New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-18
THE FIRST QUESTION AT SYRACUSE

1
| Convention.
| THE FIRST QUESTION 1T SYRACUSE
Our Democratic friends in this city ana otate
should not forget that they have III the preiiilil
nary canvass now in progress, ana III 'hc
matter of organizing their State Convention
| tbe great rarity of a question of principle. we
| hoo tbeno to cOldle and make the most oil IT,
| and not allow it 10 be sacrificed III the lnteIeSUo'
| anvbodv's boom" or even of party harmony
| When the Tammany delegates present thelh-
selves at the Convention doors at Syracuse tne
ouestion of their admission will not De one
merely of personal claims or rival OrSahiz"-
lions, of fractional Quarrels or party harmony
II will not be a question simply whether MI
| Tilden shall dictate to the party or MI hely
shall go unpublished whether bolting shali DC
permitted or treachery condoned. All these
are matters of minor Importance IN comparison
with the issue raised a year and Il hall ago
when. at great Expense Of time, bad blood ana
| treasure. the County Democracy was organized
to mt down B0ssism' in the party III TINS
city. There NAV be doubts III the MINDS Oh
some as TO the absolute sincerity OF the leaders
in this movement; there can he no question
|
has been objected to rs having for its object
fine dcposition of one Boss " for the purpose OF
installing a hundred in his place. The one
turs certain about it, however, is that it put
itself definitely on record as opposed to the
principle of Rossism,' and announced as us
prime motive and sole purpose the eXterhllha'
ton of Tammany Hall as y force IN politics
| Upon the standard which 1t raised ana to when
it invited recruits the sole inscription was
Death to Tammany y
Here then is question of principle at last
And it presents itself at the doors OF the State
Convention for settlement. 1t is clean-cut'
sharp. unmistakabe, and there is no lodging
| il. For the first time, We believe, since the
strife of Hunkers" and BarnbuneIs' con-
| testing delegations from this city to Demo
| cratic state Convention present real issue OF
prnciple for the decision of that tribunal Inc
annals of the conventions of all these lnterven-
ing wears are full of cOntests-never conven-
tion without the regular New oIk City quarrel
| But they alwa, hinged on some petty technical
ouestion of regularity, the merits Of rival
| "hallsn and factions, or the claims OF lndl-
| vidual leaders. The Convention at Syracuse
viii have to meet at The very outset Of its pro-
ceedngs the question whether the party i'll this
| State is opposed to what is known as Boss
ismr to the system OF which Tammany Hall
has been the breeding mother, and of which it
is to-day the best living illustration; II system
of which William NJ. Tweed the most emf
nent and Mr.. John Kelly is the latest product.
The question comes in such shape that it can
not be either evaded or postponed. 1t is not
now in the power even of the leaders of the
| ~ alxou 10 mt osII la
or Avoid if. They made their platform with the
utmost deliberatiOn and care; they announced
their programme in the most positive and I'M
| eouivocal TERMS Any recession from the
position first TAKEN any weakening i'll their
original attitude of Implacable hostility, any
| talk whatever of terms or compromise, Is con-
| fession of hypocrisy and an offer OF surrender.
| Bv the very terms under which these County
| Democrats banded themselves together they
| are forbidden to negotiate with Tammany or
sit in convention with her delegates. The ex-
termination Of Tammany is the end at which
they claim to be aiming. To countenance
recognition of Tammany by the State Conven-
ton defeats that purpose by prOlOnging the
| existence and increasing the influence of that
| mischieVous faction.
But it is seriously proposed by some of the
| Democratic leaders to harmonic these two
deadly hostile factions by recognizing both and
admitting delegates from each. An ordinary
Democratic Convention may be trusted to do
almost any absurdity, but was anything ever
SO ridiculous as this proposal To the Com
mittee Oh Contested Seats the County DenIoc-
racys delegates come up claiming admission.
SuppOse the chairman says TO them: \ ours is
"a new organization; for what purpose was 1t
formed and upon what ground do You claim
"seats 2" They might answer: The regular
| Uammany) organization bOted the party
nominations in 1879 and set up an opposition
ticket BY that act they forfeited their right
ito representation We represent the loyal
"members of the party who support regular
nominations, and have OF ganized for the pur-
@pOse of putting down the treachery and tyr
fanny of Tammany Hail." And the Iammany
delegates, being asked az to their claim for recOg-
milton, might answer :" We represent not only
athe Oldest organization but majority OF the
Democratic voters" Imagine this committee
of SolOns and SolOmons voting to admit halt OF
the extcrmlnators and halt of the tO-be-eGter-
minated With that sort of wisdom directing
the cOunsels of the party Legislature under
such control might be expected to make an APP
preparation for breeding snakes i'll one act
while Offering a bounty on snakes In another
The question which will meet the New ork
Democrats at the threshold of their Convention
proceedings will give them an opportunity to
attest their sincerity and show their nerve