 |
| United States Senator Roscoe Conkling |
To
Republicans.
The Boss of the Standard Ring [reference
to Cortland Standard proprietor William Clark—CC editor], having failed to get his paper elected
by the Democratic Supervisors as the party organ last fall, although it
received a larger number of Democratic votes than the Democrat, proposes
to start earlier in the campaign this year so that he can do more dirty
work for the Democratic managers, and therefore deserve more at their hands.
Last year he played Republican until the conventions were held, then he put
forward the Independent move [Temperance Party—CC editor], in which he, George
Waters and "Prof." Dixon were the shining lights—all prepared and
carried forward with the funds furnished from Democratic sources.
Of
course it succeeded, as intended, in a triumph for the Democracy and the free
liquor interest, but some of the Democrats were ashamed of the fraud, and did
not quite have the face to declare the tool used in this dirty work to be their organ. So this year
the Boss starts early, and comes out squarely for the Democrats.
Last
week he brought out his gag of "Judge Smith and the sand-lotters," which
he had copyrighted as his own exclusive invention about four years ago, and has
run off in various editions and revised editions since then, until like Jones'
"We print for pay," it is considered as a part of the paper, which, like
the heading and "The largest circulation," etc., fills up space but means
nothing. Its untruthful, backbiting and malicious nature was long since
discovered, and like the snake whose fangs have been drawn, it is repulsive but
harmless.
Then
in the same issue we find a vindictive assault upon Mr. Mantanye, the
Republican State Committeeman for this District—not because of any thing Mr.
Mantanye has said or done that could be offensive to the Democratic editor, but
because Mr. Mantanye is a Republican and a member of the committee, and an
opportunity is thus found to whip and slander the party over his shoulders.
The
text for this attack is an extract purporting to be taken from the New York World
(Democrat) in which Mr. Mantanye is made to say to an interviewer in
substance that the Half-Breeds do not amount to much in this county;
that the chairman of their county committee has been indicted, and their
candidate for Member of Assembly has run away, etc. Then the Boss charges Mr. Mantanye
with voting for Tilden, being a Bourbon, etc. We have examined the Republican
papers of New York, and some Democratic sheets — the Times, Tribune,
Mail and Express, Herald, and Sun which claimed to publish
the views given by the different committeemen, including Mr. Mantanye, at the
time stated, and none of them mention any such statements as the Standard quotes.
Perhaps the Standard Boss wrote up this particular interview to suit his
own purposes and sent it down to the World for publication. That is said
to be a common trick of this "Reformer." Of course a Republican
editor would not furnish political attacks on Republicans to the World nor
would he copy them, but it is not out of the line of the Standard Boss.
Of
all the reports of the views expressed by the committeeman from this District
published in the papers, other than this questionable statement of the Standard's,
the one which comes the nearest to that is one which reports Mr. Mantanye
as saying in substance that in his vicinity there is little of the old
factional feeling between Stalwarts and Half-Breeds, and the Republicans seem
to be inclined to work together. We think this is true.
A
little analysis of the Standard attack shows its falsity and
maliciousness.
That
Mr. Mantanye should speak slightingly of those Republicans who were called
Half-Breeds, or attempt to identify them with the "Independent" leaders
is nonsense, for the reason that Mr. Mantanye has always been known as one of those Republicans who were called
Half-Breeds, while the "leaders" of the Independents were the
men who during the Hayes and Garfield administrations were denouncing those
administrations and sounding Mr. Conkling's praises, and their own, as "Stalwarts."
This
same Standard Boss ran column after column of his sulphurous editorial
bosh to denounce the blunders and civil-service reform of Hayes, to the disgust
of all true Republicans. That is where the war commenced and it has been carried
so far that the Standard Ring of extreme Stalwarts has landed itself in
the Democratic ranks with Dorsey and others who cared more for plunder than for
principle.
The
old gag, that Mr. Mantanye voted for Tilden and for Greeley, is an infringement
on Jones’ copyright [B. B. Jones, editor of the Cortland Democrat—CC editor]. It comes with so poor a grace from
the editor of the Democrat or from the Standard Boss who has
supported the Democratic ticket and party for several years as to require no
comment.
The Supreme Court Judgeship.
The Democratic
papers of this county —the Democrat sad Standard, and more particularly
the latter—have had much to say about the additional Supreme Court Judge to be
elected in this Judicial District this fall, and these papers have mentioned
the name of M. M. Waters, Esq., of this village, as a candidate. The Standard
of last week has a long article mainly in favor of Hon. H. Boardman Smith,
of Elmira, and partly in favor of Mr. Waters, and finally suggests that the
delegate from this county to the Republican Convention should be first
for Mr. Waters and then for Mr. Smith, of Elmira. In other words, a delegate
for Mr. Smith is to be procured in Mr. Waters' name.
Now,
there are several candidates for the Republican nomination for this important office—Hon.
E. M. Harris, of Otsego, Hon. C. A. Clark, of Owego, Hon. H. B. Smith, of
Elmira, and, as mentioned, Mr. Waters. As a Republican newspaper THE NEWS has
refrained from discussing the matter, deeming it more, proper to let the
convention make its nomination. Although the candidacy of Mr. Smith, of Elmira,
has been advanced by much newspaper flourish, of petitions signed by Judges Finch
and Boardman, of Ithaca, and other methods which have excited criticism, and
this uncovering by the Standard Ring of the plan for capturing the delegate
from this county for him shows still more impropriety, yet these matters should
not all be laid at his door. He is a man of ability and will make a good Judge.
