New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-11
DEMOCRATIC WAR BEGUN.
,,,xwELL,S NOMINATION BRINGS ON THE
CONFLICT
- IT WILL BE A BITTER FIGHT-ALL EFFORTS TO
PREVENT COLLISION BETWEEN THE
PRESIDENT AND THE NEw-YORK

PREVENT A COLLISION BETWEEN THE
PRESIDENT AND THE NETWORK
MACHINE FUTILE.
n,mocratic political affairs in this State are
..cominc more complicated every day Not in
ro.r. has the situation been so interesting to the
.,udent OF politics and to all thoughtful citizens
=. IL is at present. Developments. significant and
.orsational crowd each other with such rapidity
,hat even the most casual observer begins to
.aali,e that radical change, il not a complete
,svolution, is at hand. A conflict which must
;rsyitahly result in an absolute surrender or the
.r,shing defeat for one side or the other is i'm
ending and apparently it is rrepressibe. From
.os end of New-YOrk to the other. from the
uudson to the Lakes. and from the st. Lawrence
"a the Sound the lines Of battle are drawn. and
,sminary skrmishcs have already occurred be
tween the Bourbon and the Reform elements OF
the Democracy
4 few leaders Of both factions still
talk peace, and 60 through the empty forms
A. harmonious action, but the rank and file ana
,.onle generally do not heed them. The con-
tonting masses are really not seeking peace.
They hate each other with deadly hatred.
hatred that is the outgrowth o. years OF local
strife and bitterness. and they want war almost
az much as they want the Offices. Therefore, MT.
(roker may call on the President; between MI
cleveland and Senator Murphy there may he the
most charming interchange of personal ieilcita-
tons: Mr. Mclaughlin may come away from the
White House with his ruddy face wreatheo III
,miles Mr. Sheehan may journey TO Lakewood ana
even Mr. Hill may bow the knee and spend
.u.r,cr Of an hour with his successful rival
Eu. what does il all signify? Who is deceived oy
this empty display? What sensible man believes
n, an instant that the yawning gulf which
.,na,ates the two wings OF the Democratic party
IN this city and State can he bridged by these
meaningless formaltics? Such a supposition Is
manifcstly absurd. 1t is based upon an erroneous
conception of Mr. Cleveland's character. OF the
underlying causes of the war. and Of the actual
facts in the exciting situation. dlspassonate re-
v;ew Of which at this time may not he altogether
superhuous.
THE DECLARATION OF WAR.
The appointment of Mr. Maxwell as Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General last Thursday has
han generally looked upon the Presidents
formal declaration Of hostiities against the
State machine This is hardly correct lhat
declaration was made weeks ago in clear unlnis-
taxable terms by Mr.. Cleveland himself when
IN an authorized interview he boldly announced
his opposition to the election Of Mr.. Murphy 10
the United States Senate, because IN MS opinion
the Troy autocrat was not 1T man LOT III"
Mace. That declaration, which Mr. Murphy c'n
never forget or forgive, was made altcr care'''i
elaboration on Mr. Cleveland's part. and with as
full knowledge OF Murphy's strength IN the Legs
lature as of his course during the campaign. IL
has been frequently said on this point that MI.
c,.veland knew he could not prevent Murphy
success This is an overstatement
Il was impossible for him TO know
what the result might be, but lie
VIVA prepared to see the Democratic legislators
d;srersrd his wishes He was more pleased than
d,pleNsed at their action. Had they, or rather
their bosses-for the members are mere automatons
considered his wishes in the matter ana seiec'ed
some other man than Murphy-W Bourke Cochran.
for example, who made the speech OF his life az
Chicago. against Cleveland-thcn he would have
he.n hound TO regard tho Senator thus chosen as
his particular choice and to treat him accordingly
This certainly would have been handicap In what
is dear 10 the President in dealing with New
York Observation-Disclosures Of action. III he had
needed any consolation in his defeat he would
have found il in tho widespread demonstration oil
pdpular approval that followed his renlonstrsnce
against the selection of Murphy. The great
majority of people believed that he was right; even
his enemies, while bcwailns his lack Of discretion
conceded his courage, and so long as human nature
remains as it is, so long will courage, and the
more aggressive the better. be applauded Mr.
Cleveland was applauded, and, unquestionably, re-
cured more positive advantages from the apparent
defeat than the machine obtained from their
triumph
II was decidedly Pyrrhic victory 1t Is dif-
Hcut, indeed, TO discover any substantial fruits
from it, Mr.. Murphy. it is true. now wears the
to2a but that honor neither satisfies him nor the
utilitarian desires of his associates 1t Is all
we'll enough TO be in the Senate, but Senator
thorn of his power, a Senator unable to dictate
nominations, and, above all. Senator not in a
position to tie up appointments, is not what the
machine of this State desires to see. AS is gen.
orally known, the programme adopted by the ma
chine Immediately after the election was In sub
stance that Mr.. Murphy and MIR. Hill in the Sen
ate would be able 10 tie the Presidents hands
and compel him to ignore the Anti-Snappers ana
give to the city and State organizations the Ma
uona patronage. THIS programme 80 Tar as re-
CARDS the election Of Murphy, has been carried
out, but it remains TO be seen how far the oppo-
stion to the President of Messrs. Murphy and
Hill will extend. 1t may prove as bitter and Tor
midable as the machine leaders originally In
tended but it does not look that way now. Senator
Murphy's attitude and that OF Tammany Hall are
anything but aggressive, and while it is true
that Mr. Hill called on the President, there is
nothing in this action to warrant the conclusion
that the senior Senator has surrendered to the
Administration. On the contrary, everything en-
cept this visit points in the other direction.
HILLS BITTER HOSTILITY SHOWN
Why should Mr.. Hill surrender? What has
be to hone for should he adopt such course
He has been fighting Mr.. Cleveland for years. and
he has never fought him SO bitterly as since
the last election He not only pushed Murphys
canvass, but he went out Of his way to display
bis hostile feeling, us when, for example. ne In
duced the New-York Presidential electors 70 IN
dorse Murphy's candidacy'-a wholly sra.ui'o"s
nirg at the President Not only that, put tic
has forced the fighting ever since in ELIMINATING