix
McCloskey. Thomas Dunlap I. f. c. Ecclesne,
Thomas Carroll and about fifty others who arc
standing candidates for almost every Office from
Mayor down to dog.catcher. mingled among tho
throng of the great unwashed. The of
the previous evening were repeated during tho
afternoon. The hotel guests moved uneasiIy
through the crowds in the corridors. the ladies'
especially looking anything but pleased when
obliged to encounter the horde OF Democratic office
seekers. Respectable Democrats and business
mel who casually dropped into the hotel while
the conference was going on, were free to remark
that such scenes were revolving, and would .
loss of thousands of votes to the Democratic city
ticket.
"The fact that men like SpinOla, Campbell
Norton Kelly, Haskin ana Thompson" said
well-known Democratic businessman, should get
together in q room and decide who shall be
Mayor. County Clerk, Sheriff, Judges. and other
officers is than parody on free governme ent.
With the exception OF Kelly. and he only to a small
extent, there is hardly a man among the whole lot
that pays asy tax whatever towards supporting
the enormous burdens they impose upon the city.
They are drones and tax-eaters and it makes mo
indignar to think that we made stand and de.
liver to them. declare will vote the citizens
ticket. l will have nothing to do with tue ticket
4.
ing this the gentleman turned about and left the
hotel. lie undoubtedly contributes more in taxes
towards the support OF the city government than
all the politicians that were present IN the Confer
encc Committees. Scenes and talk OF this character
were not unfam iliar IN the CORR iors during the
progress of the CO inference.
The Conference Committee of the County De-
mocfacy assembled in Its private room at u o'clock
Soon after the subcommittee of Tammany and
Irving Hall met in the geneIa al conference room.
messenger from the County Democracy appeared
and asked for an adjournment of the conference TO
1870 p. m., which was granted. In the mean time
the full Tammany Hall committee met in its pri-
vate room and the Irving Hall committee did the
same. The Tammany committee instructed its sub
committee TO demand for the organization the
office Of County Clerk Sheriff and then adj
joUrned. The Irving Hall com mittee passed reso-
luton to the effect that its subcommittee should
insist on being allowed to name the Sheriff, after
which it adjourned. The County Democracy re.
mained in session until nearly 2 o'clock kilograms
and messengers were going forth and back to the
rooms as if important business were under discus
slon 1t vas reported that efforts had been niado
to get Franklin Edison to give certain pledges in
regard to the reappointuent of Hubert o. 1homp-
sun as Commissioners of Public Works. and also
other places that will be at his disposal but such
efforts had failed; hence the hesitation Of tho
County Democracy to accept Mr.. Edison as a candi-
date Another report was 10 the effect that tho
most Mr.. Edison would promise was that he would
appoint Tammany men to offices now held by
them and members OF the County Democracy to
offices belonging" to that organization. There
was also dispute in the conference room, accord
ing to these reports, about the office OF County
Clerk. Alderman Pat Keenan,. with the support
of Hubert q. Thompson and the Departmf Mt Of
Public Works, was said to he too powerful for
County Clerk Butler. Mr.. Keenan,, ii was as
serted, had seventeen Assembly district leaders in
favor OF his candidacy, while Mr. Butler had only
seven. The question then came up whether the
subcommittee should demand that Mr.. Keenan, be
made the union candidate for County Clerk. or
whether 1t should merely demand the place aud
Leave it for the County Convention to go through
the farce or making the nomination lt was at last
decided, as there was no doubt of Nessrs. Thomp
son. Keenan, and Norton being able to dictate to
:he convention, that the office of County Clerk
merely be demanded from the Joint conference COM
mttees with the proviso that whoever was nomi-
mated by the County Democracy should be " in
dorsed by Iammany and Irving Hall.
When thls question was settled another knotty
one presented Itself Alderman Sauer was Known TO
be Mr. Kely's candidate Tor County Clerk or for
the office Of Sheriff. If Keenan, were nominated
for lerK San WOuld m ~
named for Sheriff and the question WAS asked II
the ticket would stand any chance with two such
Democratic State ticket IN 1879. both got into
office because owners Of low rum-shops, aud both
are known trading politicians OF the worst class.
For one" said Assembly man James +. Morrison.
| will not vote ticket two OF the principal cam
didates upon which are men who assisted IN deieat-
ing Governor Robinson in 1871 "And ! say the
sameD said Z. l.. Paris. This was a state OF
affairs that betOkened trouble. 1t was suggested
that the subcommittee demand that heenan be
the candidate Tor County Clerk, but II Iammang
were cOnceled the Office of Sheriff that 10 should
not name Sauer as its candidate. This was at once
rejected absurd In the light of the fact that II
any difference existed between the two men, p0ht-
ically speaking Sauer was superior % Keenan,. 10
was then agreed that each organization name It's
own candidates and run the chances OF swamp
Il was about o'clock whenithe joint Conference
Committees finally got TO work. George Hall,
Bowery rumshOp keeper whO the courts decided,
was Illegally and frauduently given II certificate IS
Alderman, whereby he enabled to draw
the salary of that Office for year. partici-
pated in the conference as inside door
keeper. Soon after it began he rushed out
and got c. A. Swan, d well-knOwn Legislative
agent" at Albany. and took him inside the confer
ence room. to the wonderment of respectable Demo-
crats on the outside. These came out and
announced that the conference had agreed upon
Franklin Edison as the union candidate tor Mayor.
About the same time ex-Mayor Cooper, though not
member of the committee, received .
telegram from Mr. Edison asking him
peremptorily 70 withdraw his name as candi-
date for Mayor This created some astonishment
In the conference room and business for time was
suspended ". IL. MOrrell and other hangers-on as
serted that they had seen Mr.. Edison during the day,
and he had assured them that he would accept the
office. This was not satisfactory evil
dence, however. Others asserted that the