We can also say the same of the other candidates. It seems to us that the
fitness of a candidate for the office to which he is nominated should be considered
more than where he lives.
As to
the insinuation that if Mr. Smith is not nominated, the Republicans of Elmira will
join the Democrats in supporting Mr. McGuire, and thus defeat the Republican
candidate, it is characteristic of the Standard man, but unworthy of the
consideration of Republicans. There being no candidate from this county except
Mr. Waters, if he is presented at all, he should receive earnest and undivided
support. The article in question which merely assents to the presentment of Mr.
Waters' name, and at the same time makes a lengthy argument for another man, is
a treacherous thrust and not the work of a friend.
When
the Boss in his dictatorial way announces that the bar and people of this
county are in favor of the Elmira candidate, and will support him after Mr.
Waters, he is assuming too much and is really trying to defeat the claims of
Cortland county, as usual, in an indirect way.
“Pledged.”
It is
a singular feature of this judgeship matter, that Judges Boardman and Finch, of Ithaca, in the form of a "PETITION"
to a judicial convention, not yet called, and to which delegates have not as yet
been appointed in nine of the ten counties constituting this judicial district,
have pledged themselves to support H. Boardman Smith, of Chemung county; and, not
only have pledged themselves, but have used the influence which their high
position gives them to induce younger lawyers of the Tompkins county Bar, who
are not favorable to Mr. Smith, to tie themselves up to his support by signing
this petition. We learn, also, that one of these gentlemen goes still further,
stating to an influential citizen that the selection of a candidate belongs not
to the people but to the Bar, politely requesting him to keep his hands off
what did not concern him.
Yet
it was the people, who, a few years ago, decided the important question, "Shall judges be ELECTIVE or APPOINTIVE?"
They decided this, and decided it correctly; but in Tompkins county, under the
ruling of men, high in judicial position, it is affirmed that the duty of
selecting a candidate belongs to the Bar. It is well known that a son of
Chemung's candidate has spent several days in Tompkins county stacking the
cards against the other counties of the district, and that this petition is the
offspring of the brain of the most adroit wire-pullers of Elmira and Ithaca.
Those who have adopted this plan probably felt convinced that the men they have
to deal with are slippery, and that nothing else but their sign-manual will
hold them. In this, perhaps, they know their men best, though that knowledge
does not reflect much glory on the Bar of either Tompkins or Chemung.
Will
Judges Murray, Follett and Martin assume to influence the Bar of their
respective counties in the same way as is done by Messrs. Boardman and Finch in
Tompkins county? Doubtless one of Chemung's missionaries will soon be along
with his "PETITION" drawn up and ready for the Judge to head it. If
Judges Martin, Follett and Murray can be used by Chemung to do such work, they
will each carry round the petition, and if any weakling refuses to sign under
the absurd plea that he prefers another man, a judicial frown will soon convince
him that his bread and butter are in danger. But we have no idea that Judges
Martin, Follett and Murray will stoop to such work.
This
"PETITION" business is a new wrinkle, inaugurated by Judges Boardman and
Finch for a special exigency. It would enable the judges of the Sixth Judicial
District, if successful, to decide who shall be their associate on the bench.
The people have nothing to say—the Bar everything—and they are controlled by
the present incumbents of the bench of the district! Is there any relationship
between H. Boardman Smith and Judge Boardman which may give this affinity the
tinge of nepotism?
It is
said when a certain prominent lawyer of Chemung county was applied to to sign
this "PETITION" in favor of H. Boardman Smith on the plea that it
would be so much more convenient to have a judge in the county than to have to
run off to Owego, the gentleman gravely replied, that the distance between him
and Judge Smith was much greater than between Elmira and Owego.—Owego Times,
Aug. 23.
ANTI-JEWISH RIOTS OF 1883.
Hungarian Peasants Still in Arms--Details of the Riots
in Russia.
Violent
riots, lasting three days, have occurred at Egerszeg, Hungary. Two thousand peasants
took part in the outbreak. They wrecked all the houses and shops of Jews in the
place, and shouted, "Murder all Jews!” Troops were called out, but were
unable to suppress the violence of the mob until they were reinforced. The
rioters also released a number of prisoners. The peasants were armed with muskets
and stoutly resisted the troops. It is reported that twenty soldiers and many
rioters were killed A force of infantry and cavalry was ordered to proceed to Egerszeg
from Buda-Pesth.
Riots
against the Jews have also occurred at Churgo, Keszthely and Kanisa Nagy (Great Kanisa). At the last-named place troops
had to be called out to suppress the disturbance.
Advices
from Ekaterinoslav, Russia, the scene of the recent riots against the Jews, say
that 346 houses were wrecked and plundered during the progress of the riot, and
that the losses sustained by Jews are estimated at 611,000 rubles. Fourteen of
the Russians who were wounded by the troops in quelling the outbreak have since
died, making the total number of persons killed twenty-eight.
A St.
Petersburg dispatch says that numerous cases of Jew-baiting are reported at places
elsewhere than Ekaterinoslav, but the police and troops are acting with energy,
and have in most instances promptly suppressed any attempts at outrages against
the Jews. At Berchadi, however, eighty houses of Jews have been burned, and
their former inmates are without shelter and suffering great privations.
Half-Breeds and Stalwarts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Breed_(politics)
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