New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-18

! law of our mutual friend viii see thai no is
quite man enough for the tough job he has I'M
| dertaken.
But we are inclined to think that the most
suggestive of Mr.. Kelly's features is his back.
| We venture, contrary to custom, to speak OF 1t
| as feature because it reveals so much OF
| his character. Viewed under favorlng cir
cumstances of costume-for example, when
| there is a dress coat on it-that massive ana
| tremendous back, broad us the brogue OF lip
perary and immovable as the pyramids OF
Egypt, procaims the quality of stubborn resist
ance which has made Mr.. Kelly the great OBJ
stacle OF contemporary politics. 1t is back
of the sort which no man likes to see before
him in crowded doorway; indeed, among
backs OF that sort 1t is the ideal back; ana
many an anxious candidate, beholding it in
! blank majesty at the official portal, has gone
home in low spirits and announced that he ls
"out OF politics." AT present this stupendous
back is turned full in the face of the Hon. Mr..
| Tildeu. That gentleman has shown recent IN
dcations of readiness to come out OF the re-
tirement wherein he is said to have rejuyenated
himself by course Of athletics, ana some OF
his friends have been cautiously pushing people
this way and that to make room for him; but
the back remains. 1t has confronted Mr. Til
den, so to speak, for a good while, and he
knows too much to shove against it. Every
body is now watching the mau9uvres with
curiosity, and one of the most interesting ques-
tons of the political season is, VIII Mr.. John
Kelly turn around9 Mr.. Kelly has said that
he will not; but the purposes of statesmen are
controlled by the progress of events.
4 e.
ward and tremendously obstinate Irishman in
national politics presents odd complication.
His position the master Of "a huge drove OF
voters who care nothing about the bic Offices
so long as they are permitted to grab the emol-
uments of the small ones, makes him exceed
ingly formidable to his own side, while he is
not particularly dangerous to the other. He
may not DO able to carry the State for a candi-
date whom he favors but no candidate whom
he does not favor has the shadow OF q chance.
He has only to stand in the door, and the way
is barred Thus, as we have said, our mutual
friend constitutes himself an obstacle by pro-
fesson, and the function of Tammany under
his management is the simple one OF defeating
in the higher contests every Democratic cam
didate who will not give the club all that it
wants in tho lower. Obstruction is very easy,
and Tammany has found out that it pays.
Upon the whole the Republican party has de-
rived so many indirect and temporary advan-
tages from this performance that we can regard
the great Obstacle with feeling not altogether
urknd. But of course while mercenary COM
pacts are observed between Democratic reform
candidates and the gentleman with the nsu-
perable back, good politics and r.formatory
government are ont of the question. The Re-
publican party will have to break up this ar
rahgement, as 1t has broken up so many other
abuses. We shall go on beating the Democ-
racy in the State, whether Mr. Kelly chances
to be with his party or against it.