New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-13

The smallncs, If the vote in the Democratic
caucus against NJ Murphy furnishes some
basis for the theory that III committing him
self in opposition to that gentleman a. can
cidatc for United states senator Nh CIeNc-
and Lad an ultcrJr object IN view. and not
any >c.iou> expectation OF accomplishing I'M
mediate results. 1t does not appear that the
friends Of the Prcsidcnt-olcct excltcd them
Give, at all to impress upon the members OF
the Legislature the necessity Of conforming
f. his view, of the situation. There was ap-
parcntly no real effort to defeat Murphy nom
nation or meet the expire Sd wishes If Mr.
Cleveland. Thee has been a god dlaI of
bot tall in ncW>l 21o,s a")i; Nup't thi'
MS nd the ailrcGt VIII would be ohoI'o
70 A. Cleveland by his nomination. and on
would have supposed ir III that and the srn-
cral tenor Of conversation on the subject
among Mr.. Clevcland'S close AID infinite
friends that there was a really scllou> purpose
+, defeat him. The event has disclosed that
either there was no such purpose or that the
Pre,dcnt-clcct is almost totally without IN
nuence in his own laty. Tho latter now j.
hardly tcnablc. Ii seems certain that VII
CleyelandS only pat in the Senatorial can
vass wa, to express his ,pinion Of Murphy :
unhtne.. He did this after il had become
evident TO every one ESQ. and must have been
50 t, Mr.. Cleveland himself, that Murphy had
the machine at hi, back an had :" fixed things
in such vay that opposition t. him would
be hopeless. Mr. Cleveland and his friends
were so well aware Of this that they made no
effort whatever Il defeat him.
Ard yet he tJok pains T. publish his OPP
position t. Murphy and to the majority Of hi
own party in TIE Legislature when II ap, a.
entity served 10 practical purpose lie was
not drawn int, it his opinion was not oven
asked On the face Cf it he seems - have
burst into peaceful situation without ploroca-
ton or 50 much Is a protest even, ana - nave
invited quarrel. \ quarrel for The mere sake
Of a quarrel too for the subsequent course
of events indicates that neither he nor his
friends had any intention OF pursuing 1t to an
immediate issue. Upon the suppositicn that he
and his friends meant business and intended
t, draw the lines, and upon a square issue make
at least a show Of fighting nomination he had
declared to be unit-evcn upon this suppoSi-
ton the general opinion was that he had made
a bad bundcr. In the public judgment It was
anything but wise politics for the President
elect to throw himself into a contest in which
he had ~ call to engage and before he had
entered upon his Office array against himself
q powerful faction Of his own party with the
odds tremendously against him. There was no
need of it nor occasion for it, Why, then, did
he do it? Was it the blundcr of a self -con-
ceited leader inflated with success, or was 1t
the deliberate act of shrcwd and cunning
politician, with a well-dcfined purpose?
Time alone can tell whether it was a blum
der on Mr. Clcveands part to start quarrel
IN his own State at the beginning of his Ad-
minsiration But in the light of events it
seems clear that he had a purpose in IT, The
only rational explanation Of his action is that
he intend, to cut loose from Tammany and
the machine and use all his efforts and all the
influence and power Of his Administration
against the faction which now controls the
Democratic party and governs this city and
State. In making known his wishes IN the
matter of the election of United states SEN
ator he gave the Tammany people an oppor-
tunity, which he could hardly help knowing
they would decline, to come over 10 him IN Il
complete surrender. That must have been the
meaning Of his public announcement OF his
position on the Senatorial question III they
came to him, well and good if not, he should
construe it as opposition 10 him and mis- Ad'
minstration. and they might expect no favors
at his hands The absence of any effort 10
defeat Murphy indicates that ne was not so
much set on that as on having Tammany
understand distinctly his terms Possibly he
preferred they should be rejected, and by that
means he should be relieved of its opportunities
for patronage and the embarrassment of its
support There are persons not remote from
his confidence who express the belief that one
of the things he has set himself to accomplish
during his Administration is to clip the wings
of this soaring Tammany organization and put
the control of the party in the hands of his
Mugwump and ntiSnapper friends
If this is his meaning, we shall have to await
results TO decide wbethtA or not he has blum.