The Irish standard., 1886-06-05

his Surroundings prevented the boy
from receiving more than brief term
at the public schools, which formed the
basis of his later greatness. Hedrifted
about the city and learned to ''put up
his hands, in the matter Of boxing.
Afterward he learned the trade Of a
CRATE setter, and made agood deal of
money in legitimate business. When
Tweed was at the elimination Of his
criminal career Kelly was travelling in
Europe, where he spent a year or two
and learned French and German with
his wife as teacher; aud he came home
in time to find an honest leader wanted.
He completed the rout of the ring and
wheeled Tammany hall into line with
the reform element. In 1876 he became
comptroller and reduced the city's debt
for the first time in its history. From
1860 to 1875 the debt Of New York
steadily increased till it had reached
the enormous sum of$112,00 ,000. Kelly
increased revenues and reduced eypen-
ses, and during his four years. term he
actually diminished the debt OF the city
no less than $12,000,00O. His lecture
on the Catholic missions has brought
in 100000 to charities. He was a
frank, straightforward, downright
speaker, and his earnestness always in
terested his audience. The first Office
Kelly held was that Of alderman, and
he was elected as a ''reformer." Then
he beat the notorious Mike Walsh for
congress, serving one term. Then he
served two terms as sheriff. He was
worth at least $1,ooo,ooo and re
ceiyed more applications for private
charity than any other New Yorker,
The greater portion of his possessions
consisted in uptown real estate in
New York. Mr. Kelly WAS close and
st.1dious reader. One of his oft~quoted
sayings was uttered in q speech to
Tammany: STUDY the character and
methods of Thomas Jefferson, and pay
less dLVGHUlVlI W l. uC AlOUl4CJ.
III APPEARANCE
John Kelly was not unlike Gen. Grant.
Like Grant he had a square face, a
square chin, & square, broad head,
square shoulders, and cropped close his
hair and beard like Grant. His man
ner Of speech, slow and deliberate, also
| was strikingly like that of the dead
general. Mr. Kelly, as q newspaper
man, was very little known except by
his most intimate friends, and yet the
New York Star was the organ Of Tam
many hall and one Of the greatest poll
! tical machineries ever known to his
tory. If he had not been a born politi~
clan he would have been great editor,
All the time he could spare from his
political duties in guiding his party in
New York was devoted to his paper,
Mr.. Kelly was bitterly opposed TO
Cleveland OH purely personal grounds,
and the columns of the Star reflected
his opinions. Though the Tamnany
organization was supporting Cleveland
for the presidency, it was not until the
last week of the campaign that the
paper had an ything save abuse Of the
Democratic candidate. Kelly's friends
demonstrated with him fol- this and he
always replied that the paper belonged
to him and he would do as he pleased
with 1T. The evening that Cleveland
was nominated Sanderson was IN a
| state OF mind bordering On distraction.
! Kelly was in Chicago and he did not
know what to say about the nonina-
tion. He knew that
| THE PAPER OUGHT 70 SAY SOMETHING
and he waited in vain to hear from
Kelly. Finally in despair he tele-
graphed to him: "What shall! we say
| in the morning?' The answer was
characteristic Of the man, ''Say moth
lng." The leading editorial in Jhe
morning was a sober article on The
Concord School of Philosophy. that had
been lying around the Office for months.
That was the policy pursued by the
paper for over q week, while the co,1n-
try waited for Kelly to say something.
He did say Something one morning, and
the Democracy began to fear that it
could not elect Cleveland. During this
campaign Kelly received about 500 let
ters of threatening character. He
was told that he could not possibly
hope to live if Cleveland were defeated.
He was to be held responsible for it,
and the manner of his death was
graphically described. These letters
had more to do with Kelly's final
breaking down than most people are
willing to admit. They preysd upon
his mind to such an extent that he
could not sleep, and the last week of
his campaign he switched his paper to
Cleveland, and gave orders to Tam
many Hall followers that they must
under all circumstances vote and work
for the Democratic nominee.
A Harp Of Ivy From Tom Moore, the