Year: 1879

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man will ever think of predicting; but
there are astute, long headed men on both
sides of the present democratic schism.
and as such men do not act from
impulse, but foresight, it may be
possible to point out the course
they must necessarily pursue when we
understand their motives and the cardinal
facts of the situation. There is "logic
of events" which able men recognize and
follow, and which speculation may attempt
to trace without the vain presumption OF
prophecy


1t is a necessary consequence OF the
present democratic situation that an at-
tempt will be made by Governor Robinson's
supporters to reorganize the democratic
party of this city and put it under new
local guidance. This necessity was evil
IDENTIFY foreseen by the wisest of the Robin
son managers, as their conduct in the Con-
vention attests They might have ex-
cluded the Tammany delegates. but their
prudent foresight of the embarrassments
which would have followed such an act
restrained them from making the attempt.
Had they refused seats to 1ammany they
must have admitted the rival delegates.
They understand too well how fatal this
would have been to the success of
their subsequent operations. Even after
the Tammany delegates had bolted in
body the Robinson leaders were
careful to check the unrefecting zeal of a
few impulsive adherents who would have
Al 49,
petitors. They understood too perfectly
what would have been implied in putting
the seal Of regularity on the existing anti
Tammany organization. The effect would
have been to deliver over to this rival Or
ganization the management of Governor
Robinson's canvass in this city and thereby
to erect barrier against recruits and
proselytes from the Tammany demo-
Gratis. They were too wary to fall into
so fatal blunder. 1t is not their policy to
make it hard, but to make it easy, for the
rank and file of Tammany to desert and go
into the Robinson camp. The Tammany
men are not to be called on to rally under
the flag of their detested local rivals, but
to sink local feuds in the common interest
Of the democratic party. The Democratic
State Committee, in which the supporters
of Governor Robinson have strong
working majority, will take the initi-
ative into their own hands and will encour-
age a reconstruction OF the city democracy
on basis which ignores the old local jeal-
ousies and quarrels, and which will pur-
port to be neither Tammany nor anti-Tam-
many, but simply democratic. If few
prominent Tammany men can be induced
to give their aid in starting this movement
the chances of success will be improved.


If the State Committee and its coworkers
in the city are skilful o dexterous plea can
be made for democratic harmony, in which
the arguments of Messrs Seymour and Ker-
nan, and even those of Messrs. Field and
Dorsheimer, may be repeated with consider
able effect. If the members of the State
| Committee are wise they will not undertake
to boss this movement, but only to en-
courage it. The boss system has come to
inspire reasonable disgust. Boss Tilden
is as offensive as Boss Kelly. The demo-
Gratis of the city may fairly ask to be
reipstated in that liberty of choice and
freedom Of action which is possessed by
the party in the interior of the State. Let
them for once be their own masters; let
dates. If the Democratic State Committee
will simply aid them in recovering this
selt-control and this unobstructed right of
free action q portion of the Tam
many democrats may be expected to
respond, especially as the arbitrary
bossing of Mr.. Kelly has not been
a very brilliant success, even in city affairs.
The peculiarities of this gentleman's tenn
per incline him too much to that species Of
personal politics which aims to crush or to
promote individuals. His attempts of this
kind have been signal failures. The men
whom he has undertaken to crush have
triumphed; those for whom he has fought
his hardest battles have been defeated He
tried to destroy Recorder Hackett; he tried
to destroy John Morrissey, and the result is
not forgotten. 1t has been,the misfortune
of Mr.. Schell to be twice the victim of Mr.
Kelly's too Jealous friendship, first as can
didate for Senator against Morrissey, and
again as badly beaten and humiliated
candidate for Mayor. In the history Of our
city politics Mr.. Kelly's hostility has been
greater advantage than his friend
ship. The necessary consequence is a
loss of prestige which his recent de-
feat in the Syracuse Convention has
no tendency to retrieve. 1t will not be
surprising if considerable portion of Tam
many deserts so unsuccessful O leader, pro-
vided the way is smoothed by judicious
action on the part of the State Committee.
1t has pretty generally happened in Mr..
Kelly's political campaigns that the success
OF the war has not justified the sounding
boasts of his mani ifestoes.


Besides, Mr.. Kelly has lost control OF