New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-26
OPPOSITION TO SHEEHAN.
THE CLEVELAND DEMOCRATS REBELIIoUS
IN BUFFALO.
APPROVING ONLY PART OF THE STATE TICKET
BITTER FEELING DUE TO THE WAY THE
cAUcusES WERE MANAGED-coNCEsr
sIoNS THAT COME TOO LATE.

the nomination of all OF the candldales haeu ny eu
convention who by their services in the cause OF true
Democracy have proved themselves worthy Of united
Democratic support"
This is the resolution which was adopted at meet
ing of the Cleveland Democrats OF Buffalo held last
Monday night. After THIS resolution had been adopted
the club by Of 50 to 80 decided to hold ratn-
cation meeting
The resolution means just what it says as its careful
reading would lead one 10 Believe 1t was drawn win
great shrewdnesS by of the leading CleVelahu
Democrats of this city and his associates adop'eu IL
unanimously. 1t does not mean, as the sheehah men
here saw that the Tammsny Hall ticket from top 10
bottom is indorsed but il Dderes those VINO by the
services in the Of true Democracy nave proNcu
themselves worthy OF united Democratic support IN
the mind of the average Cleveland Democrat or lnde-
pendent Democrat in this part Of the state uere Is
vast difference between Sheehan Democrat and true
Democrat a Hill Democrat and true Democrat
Tammany Democrat and true Democrat III IS
however only a true" Democrat that the Cleveland
Democracy of Erie County believe TO be worthy OF
united Democratic support. In their minus uuo
Democrat is not who will cook mp SET OF rules
short time before the holding of the caucuses Tor the
eIectlon of delegates 10 the State Convention merely
for the purpose of controlling the election of delegates
IN that convention Neither, in their way OF thinking
ls a trues Democrat who will use his powers as
n member of the Tammany Hall combine to throw ouI
regularly and honestly elected Democratic delegates 10
state convention. Perhaps it may seem strange to
land men of Erie County should have such peculiar
notions as TO what IA trueo Democrat really is; but
the Cleveland men here have those notions ana what
Is worse for the Tammany combine" they now tai"
and act as though they intended TO STICK 10 uhem'
Some of the Cleveland men in this county express the
hone that at some distant day Speaker Sheehan VIII
learn the lesson Of what " true" Democrat Is ana
become one If he ever does then he may look Tor the
united support OF the Cleveland Democracy.
The trouble between Speaker sheehan ana 'he
Cleveland Democrats OF Erie County, when culnuacu
in the throwing out bodily of the delegates from .o
LIST ia and lid Assembly Districts TO the STATE
Convention at Saratoga, under speaker sIeehAh
orders, did not begin on any recent uaUe' ~ runs
back 20 the time before Grover Cleveland was Mayor
of Buffalo. The Democrats here at tha' ume "ero
hard pressed to get candidate for Mayor "r
Cleveland had Just ended fairly successful Term aS
sheriff 10 which Office he elected more as an IN
aenendent than as a Democrat. lie was asked to take
the Democratic nomination for Mayor. Ills hrS'
question of those who made the request Oh MIN was ~
10 who had been slated for the minor places on the
ticket He was told that John c. shcehai inc
present secretary Of the Aquednct BoaTo nSu poen
named for place ,.,, NJ
al won't run with that on the tcketP Mr..
cleveland is quoted as exclaimng lie must eiVher
get off or 1 will not accept the nomination.!
