Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-05
Special Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.
NEw Yopy Auyuct A 1899
PRELIMINARY MANEU

Special Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.
NEW YORK, August 4, 1885,.
PRELIMINARY MANEuvERING.
The campaign has begun,-with what end who
can predict? 1t was opened with the meeting on
Wednesday OF the republican state committee.
and the complications that will arise, the wheels
Within wheels that will be set going will furnish
food FOR thought TO the philosopher and make an
interesting show for the cynical moralist | went
20 the Fifth Avenue Hotel the day OF the meeting
10 get a peep at the opening scene for myself
Stalwarts and halfbreeds were mingled in the cor
riiors, but it was the mingling OF oil and water.
you could see plainly.
GROUP OF PORTRAITS
The most striking figure was that OF Gen. Curtis,
VINO has recently achieved distinction, you know,
by being tried for collecting assessments for cam
palgn purposes, being found guilty and fined. He
Is giaut-not an Intellectual one but in physical
structure. His hands ani feet are big, and the
first joint OF his legs w0Gl N Ike tie second Joint
Of an ordinary man. H Is flaiTy giant, his black
beard being OF a luXurilnt growth, and sweeping
more than half way down 10 his grdle. Like Cy-
cIOpS. he has only one eve which as # to com
penSate for the lost Ii M en- IS peculiarly bright
and alert, missing nJth.n-, and apparently pos
ses'ed OF the metapysic:i ,"er Ghfs may be a
seemed in great gee over ta8sacton OF the COM
mttee I'm paying his fine, SuppoSe), pacing the
floor with his peculiar esay St2r, and betlmes dis
closing his big, mllE-white teeth. His political
mead Is, TO all appearances, on as firmly ever.
Johnny O'Brien, one OF the Presidents Old
cronies, was there. too; but how changed, Two
years ago he was what the Ladies would term
handsome, with his regular features and clear
skin. But now! Well his skin mas taken on thqt
purplisn hue that is usually ascriDed to brandy
and-water; his cheeks have become fabby, and
are inclined TO hang down somewhat; his eyes are
more than tritte fiShy, AMI he is getting some
thing OF stomach. 1 shouldn't wonder IL he
should die of apoplexy yet.-tnis once divine
Apollo OF our ward politics.
Dewitt Clinton Wheeler was usually the nucleus
OF a group, as large OF grth as F,,lstan, and as
merry as Old King Cole.
collector Robertson's face shone like that OF a
philanthropiSt, chow much like Methodist clergy
man he looks y and as If he felt his place In the
custom house secure enough yet.
Barney Blglin, another of the Presidents late
cronies, was present, resplendent In white hat
and a diamond pin, not as member of the COM
mittee, but 10 exert his influence. An important
factor Is the Honorable B. B.
A BIT OF POLITICAL HISTORY
As the antagonism between President Arthur
and Governor Cornell Is such an important fea-
ture OF the present political situation, have been
at some pains to trace it back tofts origin Edwin
ID. Morgan was President Arthur's political deity
that u.s. he made him, politically speaking. This
creation took place during the war; when Mr..
Morgan was governor of New York, and the Gre
alive act consisted In his making Arthur a mem
Der OF his staff, then position OF prominence as
Governor Morgan was actively engaged In raising
troops and forwarding them TO the 'front.' Conk-
ling, on the other hand, was COrnellS political
creator, and Cornell, in his successive endeavOrS
TO gain the nomination for governor since 1868,
was NOT able, however, even in his best days, to
dictate the nomination in the convention until
1879 when he secured it for his protege. But it is
necessary to 60 back TO 1876 to find the opening Of
the breach between Arthur and Cornell. Edwin
d. Morgan SO whom Arthur has always been
faithfully was before the convention, and Arthur
took of his coat and wastcoat to work for his in
tere5ts CorFlell who was also before the conven-
tion failed 30. get the nomination, ascribed his
defeat to Arthur and cut him. All politicians re-
member Arthur'S conduct when Cornell'S nominal
ton was inevitable in 1876 Instead Of doing his
customary preliminary work he went off fishing
somewhere, and was gone six weeks. Conkling'S
influence as mutual friend was all that prevented
an open rupture at that time The breach was
subsequently, widened When successor to Sena-
tor Herman was TO be chosen. Arthur wanted to
put In Richard Crowley, who is yet OF his pets
Cornell pulled wires for Platt whereupon Arthur
turned his back on the governor and strobe OF
in rage. Meanwhile Conkling remained mu-
tual friend-that is, until the fatal contest at
Albany last summer He then became so incensed
at COrnellS refusal to use his power to get him
back into the Senate that he has sworn eternal
now and not see him at all. SO, with this back
light, it is not difficult to understand why the ad-
herents OF the administration oppose the renOmi-
nation OF Cornell
"BARKIS Is wILLIN'."
President Arthur looks forward somewhat to
1884. He would not be human If he did not. For
this reason the contest over the denomination for
governor is OF great importance to him. In fine
what chances he may have for a nomination de-
pend upon the result Ii he is beaten by Cornell
because OF what use attempting to carry the
whole country when he will have failed to carry
his own state? He does not care particularly Tor
getting an administration man nOminated-par-
ticularly, say-but, now that there are open hos
tiliteS between himself and Gov. Cornell there is
only one course he can pursue. He must oppose
him.
AS TO "AvAILABLE TIMBER"
"Wh ats going TO happen?" was my question to
political wiSeacre whom i had penned up in a
corner.
The wiseacre smiled; SAID he dared not be
prophet; nobody dared; everything was at ends,
confused chaotic, involved in mystery.
''What are Cornelrs chances, then?n
"He has strong machine, and he set It going
three years ago; he has the state patronage
More than this he has the antagonlsms OF Conk-
ling and the President II he can secure enough
Will win"
xviii any OF the half-breeds Join his forces?n
Not unless they are forced to. Anything, you
know; to beat their arch enemy, Conkling. They
selves: But If Conkling and rthur can be de-
feated only by renominating Cornell they will
flock to his Standard
favoring the nomination OF WadSwOrth. What
does the op2osing faction tthe haf-breeds,I mean0
''They look upon it with distrust They fear
that 1t is maneuver to cut of Cornell's head,
and at last in the convention to nominate an ad-
mlnlStration candidate. Should they be convinced
that the administration stalwarts are sincere and
VIII do what they say, they Will probably agree
"Is there anything in the talk about setting up
Grant?"
"Thats the veriest piece OF folly going. Grant
Is Coniiling's greatest champion, and could no
more get the nomination than COnkling himself.
He would have no strength in the state and would
be defeated without doubt"
"Would Cornell be elected II nOminated?"
1.-The result would be very doubtful. He was
elected before by the dfsanection in the demo-
cratic party. or more plainly by John Kelly. The
democrats In all probability will not repeat the
experiment and II noether blunders were made.
with the d1safection in the republican ranks Cor.
hell would be defeated"
what sort OF run would Wad5wOrth make?r
"A good one. He ran 81, 600 votes ahead OF Cor
nell on the last state ticket for the controership
beating his opponent by large majority; Cornell
was elected by plurality only. WadswOrth in
my opinion. would be elected even against united
democracy"
"Do you think Cornell Is aspiring for the Presi.
Dental nomination In 1SS4?,
''Pooh."
Hereupon let my philosopher out of his corner.
THE DEMOCRATIC OUTLOOK.
There are yet more factions In the democratic
party than in the republican, possessing diverse
interests and aims, and so hardito bring together
with common purpose, that speculation almost
becomes fools occupation. There's the Tilden
faction, the interests Of which are conded to the