Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-15
The Political situation in New York

Inc IdCLlO1dl Struggle over Lne ne
publican nomination for Governor con-
tinues in New York with no abatement
in bitterness or intrigue. 1t is triangu-
lar fight. Gov. Cornell is actively work
ing up his plans for a denomination,
which Conkling and his friends are de-
termined TO defeat if possible. To this
end the Conkling faction is not openly
concentrating upon any single candi.
date, bat has a number Of candidates in
reserve, among whom Secretary Folger,
Congressman Crowley, ex-Congressman
Starin, and Mr. Clarence Seward are the
most prominent. Anybody to beat
Cornell" is the motto of this faction. A
third element in the party, composed
| largely of the "scratchers" of three
years ago, opposed alike to the nomina-
ton of Cornell and the dictation of
the Conkling crowd, is urging the nomi
nation of James w. Wadsworth, ex-
| Comptroller of the State, and now in Con-
| gress. The situation is further compli-
Gated by the representation that Mr..
| Wadsworth is really the stalwart candi-
date, and that his selection would be a
triumph for the Conkling faction. But
this theory seems to be without any good
foundation, for Mr.. Wadsworth has al
ways been independent of Conkling in
| fluences; probably all there is to it is
that Conkling would rather see Wads-
worth secure the nomination than have
it go to Cornell. Mr.. George William
Curtis, in the latest number of HGrper's
Weekly, forecasts as follows the defeat of
the party in case either Cornell or a
stalwart candidate shall be nominated:
GGTbo ho1ovoa Af in fhio State
as every recent election has shown, is
held by about 10000 voters. There are
many more than that number Of indie
pendent Republicans who, under exist
ing circumstances, would not support a
stalwart candidate. If to this opposition
be added the latent hostility of the Cor
nell interest, the result is evident 1t is
no less plain, it seems TO us, that the
stalwarts would prefer to lose the State
rather than TO see the Governor reflect
ed. The Governor himself will remem-
Der that in 1874, when there was no such
rancor of division as now exists, the
mere Indifference of the machine result
ed in the overwhelming defeat Of
Governor Dix. There was. indeed a
general reaction against the Republicans
that year; but had the machine liked
the candidate, his defeat, if accomplish
ed, would have been less signal. We
repeat that there is no doubt, if Governor
Cornell should be renomlnated, that
large number of his old political COM
rades would sell him out and scratch
him at the polls, although three years
ago they could not find words con-
temptuous enough to describe the min
gled wickeduess and imbecility of
Scratching 1t is equally beyond doubt
that if the Governors former pals
should succeed in nominating candidate
of their own kind, he would be decisivelY
defeated at the polls by the lethargY of
various classes of anti-admlnistratiOn
voters"
This view of the situation seems to be
entirely reasonable. Though Governor
Cornell has broken with the Arthur
Conkling wing of the party, his methods
continue to be those of machine poll
tician. Indeed, he seems to have taken
the best part of the machine with him,
and, if he shall succeed in obtaining the
nomination in spite of the opposition of
both Conkling and the Independents, it
will be an evidence that machine power
is still efficient in New York politics.
A very large portion of the Independents
who. scratched" him three years ago
will refuse to vote for bin, and Gould
and Conkling will do their utmost TO
defeat him. But a stalwart candidate
would have just as little chance for
success, since Cornell would e equally
hostile to the election of Gould and
COnkling man. In this state of things
the only assurance of Republican sue
cess lies in the nomination of some such
man as Wadsworth, who represents
neither Of the hostile factions, and might
secure the support of both, along with
the solid vote of the Liberals. The in
fuence of Tammany and John Kelly
is an uncertain quantity this year, and it
is the obvious duty of the Republicans
to run a candidate who will command
the united support of the Republican
party by his independence of cliques and
his own personal merits. 1t will be
gross injustice to the Republican party,
if it shall be sacrificed on account of
split in the machine, which ought to be
a strong inducement to the continued
control of the New York State Govern
,,oo,,f 1u tho DoV1th1ioonc