This was final Mr. Sheehan was taken on lile
ticket. Mr. Cleveland ran and was elected Al thdV
time the sheehan brothers, John CF and william F.
registered a VOW 10 get with Mr. CleVelahu anu
all of Mr. Cleveands friends. How well the oIcehdh
brothers and their followers kept their worn can 10
seen by the election returns of Erie County rom 1901
nm Twice Mr. Cleveland lost his county, While Dawn
r. HILL the idol of true Sheehan Democracy uhul ie
crossed their path carried it. In 1888 Mr.. sheehah
managed TO elect himself 10 the Democratic eUa'e Co
mtiee This was done with The aid OF Canal patron
age which Governor Hill put in their way OieVe
land mar then was forced out In the intervening
three years the Cleveland men worked early anu laVo
and SHARED no pains TO perfect all organization wmch
would completely overturn the rule OF ohee'ah III
Erie County and put in his place on the comml'ee
Cleveland Democrat. The organization was oit1leu OIL
onetly but successfully, and at the adjournment OF
tbe Legislature the Cleveland forces were III
line ready TO give Sheehan battle They
had a sure majority Of the Democratic
voters and were certain Of success Heiofe tla uu'9
however there had been considerable talk Of change
I'm the rules controlling the holding OF the warn eau
euses and a resolution had been passed authorihg
the County Committee TO draw up a new scheme 1or
submission to the voters of the party in the comfy
The CountE Committee is absolutely in the handS OF
Sneaker Sheehan, and he did not order the appoint
mept OF the subcommittee until long after the time
set for the report to he made Then it was amer one
Of the Cleveland Democrats lad prepared set OF
rules and the Speaker had returned home from Albany
and found that the political sky was getting rather
dark so far as he was concerned. He hastily com
peIled the appointment Of a committee consisting OF
the state Dairy Commissioner, the Canal sGperln-
tendent the Canal Collector, Alderman sullivan and
Others who obtained their places through him, with
Frank Reynolds who was appointed superintendent
of Construction of the state Women's Hospital
the plans for which have Just been adopted although
lie has been drawing pay for four months the chair
man. This committee presented set OF rules
10 the county organization, which bear tes-
timony to the handiwork and the shre"d
ness of he Speaker The rules legislated
ont Of office all of the chairmen and the
appointment of the ward chairmen to the County
lsheehan's) Committee. Then it gave to the Sheehan
Committee the power to make up the roll OF the dele
gates in case contests existed The caucus Officers boo
were appointed by the committee instead of being
elected by the heretofore. The adoption OF
these res caused an open fight between the sheehan
and Cleveland people, which Will not be forgotten for
some time to The rules were adopted by a
narrow margin, and Sheehan reigned supreme. The
stories of how the were held are of recent
telling They called in the N )st remote places
that sheehans followers could fndpaces where decent
men do not 20 unless compelled to. In some of the
wards there two caucuSes. These occurred only
in the places where the Cleveland men had the most
votes In one ward the Sheehan poll clerk sat on
the box for two hours and prevented any voting being
.done III another ward the poll clerk carried the
box around with him under his and took ballots
only from the Sheehan men that he knew SUN III
other places, fmsy excuses for boiling the caucus
were gotten up and in other places only the force Of
numbers and the police obtained for the Cleveland men
the right to vote for their delegates. This was the
manner in which Sheean carried on his light 10 hold
his own in his Mr.. Cleveland. The entire
struggle not the delegates 10 the state Con
venton on account OF the part they would play in the
nomination of the Democratic state ticket This
WAS not the fight at all--It one
made solely for the purpose OF keeping as many friends
Of Mr. Cleveland as possible of the Democratic state
Committee II originally was made In the interest OF
David b. Hill as the Democratic candidate for Presi
dent in 1892 but the "hamboyant millionaire"
carries the state, the result VIII be the advancement
of the Tammany Hall candidate for Governor aud
President. Now that Mr. sheehan has obtained the
end sought by him. he wants 10 make concessions 70
the Cleveland Democrats In the hope that they VIII
then be brought over 10 his support 4tter he has
blackened their political eyes and cut their political
thrOats he begs their pardon and offers 10 make up IL
l. doubtful If maDy OF the Cleveland men viii accept
the proffered olive branch especially when il has
string 10 II for Sheehan's advantage. The olive branch
u.hch Sheehan now Offers 10 the CLEVELAND people is