New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-19
p. DIVER REDTVIVUS.

=. DfVFEh hEDf|IVtS.
II seems a long, long time since the Hon. Pat
rick Divver-who mt one time adorned the bench
or the police court Of this town. dispensing Jus
tlce or dispensing with 1t at his own sweet Will
-fell ont OF the public eye 0nd ceased TO con-
tribute daily to the gayety OF the community.
He has been missed. Not sorcly to be sure: for
In the multitude Of things that have been hap
penlng In the interval of his seclusion. and the
great throng of amusing and entertaining po-
ltical acrobats who have been throwing somer-
saults, performing with trick mules. Grating
and perorntng from the tail-end Of railroad
trains and Offering other diversions. the public
mind has been constantly occupied that it
could hardly be expected to dwell with much
seriousness or at great length upon the dsap-
pearance OF Diver. Moreover. Diver Is a
statesman of such resency and recuperative
power that there has never been any doubt that
some day he would come again. like Mazeppa.
though not, perhaps, with twice five thousand
horse"
He has. He Is on deck in the lid District.
where, It appears. the Tammany General Com
mttee with an ingratitude that arouses the in
dignation of the aggregation of patriots known
TO trim down +. Diver as leader and set
up Alderman Nicholas r. Brown In his place.
The +. Diver Association to the number Of
300 had a meeting at their clubhouse. Nd. 80
Madlson-si.. on Thursday night. to enter their
protest and resent the ndgny offered their
patron. =. Diver was present in person AT
the meeting. and in the course of the evening
took occasion to enliven the proceedings with
little speech in which he set forth with great
lucdiy the reasons why the y. Diver AssO-
citation are the real opponents Of Democratic
principles and Tammany methods. and he him
self as the head of the association Is The fttest
man in the district for party leadership. Being
as described in the Tammany and Republican
machine Organ-"a citizen whose intelligence
has raised him to position Of great influence
among his neighbOrs and whose word they
know is rs true as steel" he was listened to
with profound interest He did not mince
words but proceeded nj once to the marrow OF
the question. The opposition TO him. he said
came from men who were trying to make capital
for themselves by circulating stories that they
and not the L. Diver Association were the es-
pecial friends of those tried and true Tamnany
patriots who were convicted Of fraudulent prac-
tees in the district in 1893: that they and not
the y. Diver Association had paid the fines
imposed upon those political martyrs. and in
other ways had assisted them.
TO all these stories y. Diver unhesilaingly
gave the lie. These men. liz said. had not spent
''the price of a glass of beer in behalf Of the
"conviced election officers: further. that all
the money used to pay fines or otherwise had
come from the treasury Of the +. Diver As
socation $500 having been used in that way.
and that the association is still supporting the
families of two of the convicted men. Nothing
could be more to the purpose than this plain and
direct statement Of facts There has been no
question raised. we understand the situation
AS to T. DIVERS soundness Oh any of the points
of doctrine contained in that immortal declara-
ton Of principles. the Chicago PLATFORM. nor as to
his loyal support of that great leader. William
Jennings Bryan. The simple question IN the
lid District is whether or not y. Diver and
the L. Diver Association stood by the men
whose devotion to Democratic principles and
loyalty to Tammany had brought them to mar
tyrdom In that view Of the case il seems to
us that If T. DIVERS statement is correct
and our Tammany contemporary has vOnched
Tor MN INA! Ills WOfu is iS true us StttI
there should be no further question in the Tam
many General Committee as to the title Of =.
Diver to the leadership in his district.
1t may be said. Of course. that the convicted
election officers themselves showed a larger
measure of devotion to the principles Of the
party in committing the frauds deemed neces
sary for Democratic success. for which they
suffered fines or Imprisonment. But the T..
Diver Association did the next best thing in
paving their fines to the amount Of $500 and
supporting the families OF two of them during
their maryrdom. The association deserves
grateful recognition from Tammany Hall for
this important service and it would be the black
est ingratitude to "trum down the head Of the
association as district leader. II Tammany Hall
is to continue in It's old sphere Of usefulness it
must see to it that the men who stand by cleo
ton officers convicted Of election frauds In the
interest Of the party are gratefully recognized
and suitably rewarded