The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-20

Every true democrat in the state oi
New York, and especially every true dem.
ocrat in the CITY of New York will rejoice
in the action taken yesterday by the per-
sonal representatives of Mr.. John Kelly in
both Houses Of the Legislature. 1t would
have been better for the democrats if they
had from the first refused to treat any
member of the Legislature as democrat
who refused to attend duly called caucus
of the party, and had steadily voted for their
own candidates for the presidency of each
House, leaving the responsibility for the
failure to organize where it belonged, and
| leaving the republicans to do whatever
was to be done in the way of arrange
ment" or compact" with Mr., Kelly's
men.
| 1t is gratifying that the deadlock has
finally been opened by a deal in which
the democrats had no part and to which
the republicans and the tammany men
were the low contracting parties. What
ever the democrats did to secure the organ
ization Of both Houses of the Legislature
must have been done by some device for
meeting the wishes of tammany, and what
ever meets the wishes of tammany must
necessarily be against the interests both OF
the party and of the public. 1t is extremely
fortunate for the democratic party that the
tammany men by refusing to vote for the
persons nominated by the democratic
caucus to the minor offices of the Legisla-
ture should have released the speaker from
any obligation which he might heretofore
have felt himself under to treat them
otherwise than az the representatives OF q
very small and very disreputabls third
party who had contributed to his election
If he had made up single one of the i'm
portant committees in the interest of the
strikers, he would have inflicted serious
disgrace and serious injury upon his
party an injury much more serious than
would have been inflicted by the election
of a Republican Speaker with the aid of
Tammany votes.
Now that ansalliance. has been openly
formed between the republicans and the
Tammany men in both houses, the demo
cratic party is distinctly relieved Of the |
odium Of Tammany, which the republican |
party as distinctly assumes. The demo
Gratis are in fact in q minority in both |
houses, and there is no reason why they |
should not confess themselves to be in a |
minority It is certain beforehand that, /
with party of Tammany strikers holding /
the balance Of power in each house, the /
legislation of the session cannot be such as
will do credit to any party. Hoskins, who
Is probably the most absurd person who
ever became Lieutenant Governor New
York, has no more character than he has
and, even if he were untram-
melted in the choice of his committees,
would be sure to make disreputable use
Of the power Of naming the committees.
Now that he is hampered by an additional
to take care Of the Tammany
men, the Senate will be about as badly or
,anized as it can be, and the less the Legis-
ature does the less mischief it win do Il
The responsibility for whatever mischief
t does was yesterday assumed by the re-
,ublicans in exchange for the patronage
involved in the appointment of the clerks
md doorkeepers and stokers and ordsriies
# the Legislature. They have sold them
elves extremely cheap, and the democrats
lave had lucky escape.
OF course it is perfectly futile to talk
bout the responsibility" of the Tammany
nen to their constituents or to public