Year: 1878

John Kelly. One of the greatest gifts on a
| field of battle is the quick perception
which recognizes previous mistakes and
| the readiness of resource which makes
sudden change of plan in the
face of the enemy harmless opera
| ton. Mr.. Kelly committed blunder
! previous to the meeting Of the Convention
in causing his organs to keep mp an inces-
| SAINT Are on Governor Robinson. 1t was
his original purpose to prevent an indorse-
ment of the Governor in the platform, and
hence the fierce onslaughts kept up for
several weeks previous to the choice
of delegates. But when he reached
| Syracuse he found that there was no
! possibility Of bringing the Convention
to censure Governor Robinson either
directly or indirectly, and that if he made
this issue he would meet an overwhelming
defeat All at once on making this discov-
cry, Mr. Kelly decided to withdraw his op-
position to an Endorsement Of the Governor
and adopt new line OF tactics. Had he
been able to carry out his original plan his
triumph would have been more resplend-
ent, but finding that Governor Robnson's
friends were too many TOR him he
adroity shifted his ground and up
set the calculations of his opponents.
His opposition to the Governor had been
so abusive and so loudly proclaimed that
the anti-Tammany democrats concentrated
their efforts upon that one point, and hav-
ing secured majority Of delegates who
would 60 through fire and water to lndorse
Governor Robinson, they fancied that they
had gained control of the Convention.
But they reckoned without their host.
They did not contemplate the possi-
bility of Mr.. Kelly making sudden
change of front at the last moment
and acquiescing in a complimentary reso-
luton to the Governor. The undoubted
majority which Mr.. Robinson's friends had
secured on that issue did not avail them
for other issues. If Mr.. Kelly carries the
day on other points and gets control Of the
Convention he may recur to his original
programme, but this is unlikely.


The pith of the fight is for the control Of
the State Committee II the anti-Robinson
faction should be able to make up the new





will not be of the slightest consequence to
them whether Governor Robinson is iu-
dorsed or not indorsed by this Convention.
1t is not this Convention, but the Conven-
ton of next year, that will decide whether
the present Governor shall be nomi-
mated for reelection. The State Committee
which is about to be appointed will or





potent control over its action. An in
dorsement of the Governor now commits
nobody to support him as d candidate for
reelection next year. The appointment of
q new State Committee hostile to his pre-
tensions would nullify the effect of
q formal Endorsement by Convention
which has nothing to do with the nomina-
ton Of his successor. II the Kelly faction
gets the State Committee now, and thereby
controls the Convention Of next year, it will
also designate the State Committee of 1879,
which will call and control the Convention
for selecting delegates to the next Demo-
cratic National Convention, Mr.. Kelly's
success now will therefore be apparently
fatal to the chances of Mr.. Tilden in $780,


The breezy quarrel in the Syracuse Con-
vcntion yesterday hinged on the question
Of allowing the Tammany delegates from
this city to vote on the question of their
own title to seats. The Tammany delegates
are regular enough, and if their exclusion
were net necessary to secure the Tilden-
Robinson faction majority their admis-
sion to seats would not be opposed. The
regular Brooklyn delegation. which is
rilden delegation, stands in the same
category. Eut if the regular New York
delegates and the regular Brooklyn dele
gates were alike admitted with full rights
of membership the former much out
numbers the latter that the Kelly faction
would have good working majority in
the Convention. Knowing this - be the
case the Brooklyn delegation held q
separate meeting yesterday and decided
against its own claims to immediate admis-
sion AS means Of postponing the claims
of Tammany. This was u shallow and self
stultifying device. 1t is ridiculous for
delegation which claims to be regular, and
is in fact regular, TO weaken its own title.
1t was mere fetch to aid in keeping
out Tammany, and it had the sue
cess it deserved--which is mono ut
all. When n question involving the equal
right of the New York regular delegates and
OF the regular Brooklyn delegates to vote
came up in the Convention the Brooklyn
gentlemen maintained an obstinate silence,
adopting this as a form of protest against
the right of the Tammany delegates to vote
on the question of their own admission
Mr.. Laning, the temporary chairman, de-
cided that both the New York and the Brook
lyn delegates we're entitled to vote, where
upon the Tilden faction mutinied and
marched off to another hall to hold con-
snlfatinn nrcparntorY to q bolt. This pns-