New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-02

.IOHN EkLIY

Kelly bore much more than his share of sus-
picon, censure and abuse his peaceful dea' h,
after a short season of rest from political dis
turbances, will call forth many well-measured
tributes to his personal WORTH and some judi
cious estimates of his public service. This jour
nal has habitually differed from hlm on party
questions, but has never failed TO respect his
manly qualities and as long AZ he remained at
the head of tie Tammany party it recognized
his honest purpose and his adroitness IN con-
fning the activity of that nschievOus organza-
ton TO the strictest practicable limits. John
Kelly vas not an idealist. He understood, what
many who believed themselves statesmen Of
higher order never could see that the control
of the city of New-Yorll lies and will probably
always lie in the hands of IN ignorant and
selfish class of voters who have no desire for
good government. These are the majority In
any great city like ours. One art of leadership
consists in making the best of bad conditions :;
and a manager who can keep the metr0L oItan
democracy in tOcraJle order, hinder the lorna
ton of Tweed rings, and preserve the admlnls-
tlatiye departments from scandalons JobDeres
and thefts, ought to be judged according to the
evil which he prevents, not that which Is too
strong for him. To realize that John helys
government of the Tan many Democracy was
benefit TO the city, we have only TO look al
what that party was under the auspices of his
predecessor, ana what its rival has now come to
be since the worst elements have organized
under Mr.. Thomps9ns standard.
Mr. Kelly's integrity being admitted and his
distaste for Office notorious, il has often been
asked why he spent his life in faction manage
ment. and an easy answer has been found in
theory that be loved power. Perhaps there Is
something in this; no man gifted with special
talent can help taking pleasure in its exercise.
But is is only reasonable to give John Kelly
credit for a hi gher motive also He believed in
his party. He had no doubt that the govern
ment of New-York rightly belonged to H. and
would be better exercised by that party than by
any other. There was no trace OF the dena-
gogue in him; the demagogue is always
humbng; bit John Kelly had profound faith
in the sAts privileges, and virtues of TIE class
which is loosely called the common people, and
the sounding rhetoric in which the true princi-
pies of democracy We're periodically declaim'd
in Tammany Hall seemed to him rs automatic
rs the multiplication table. 1t is difficult for
an outsider quite to comprehend the mind of a
man who believes that Tammany II Ill is tie
best hope of the metropolis; but it is a common
mistake in politics to underrate the sincerity of
our opponents
If we remember that john Kelly was not a
political adventurer but jealous democratic
believer we shall have no difficulty in rcconcil
ing his public ca eeT with his private character.
In the midst of rogucs, some of whom he used,
tole rated, and even advanced, his honesty was
never questioned. lie had no scruple about
barterng Offices, but otherwise lie was lncor-
ruptblc His theory of political management
was not high, but such as it was he lived by it
Loyalty. Disappointed Democrats after an
election sometimes called him treacherous, but
this was a gross misjudgment. His methods
were open and bold and his speech, if net
always abundant, was always frank. If Provi-
dence had laced him In purer community
than ours he might have been distinguished rs
a stalwart popular tribune. That he did not de-
velop the best type of civic virtue WIS the fault
of his environment. His home life was always
honorable He was knd-hearIed, generous, de-
vout temperate, and singularly truthful and
of the many good men who enjoyed his ac-
uuaintance there were few who did not learn to
respect the sincerity and simplicity of his char
acter as well as the slurdness of his mind.