Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17

|
the powers of Tammany we're arrayed agains
him, but he said weeks before the election b.
would beat Fox at least 5000, and as the tim
OF election drew near he told me his majorit
would be near 1000 On the night Of the cleo
ton John Kelly announced from the stage a
Tammany Hall that Fox was elected by LOO
majority, and the shouts which followed coult
be heard at the Battery. I heard it ant
FASTENED to Morrissey's headquarters ant
found great crowd boiling over with excite
ment- The only cool and undisturbed ma,
was Morrissey himself told him what hat
heard and expressed my regret. and he said
Don't be worried, will have $500 majority,
and by midnight his Judgment was confirmed
THE FIGHT WITH TAsMANY.
The fight between Morrissey and his friend
and Tammany was continued and Morrisse.
changed his residence into the Murray Hill dis
trict the aristocratic quarter of New York, ant
| when the Hon. Augustus Schell was nominated
for the state senate by Tammany he took tn,
nomination Of the opposition. 1 was in Wash
lngton at the time, and when saw by the New
York press he had been nominated and had &C
cepted the nomination Thought he had los
his head and so wrote him, urging him to with
draw. He telegraphed me, Don't worry;
| will beat him sure"
went to New York a day or two after, anc
when l saw him said thought he was crazy
that Mr. Schell was one of the best and strong
| est men in the city of New York and deserved,
30, and that he could not be beaten in that dis
trict. He heard me in his quiet and imperturb
able manner and smiling said. eyes, Mr.. Schel
Is one OF the best men in the city. but he ii
nominated by Tammany and will beat him.
tried to argue him out Of his confidence
| but he only smiled and said: IF am vel
enough to make the canvass will beat him
5000"
| Unconvinced waited the result very
anAiously and sure enough he won by some
4 Wha,, II l. nf& 49,.
he said: 81 was not allowed to go out at night
or my majority would have been larger
The illness under which he was then suffer.
ing caused his death year or two after. John
Morrissey was one of the most remarkable mer
ever met. He enjoyed the confidence of such
men rs Gov. Tilden, Judge Sanford f. Church
and Richard and Augustus Schell and the mag.
mates OF the democratic party throughout the
country. Commodore Vanderbilt esteemed
him very highly and aided him in making the
large fortune he at one time possessed. A.
| long as | knew Morrissey I never saw him al
| the card table or heard him speak of gambling
| He talked politics with a knowledge and q
memory Of political events that was remark.
able.
HIS POLITICAL sAGACITY.
On one occasion during the canvass of 1876
| at meeting held at Governor Tilden's house.
where some twenty gentlemen we're invited for
consultation-Messrs Belmont. Aug. Schell
| Barlow, Agnew, Edw. Cooper. Smith Weed and
others-the governor called on Morrissey to give
his views after others had spoken. He did SC
concisely and to the point and his views were
adopted. Some one remarked that, right after
Morrissey had left, what pity he was not an
educated man. when Governor Tilden replied
Not at all, sir; education would have spoiled
| that great and unerring Judgment and con-
tracted that broad common sense"
His word was his bond. He was incapable OF
| falsehood and deceit, and both friends and
enemies knew just where to find him. In the
campaign of 1872. when Horace Greeley was
the candidate of the democratic party, Morrissey
was one OF his most earnest supporters and
| thought success might be won by that nomina-
ton. He contributed very literally himself
and raised considerable money for the cam
palgn During the campaign committee OF
which Mr.. Samuel J. Randall. Hon. Richard
Vaux, Lewis Cassidy and others were members
came to New York for the purpose of obtaining
| considerable sum. with which they felt sure
| they could carry the state of Pennsylvania. Mr.
Greeiey's opinions on the tariff and labor and
kindred questions, it thought, would OBJ
tain for him the vote Of the laboring men. The
meeting, held at the Spingler House, now de-
molished, was one full Of enthusiasm
| but confidence was sadly needed. Al
that meeting Morrisey contributed two thou
sand dollars, but without hope of carving the
state. Mr.. Greeley was then in the west and
had made those marvellous speeches which sur
prised even those who were familiar with his
| almost universal knowledge. had been sent
on financial mission to the Hon. Asa
Packer at Mauch Chunk and we were informed
MIR. Greeley would arrive that evening, and a
large crowd gathered to greet him. He inquired
| what industry was pursued there Informed
that there were large slate quarries worked
| there, he addressed the people on the subject
| they were most interested in with a knowledge
which they admitted to be full OF instruction
In about an hour he addressed a very large and
| enthusiastic meeting numbering thousands
His defeat was his death, we all know. Mr.
| Schell, who was the chairman of the national
committee, was filled with hope, and up to the
| last moment of the canvass honored every de-
! mand made upon him from his own means
| The contributions were limited except in the
| case OF such men as Erastus Corning, Mr.. Bar.
mum, Morrissey, Tilden and a few Others
| THE LATE SENATOR BARNUM.
What loss to the democratic party Barnum
will be in the coming presidential election He
was a man of rare political Judgment and un-
derstood SO well the conduct of a campaign
However he might disagree in the use to be
made Of money he never refused the demand
| made on him. During this campaign of which
l am speaking, when Mr.. Greeley was the can
| didate, l was sent to him for a considerable
sum, stating the use for which it was needed.
am not sure it was for Pennsylvania. found
him out OF the beaten track Of travel, in the
mountains OF Connecticut where he had large
coal and iron mines, furnaces. DC. made nv
demand and made known the object for raising
| the sum asked for, and he said, ''Of course j
| will give you the money, but it will be wasted
there is no chance of carrying PENNSYLVANIA.
and for the good it will do l might az
| well throw it in that furnace. You cannot
return until tomorrow. will leave here in a
little while. Come home with me and I will
| give you q check and you can take the train
In the morning." have been with Mr. Barnum
| in every canvass since 1868 and never knew
him to be wrong in his estimate of the result.
In the last canvass he never for a moment
thought Cleveland could be elected, but he la
bored as though confident of success and oniv
through his personal efforts was Connecticut
saved to the Democratic party. Not long be-
fore the day of election he said to his friend.
Mr.. Mcbride Of the Cincinnati Enquirer, MAC,
| ii am found dead in my bed in the morning
after the election, don't you newspaper men
say died from grief at the defeat Of Cleve-
land"
Poor Barnum! What he said in lest was soon
after realized. His death ia the severest blow the
democratic party has received since its defea.
in 1888, and its effect in the coming presidential
canvass will be severly felt. / forgot to saw
that visiting Messrs Corning, Packer, Rich
mond and others, whom I saw on my financial
pilgrimage, they were not impressed with the
confidence expressed in the letter of which
was the bearer, and appealed to me for my
opinion, but as I laughingly told them my
mission was to obtain the money to make the
handing me his check for some thousands said.
Now, Mr. Coyle, give me your opinion. You
| are with the committee; tell me if you think we
| can carry Pennsylvania
Isaid: II dom think we have any more chance
for carrying PENNSYLVANIA than for New Ham,