onroe, 226; Joshua M. Van Cott, Kings, 99; George Parsons,
Westchester, 79. The Prohibition State convention, which assembled at
Albany on April 24, had nominated Van Cott.]

Meanwhile the Democratic State convention which assembled at Syracuse
on September 25 became more violent and boisterous than its
predecessor. Confident of defeat unless Tammany participated in the
preliminary organisation, John Kelly, through his control of the State
Committee, secured Albert P. Laning of Erie for temporary chairman.
Laning ruled that the roll of delegates as made up by the State
committee should be called except those from New York and Kings, and
as to these he reserved his decision. In obedience thereto the vote of
uncontested delegations stood 132 to 154 in favour of Tilden and
Robinson, whereas the admission of Tammany and Kings would make it 181
to 195 in favour of Kelly. Would the chair include these contested
delegations in the roll-call? To admit one side and exclude the other
before the settlement of a contest was a monstrous proposition. The
history of conventions did not furnish a supporting precedent.
Nevertheless, Laning, wishing to succeed Dorsheimer as lieutenant-governor
in 1879 and relying upon Tammany to nominate and elect him, had
evidenced a disposition to rule in the Boss's favour, and when, at
last, he did so, the angry convention sprang to its feet. For three
hours it acted like wild men.[1609] Under a demand for the previous
question Laning refused to recognise the Tilden delegates, and the
latter's tumult drowned the voice of the chair. Finally, physical
exhaustion having restored quiet, Kings County declined to vote and
Tammany was added without being called. This left the result 154 to
195 in favour of John Kelly. An hour later Laning, hissed and
lampooned, left the convention unthanked and unhonoured.

[Footnote 1609: "The Democratic convention at Syracuse was perhaps the
noisiest, most rowdy, ill-natured, and riotous body of men which ever
represented the ruling party of a great Commonwealth."--The _Nation_,
October 3.]

But having gotten into the convention Tammany found it had not gotten
into power. The Tilden forces endorsed Robinson's administration,
refused to dicker with Greenbackers, whom Kelly was suspected of
favouring, and assuaged their passion by nominating George B. Bradley
of Steuben for the Court of Appeals. While Tammany was looking for
votes to get in on, it bargained with St. Lawre