Year: 1877

GERS. 90 lar as appears on the lace OF tnese
| interviews or on the face of the belligerent
editorials in the democratic press this lively
quarrel is tempest in teapot. The indif-
ferent outside public who do not understand
what is going on behind the scenes and do
not know who are pulling the wires, are
disposed to ask of what real consequence it
Is to the democratic party or to anybody
whether the present State officers are re-
nominated or a new ticket put in the field.
These officers are discharging their duties
creditably enough, or at least Governor
Robinson thinks so, and if q different set
should take their places when their terms
expire the State administration would
move in pretty nearly the same ruts. The
duties are regulated by law; they are mostly
Of routine character and are not difficult;
almost any intelligent man could discharge
the functions of any Office as satisfactorily
as any other intelligent man. Why then, is
there such an angry rumpus and commo-
ton on so trivial question as the selection
of a new ticket?


In answering this question it will be nee
essary to strip off the thin covering of pre-
tences under which both parties to the quar-
rel attempt to disguise their motives. Lay
ing out Of view the aspirants to the nomi-
nations, neither side sets the value of O
broken pipe stem on the choice between an
old or new ticket except as pawns for play
ing political game. The underlying ques-
ton which is at the bottom of oil this hub
bub is, whether Mr.. Tilden shall be the
democratic candidate for the Presidency
in 1880. He desires the nomination and
thinks it his due; there is large and
active portion Of the party which intends to
contest his claim. Mr.. Tilden thinks he
was cheated out of an election which he had
fairly won. He received large majority Of
the popular vote he was the choice Of o
greater number Of citizens than ever before
supported q Presidential candidate. He
thinks the party is bound to redress the
great wrong which was done him and to
submit his name again for the suffrages of
the people. The time has not yet come for
openly disputing this claim, but large and
vigorous portion of the democracy, both in
this State and out of the State, are pre-





be put forward, as they know it will be.
What is alleged against him is that he
lacked political courage in the crisis of the
count They maintain that if man of
Jacksonian intrepidity had stood in Mr..
Tilden's shoes last winter Mr.. Hayes could
not have been inaugurated. They intend
that the next democratic candidate shall be
man who will stand fire.


Mr. Tilden understands perfectly that his
chance Of another nomination depends on
its being demanded by the democratic party
of his own State. 1t is, accordingly, his
plan to give such shape to State politics
that he can control the New York dele
CATION to the next Democratic Ma
tional Convention. His opponents do
not intend that he shall have this
advantage, and the lively contest over the
denomination of the present State officers
really hinges on the question of Mr.. Til
den's candidacy in 1880. Both sides try to
disguise this issue; but it is the only thing
which can explain the strange heat and
acrimony of what would otherwise be so
petty a contest.


Mr.. Tilden is q shrewd and wary politi-
clan who has always preferred covert to open
methods. "a still hunt" is q favorite phrase
of his, it having always been leading part
OF his tactics to prevent suspicion OF his de-
signs and take his adversaries by sur
prise at the last moment. His pres
ent ''still hunt in New York poll
tics was dexterously managed. He re-
tired from the country and took with
him, as companion of his travels, the
leading candidate whom he put on the State
ticket two years ago. To make the blind
more perfect it was given out by Mr.. Bige-
low himself that he did not desire to be
candidate for reelection. The two friends
went OH q tour through Europe with
pleasure seeking air, as il New York politics
were the last thing in their thoughts. But
all of a sudden, when the New York can
vass approaches, the newspaper organs of
Governor Tilden raise concerted cry Tor
the denomination of the same State ticket
which he forced upon the party in 1876.
There may be people verdant enough to
think this an accident, or what the
elder Weller called coincidence" but OBJ
serving politicians discern in it the same stra-
tegic hand which has so often foiled oppo-
nents by the 'still hunt method Of put
ting them off their guard and forestalling
their preparations until the last moment
The fierce democratic fight Of the last two
or three weeks on what seems so petty
question as the denomination of Mr.. Bige-
low and Mr.. Fairchild is really fight on
the question whether Mr.. Tilden shall be
supported by the New York democracy as
the Presidential candidate of the party in
1880. But neither side is willing to avow
the real issue. Mr.. Tilden does not wish
it to be known that he is covertly intrigu-
ing for another nomination, and his adver-