ing in silence, realised that
the loss meant probable defeat, and anxious men, unwilling to take
chances, looked longingly from one leader to another. But the symbol
of peace did not appear, and Schell announced, as he led the way to
the door: "The delegation from New York will now retire from the
hall." Then cheers and hisses deadened the tramp of retreating
footsteps.

After the bolters' departure Irving Hall took the seats of Tammany,
and the convention quickly closed its work. The roll-call showed 301
votes cast, of which Robinson received 243 and Slocum 56. Little
conflict occurred in the selection of other names on the ticket, all
the candidates save the lieutenant-governor being renominated.[1655]

[Footnote 1655: The ticket presented was as follows: Governor, Lucius
Robinson, Chemung; Lieutenant-Governor, Clarkson N. Potter, New York;
Secretary of State, Allen C. Beach, Jefferson; Comptroller, Frederick
P. Olcott, New York; Treasurer, James Mackin, Dutchess;
Attorney-General, Augustus Schoonmaker, Ulster; State Engineer,
Horatio Seymour, Jr., Oneida.]

In the evening Tammany occupied Shakespeare Hall. David Dudley Field,
formerly a zealous anti-slavery Republican, and more recently Tilden's
counsel before the Electoral Commission, presided; Dorsheimer, whose
grotesque position must have appealed to his own keen sense of the
humorous, moved the nomination of John Kelly for governor; and Kelly,
in his speech of acceptance, prophesied the defeat of Governor
Robinson. This done they went out into darkness.

Throughout the campaign the staple of Republican exhortations was the
Southern question and the need of a "strong man." Even Conkling in his
one speech made no reference to State politics or State affairs. When
Cornell's election, midway in the canvass, seemed assured, Curtis
argued that his success would defeat the party in 1880, and to avoid
such a calamity he advocated "scratching the ticket."[1656] Several
well-known Republicans, adopting the suggestion, published an address,
giving reasons for their refusal to support the head and the tail of
the ticket. They cited the cause of Cornell's dismissal from the
custom-house; compared the cost of custom-house administration before
and after his separation from the service; and made unpleasant
reference to the complicity of Soule in the canal frauds, as revealed
in the eleventh report of the Canal Investigating Committee.[1657]
Immediately the signers were dub