New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-22
A DEMOCRATIC SCHISM.
MEETING OF THE STATE COMMITTEE.
A TIE VOTE on THE JUDGKsnIP-JoHN oBRIEN
RESIGNS AS CHAIRMAN-oTHER RESERVATIONS.
tpr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I


Democratic State Committee meeting to-day was sur
prise to both the friends and opponents Of Governor
HILL On the question OF nomln ang Rufus W. Peckham,
OF Albany for Judge OF the Court OF Appeals the only
question which thore contest to speak or the
vote tie. The friends OF Governor H under the
leadership OF William L. Muller former law clerk OF the
Governor. wore arrayot against friends OF Secretary
Manning, under the lead OF District Attorney Herrck
OF Albany. 1t practically "a contest between the
State and the National Administration. 1t was generally
supposed that Mr. Hill had considerable majority OF
the committee and that his orders would be carried out
without friction. This done far the choice OF
chairman concerned and on tho question OF hold
Ing a convention, but when It to tho
question Of nominating candidate there was
sharp contest and drawn ballot though the Hill men
rallied and by piece OF sharp practice gained an ad
vantage from which they claim temporary victory
The hand OF Secretary Manning seen in the contest
AMI the result though temporary victory for HILL so
astonshei h followers that they not rcsdy to go
on with the fight Hence they postponed 1t until Sep
tember %, in New-York.
Mr. Muller, who is now Judge OF the Court OF Claims
by favor OF the Governor and the Governors trusted
agent, arrived at a. m last night. He was up early
to-day and conference OF the Governors friends was
held In OF the pariors OF the United States Hotel
Chairman OBrien present. The question OF whether
or not hc should resign chairman ;of the committee
was discussed at length Mr.. OBrien said
that he did not care Tor the place
and he did not want to hurt the party
by remaining at the head OF the committee, hut he was
afraid that his resignation would be lsconsrued aud
that 1t would be accepted partial confession by him
as having dono something wrong In the Aqueduct mat
ter as ohargedby some OF the newspapers. Clerk Null
Ter thought that the resignation would be necessary in
the parys interest and that by the passage OF resou
ton of dencc In Mr. OBrcn that he would not suf
fer This agreed to and O Brien pulled out his writ
ten resignation and read It to his friends who approved
| n rcfereuce 4 the charges
ara him and made effort 10 disguise that fact as
TO the for Offering the resignation. member or
the conference appointed to draw up resolution Of
con fdence to be passed by the committee 1t was
already understood that c. c. B. Walker Of Corning
was TO be chosen O'Brens SUCCESSOR
Mr. Walker supported John Kelly for Governor In
1869, has been outspoken friend OF Tammany as
well a close adherent OF tho Governor He makes no
confession OF concealmenJ OF his belief that the country
needs genuine farmer like David b. Hin for President
1t was suggested that perhaps some opposition might
be made Walker FOR chairman that account and in
10 ind out whether not unseemly debate
would arise to sound the supposed
enemy, the enemy found to be weak and iudif
ferent.
The scouts reported. however. that Herrick. William
A. POuone OF Oswego and other friends OF the Admin
istratIon, suggested that, as Walker was weI-known
Hil aud Tammany man, 1t would be fair arrangement
to nominate Rufus W. Peckham, a wsll-known friend
OF Secretary Manning and the Administrations Judge
OF tho Court OF Appeals. "What Is more, remarked
John VI. Wiley OF the scouts, "thoso fellows are
at work getting pledges for Peckham and are using
Mannings to help him." CLERK Muller said that
this would never do. as the Governor did not want
Peckhlm, bus wanted conference committee TO confer
tho Republicans in order to beat Peckham without
doing 1t openly Muller also expressed astonishment
the report that Mr. Poucher. Of Oswego. and sous
others whom Governor thought might stand by him,
were ready to vote for Peckham 1t decided
aaoh tha Xork
tCns and Of Brooklyn with Mr. Herriok, Poucher and
Others talk the This was done: District
Attorney Ridgway representative OF Brooklyn, Police
Justice Power OF tho County Democracy, W. Bourke
Cochran OF Tammany, Mr. Herrick OF Albany Thomas
spratt OF Ogdensburg, Collector Magones man, and
other Admins being present at this confer
ence. They agreed to make fight against Walker and
only the County Democracy men wanted a convention,
but tho Manning all said that they wanted Peck
nominated to-day to go along with tho choice OF
Walker for chairman, and they would oppose any pro-
position looking to tho appointment OF committee TO
confer with Republican state Committee. one OF
the Governors friends said that prominent member OF
the Republican State Committee had declared that 1t
would not nominate anybody In opposition TO Esek
Cowen OF Troy, or some other quallned DEM
ocrat who had not been prominent IN politics.,
but that the Republican State Committee would not
approve as a candidate for judge any psrson
who hal been such an active and bitter partisan az Mr.
Republican state Committee had said this or even II
he had, whether it would bind that committee in any
way. Mr.. errick. o., Albany, said that he had seen
telegram from member OF the Republican
state Committee stating that they would
nominate q candidate OF their own Tor
Judgend that they expected to elect hin lie thought
1t would suicidal to the Republicans to confer
about candidate any such information as had been
presented He In favor Of straight party nomina-
ton While this debate WAS going OH In the conference
room exspeaker Paterson OF Troy; Collector
Mason. OF Ne wburg Henry j. Mowry, OF SYRACUSE ex
Senator Lansing, of Albany Contractor "Dck' Gun
York and other Manning men were work
ing outside Tor while Insurance superintendent
Maxwell State Assessor Williams, e. T. Bacon. another
Of Governors law clerks aud other OF his adherent
talking for conference committee ana for delay
Deputies Tabor, Whitaker and Hogan, OF At
torney General O'Brlens Office, wero also at work
against Peckhsm and for aconference committee. oc-
casionaly intimatng that Denis O'Brien would make
a capital indigo But no one responded favorably TO
these iptimatona The crowd to the number OF about
100 gathered about tho where the State Commit
tee and waited for over an hour past the
appointed but still the leaders did not come for the
conference. The debate in the conference room grew
warm Police Justice Pow said the Democrats would
make fools OF themselves to appoint committee for
such a purpose without invitation from the
Republicans Clerk Muller said that the
advance had been mado by the Republicans
and that the Governor thought It would be wise In such
matter not reject the opportunity OF keeping the
court out OF politics. Judges Rugsr and Andrews
meubers Of the Court OF Appeals were said to have
,oun,eed in favor OF a non partisan course This gave
rise 10 some criticism about the judges interfering in
politics. Unable sgree the conference broke up and
tho State Committee convened in secret session about
half pact O'Clock. Chairman OBren called 1t to order
AID tAen asked ID. " Lockwood 10 take the chair lhe
secretary real the following letter OF resignation
from Chairman o Brieu:
To the Democratic state Committee:
Prior To the last state upon tho resgntion
OF MI Manning as chairman of the state COmmltte,
without solicitation my part, ana against my
own better ludment, was selected as chairman, having
previously been secretary. such selection was un Ah
unOus After the state Convention had met am inc
prrseut committee chosen, was in ike manner
s-lecrei chairman, and win some reluctance con
s-nted accept position aui discharge s dut~s 10
the best OF ny ability. After the successta tsrhiha-
ton OF last falls campaign found my pryate business
so extensive and pressing that | contemplated
resgning tie tme but could not well Ho
o until tho committee should meet. Penetrated Wy
aa La a.,xLhl