New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-08
LOCAL DEMOCRATIC QUARRELS.

fractional politics among the Democrats OF
This city is becoming more interesting dS inc
time for holding the Democratic state Ooh'en,
tion draws near. Governor Hills recent 'lSiU
70 this CITY, during which he was in close anu
constant communication with the Iammahy
leaders. has been quickly followed by the an
nonncement that the County Democracy's repre-
sontation in the State Convention is to be large
sehVduo., III '"c 80 -,.;thdrovn wholly. The
arguments that sustain this course are IL n''iSV
he owned. impressive, but of course theS are
being violently resisted. According 10 inc Olu
arrangement Tammany and the County De
mocracy have each thirty-six delegates me-
city delegation. in other words is divided equ'tl
" between them. The only theory upon which
tbis is done. the only theory, indeed, upon Which
If could be done properly, is that III VoVih1
strength they are about equal In the past thls
was the fact, but the Tammany contention ."1'
If is no longer the fact cannot be uISpu'eu'
The mower of each organization was Square'S
and fully tested in the Mayoralty campaign Oh
1sSs when Grant polle1 114,1 votes ana
Hewitt 1879, and there can be no manner Oh
doubt that Hewitts vote included az inc loH''
calculation 10000 Republicans VINO were uo
coyed from the support of their own cahuiua'0
Inv the notion that non-partisanshlp IN ml'ilic-
inal campaigns is peculiarly UrtuouS' oinco
This camDaign the County Democracy has De-
coma more and moro feeble and demofahzeu,
Old +bore is every reason to believe that OF
Tho 90 $50 votes cast for Francis NJ. Scott lOr
Mayor in 1890 by the County Democracy the
Republicans and the Peoples Municipal League
NOT more than $4,000 were drawn from Dem
ocr,tic sources. That number added to Grants
700 would more than equal the total Demo-
cr,ic vote of New-York City for Secretary OF
State in 1889. r.
The conclusion to he drawn from these iig-
ures. that substantially the entire strength OF
Tho local Democracy is held by Tammany Hail.
and that there no longer exists such thing as
the Comfy Democracy, cannot be GUIDED 10
divide representation, which by its very nature
is based on numerical strength, equally between
faction voting 10000 men and one voting
only 1900 would be in the highest degree
unfair. And yet despite Tammanys resoIu-
tion taken with Governor Hills tact consent
to readiust the apportionment it is by no means
certain that the convention will dare to cut
down the County Democracy delegation to any
n
That faction is nothing else now than the
Cleveland contingent. 1T represents tne eA-
Presidents following in the local Democracy
and if its capacity for contributing to party
triumph is small its capacity for making trouble
is great. 1t has a keen and shining KNIFE all
ready for the GovernOr-Senators fifth rb' ana
an abundant disposition to seize upon the slight
est preteyt for its use. This is small matter
70 the Tammany bosses, they to I'LL and iii
n them being only means to an end Neither
trusts the other, and neither would suffer the
smallest twinge of pain at the others dlScom-
future. In the present situation however 1t IS
m the advantage of each to pull together and
the Governor will undoubtedly urge his ally to
use its giant strength as against its fallen rival
with prudent moderation This appears to be
the counsel he has already given. lie is will
inc that the subject should be brought up and
that the County Democracy delegation be re-
duced at least one-half, but he insists that the
confscation must not accrue directly to the
benefit of Tammany Hall. The Voorhis faction
and the StecklerS must have places in the con-
veption. and harmony must he maintained even
at the bavonetS point. 1t is not to be supposed
that this satisfies Croker, Gilroy and Martin.
Nor docs it satisfy William R. Grace whose
position at the feet of the men he has 50 long
and 50 audaciously striyen TO overthrow is a
spectace of humiliation. HILL however, is still
the boss. All his sub-bOsses threaten, but in
the end they generally submit. The convention
will settle this question and every other as the
mighty man prescribes. But the thing he can't
control is the Election-Day stiett0.