Telegram-herald., 1890-03-10
WHO'LL BE THE BOSS?
Tns Great Tzmmany Organization
Without q Leader.
Glarss. rarFe~ ssa boUFks cosAFss
- kfsxls for CToksrs sAss&
Average kSixs sf
Political B0sS

eeYxHfozr ls9o.
nuay sesn strange that New York.
.s nursery Of the bosses, shoalan { &c
= healthy place Tor them. alter all Ons
by one. thew bloom And fade, they pass
o1t u sight after they aAve had their
little day TIE moment = politician
risss 20 The dignity 0f ooss-ship =
blight seeBas 10 settle down upon him.
He IS regarded sskanoe by friend and
fee alike, he hnds detr4ctoFs every
where, every shzdsw csnce.ls lsFk-
ing political TOE. HIS psNeE = 10 him
What the boarded geld IS ~ tie mlser-
. thiRg thar demands his "hole
energies and vigilance 70 keep II from
being stolen away. Aot voter walks
along the street Who Is not hls master,
not heeler who cannot demand as
right the moss outrageous consiaera-
tiOn. Yet so long a. your boss steers
clear Of Office holding he is compare
lively safe, Tor it IS one thing 70 pull
the wires unseen ana quite another 10
stand In the open and do the pulling.
When Richard Croker sailed away 70
Europe IammaRy Hall lost its
fourth boss in twenty years. Croker's
tenure was the brlefest OF all Clancy.
Tweed and Kelly all exercised dicta-
torial powers longer than the youngest
Of the Bosses All four have declared
that their ksenest suiterings were in
ficted by the ingratitudo OF those whom
they had helped from obscuriIy TO
prominence. Ii was ingratituds. many
said. that broke kelly's heart; the
same cause. they now assert has made
Croker throw politics 10 the winds and
seek rest and recuperation abroad.
There is very general impression that
ne will never again WELD the gayel IN
the councils OF Tammany.
Ii is an open secret among the poll
ticians that there is an inner history
to the resignation by MIR. Croker Of the
snug but useless Office OF Cham bcrlaln.
with its tempting salary Of S25, 900.
When by its victory at the last munich
pal election Tammany, like the children
of Israel, entered into possession of
the promised land, including the bulk
of the city Offices and the vast patron
age of forty odd millions, the battle
royal over the spoils began in good
earnest One by one the departments
were subjected TO the cleaningou pro-
cess, the incumbents being replaced by
sons OF the Wigwam. But the fattest
places were held in reserve. When the
Public Works-long the perq quisite of a
brilliant young boss who died ola broken
heart and overlooking ombined-was
captured few months ago, the braves
swarmed into the Offices with the
ayiditY of men who had been long in
the political wilderness and were fam
ishing for the change. Thomas Gilroy,
a Tammanyite of the old sc hool, was
made Commissioner. Next the Police
Board was Tammanyized, as far as
could be done without injuring friendly
relations with political allies. Then
came the Board OF Police Justices. and
this was a rock upon which Croker
made shipwreck of his plans and ambi-
tions. Justice Patterson, a Republican,
was a the end of his term, and it lay
with Mayor Grant to nominate his sue
cesSor. The inner circles of politicians
say that NJ. Croker had already pledged
the position to a man selected by a
Republican leader, and that this
pledge as we'll as others of a similar
character, the Mayor refused to recog-
nize. Unable to redeem his word, and
sick at heart as we'll as in body. Croker
resigned. His deprivation OF absolute
power was the end OF his rule in Tam
many.
Richard Croker has been little over
~, Io in
early in the seventies, and being we'll
built and likely yOungster, was favor
ite with John Kelly, who made the lad
his special protege. He was especially
useful at primaries. and, being a man
of action, and handy with his fists, was
quickly advanced. At the greatest
crisis of his life. when a dark charge
hung over him, Kelly stood his friend.
good deal Of the sunshine went out
OF Dick Croker's life then, and never
came back again. He kept in the back
ground and learned his political lesson
we'll. A poor speaker. singularly Y
simple in manner, but intensely loyal,
he was always an adviser in political
councils, and came in contact with
such men as Augustus Schell.
Edward Kearney and Jordan l.. Mott,
the three millionaire supporters of the
Wigwam. Kelly, who never spoke OF
him except as young Dick Croker, -
pushed him along. and he filed the
Offices of coroner and fire commi sioner.
/ When the big chief died and the lead
ership went a-begging, young Dick"
was the Qgintus Curtius who leaped
into the gap. he brought to tho con
troll of the Wigwam all Of Kelly's re-
sources without any OF his blunGers.
As years passed, he grew more snd
more the counterpart of his familiar
predecessor dark visaged, stubby
bearded, stern and reticent Step by
step he trod in Kellys path. He began
TO make mayors, senators. assembly
men and even congressman Applics-
tions for Office poured in upon him like
food. Men pointed at other men and
declared that they had teen made By
Croker" He represented tho old-line
WigWam politics, Mayor Grant the
new The latter has drawn a broad
line against diotstion in his princips
appointments, which Croker could not
fail to understand. When the Boss.
seeing nothing left bat the shadow oi
/ his supremacy. drew out OF the fight
and left for Europe. his vacant Office
vas filed almost before bis chair as
cold by the Mayors own appointse
MI - ~ n