St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-07
TAMMANY,s TREASON.

One of the most extraordinary revela-
tions of BEN Buffers book about him.
self is his account of how he came to
run for the presidency in 1884. 1t will
be remembered that at the time he
claimed to be a Democrat, had been
elected governor of Massachusetts on
the Democratic ticket, and had been
a delegate to the Chicago convention at
which Mr.. CLEVELAND was nominated.
None the less, he was. and always had
been, rank prOteetionist. and he says
that he foreSaw great danger to the
country in Mr.. CLEvELAND's election.
If the Republican party won the pres
erYation of the tariff was assured, and
in order to help to this end he put him
self at the head of the so-called Green
back movement and entered the race.
He, of course. had no hope of success
for himself, but he thought he might
defeat the Democracy by draw
ing off here and there an electoral
vote. The scheme was preposter-
Gus, and everybody knows what
a bowling farce his candidacy
proved. But the remarkable thing
about the story is that he solemnly de-
elares he had the appreciation and sup
port of JOHN KELLY in this netariouS
piece of treason. JOHN KELLY and his
Cammany braves had fought Mr..
CLEVELAND from the first year of his
gubernatorial term, and had predicted
that he would lose New York if he Sc
cured the presidential nomination. But
1t has been generally believed that they
supported him Loyalty enough during
the campaign, 1t is true that their
newspaper organ, the Sun, advocated
the election of BUTLER, but this was re-
garded as an instance of Mr.. DANA'S
eccentricity, based on personal spite and
harmless in its consequences. But this
new claim puts different phase on the
situation. If it can be relied on, Tam
many played the role of the secret trail
tor and undertook, while gulsed as
friend, to accomplish the rout of
the Democracy. BUTLER says that the
illness of JOHN KELLY was the only
thing that thwarted their ambition. A
physical wreck, he could not at
miscarred because his craft and
industry were not available for its direc-
ton. No charge could be more serious
than this. Uncontradicted, it Iobs Tam
many of all its rights to hearing in the
party'S councils. and 1t is surprising that
no protesting voice has been heard in
refutation of what is either shameful
SANDER or a more shameful indictment.
The probabilities are that the old man,
who has many sins to his account, is
lying again. He polled few more than
thousand votes in all of New York,
and it is not likely that he would have
made so pitiable an exhibition of him
self had he enjoyed even the tacit in
dorsement of one forceful character in
the state, to say nothing of SO powerful
all influence as Mr.. KELLY. On the
other hand, he is brazen-faced even be-
yond his own record to publish such a
story if it is wholly without foundation.
Democrats should make a record of
these facts, and, when Mr.. CROKER be-
gins to assert himself at Chicago in
June, it may be we'll to call on him for
an explanation. If his organization has
been false to the party at such a time,
it will not pay to consult its preferences
very closely. If the Democracy has to
be beaten, it will be more glorious to re-
ceive the fatal blow from an openly
fighting enemy than to be stabbed in the
back by one protesting loyalty.