The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-11-13
GROVER AND DAVID.
Why They Shock Hands and Made
Friends.
Richard Croker the Powder Behind the
Throne.

Throne.
New YORK Nov. 7.-[Special Cor
respondence. when Grover Cleve-
la d and Gov. Hill shook hands and
spoke from the same platform at the
! Cooper Union mass meeting and
again at Madison Square garden in
the exciting campaign just ended,
Democrats all over the country ap-
plauded and declared that harmony
reigned once more in New YORK.
Some of them said that Cleveland de-
served all the credit, others that 1T
was the political wisdom OF Gov. Hill
that made these friendly meetings of
the two great leaders possible. Both
conclusions were wrong.
Behind the scenes there was mas
ter hand and master mind. A man
as silent as ii statue, SO far as public
utterance was concerned, shaped
every important political event in the
Democratic party during the past
campaign.
| That man was Richard Cr ,ker,
the Tammany chieftain. Moving IN
his own peculiar way he brought
Cleveland and Hill, the kings, to-
gether on the political chess board.
a strange, silent man, with Will
| of iron and nerves of steel, is the sue
| cessor of John Kelly i'll the leader
ship of the most powerful political
organization in the United States.
He can number his confidential
friends on the fingers of one hand.
| He is u past master in the art OF
silence Wnere silence is golden. AL
| |, ged interviews with him on pol1tl-
cal subjects are always manufactured.
He never gives an interview for pub
| iicatiOn on political issues. The men
to whom he confides his plans and
intentions never betray his conh-
dence. He has been called an igno-
rant man by his enemies, but when
he speaks there is political wisdom In
| his words.
During the past campaign 1 called
OH Mr.. Croker at his home to ask him
what Tam many would probably do
in reference to Il certain political
matter of general interest. / went IA
the representative of a newspaper
supposed to be the organ of Tammany
Han. Mr.. Croker was exceedingly
courteous and talked freely on general
| topics. When L asked him the ques-
| tion that was the purpose of my visit,
he was silent for a moment and theu
he answered slowly: "a good Gener-
al never makes public his plal of bat
tie. Success. often depends on his
keeping from the enemy all knowl-
edge of his intentions"
That was his answer to my question
and what a volume of Political wis
dom, it contained. Those words de-
scribe fully Mr.. Croker's political
methods. The enemy never know
his intentions. At first glance Mr..
Croker impresses one as being man
! of ordinary appearance, without any
Distinguishing marks OF character.
But study of the massive jaws,
rah ast-
| less eyes that seem always on the
alert, reveals the character of the
man and the leader. Every line OF
the stern face, when closely studied,
reveals will that can brook no OPP
position. In the deep set, black eyes,
| that are never still, the firm lips, the
square laws, even i'll the well-knit
frame and broad hands of the man
| there is all evidence Of reserve force
which will impress the close observer.
Mr. Croker was machinist IN the
shops of the New York Central Rail
road before he entered politics. He
| left the machine shop to become q
ward politician. From that time to
| the present he has followed politics
| for profession. He has held several
| city offices, but only one of import
nnce was the office of Chamberlain,
which he resigned three years ago on
account of poor health.
Mr.. Croker was once arrested on a
charge OF murder and was confined
! in the Tombs until his trial. He was
| in prison with Edward 5. Stokes,
who killed Jim Fisk, and John j.
| ScannelI, who had killed the man
that murdered his brother. Stokes
| and ScannelI are now prominent
| Tammany leaders and close personal
friends of Croker. ScanneH ana
Croker were both acqitted of The
charge of murder when their cases
came to trial.
Croker has made money out of poll
tics. He was poor man when he
left the machine shop and the tene-
ment. He now owns the splendid
brown-stOne house on Mt. Morris
avenue where he lives. His sum-
mers are spent at Richfield Springs
or in Europe. His home is splendid
Iy located. 1t is directly opposite Mt.
Morris Park and is surrounded by the
homes of wealth and aristocracy.
His house is furnished in excellent
taste. In the big double Parlor hang
portraits of John Kelly, Mayor Grant
and Mr.. Croker himself, all painted
by famous artists. There numerous
other costly paintings and rare pieces
of bric-a brac gathered while travel
ing in foreign countries. The hoors
lare covered with Persian rugs OF odd
designs.
The big chief, as the Tammany
braves call him, has large family
and he is devoted to his wife and chill
dren. His friends, be they rich or
poor, are always welcome at his beau
tiful home. One of the secrets of bis
political success is that he never for
gets his friends. On one occasion
while was at his house a servant
came to the parIor door and an
nOunced the name OF caller.
bring him right in" said Mr..
Croker.
A moment later an old Irishman
in the garb of workingman entered
the parlOr with slow and hesltatlng
steps.
Its work I'm wantin', Dick! Sure
lthere amt a bite TO ate in the house -
said the old man.
Mr.. Croker took card from his
pocket and wrote a few words on the
back of it. Then he handed the card
and q silver dollar 40 the old working
man. -,
"Give the card to Mr.. -, he'll
give you job"
"God bless ye, Dick, an I'll see
that all the boys vote as ye tell 'em, "
said the old man, as he turned to go:
The caro- MI. CTOheT gave JHS Olu
man was addressed to a Tammany
contractor who had a contract from
the city. 1t was the same thing as an
order and meant work for the old
man at good wages.
Such acts of kindness, bestowed
where they will do the most good,
have made Mr.. Croker the most pow
erful leader in the history of New
York politics.
The great Tammany Chief has no
downtown office. He is rarely seen
at political gatherings or head
quarters. He sometimes goes down
to the Hoffman House for a confer
ence with Chairman Murphy, of the
Democratic State Committee, Gov.
Hill, or some other distinguished
politician, but usually the politicians
90 to see him at his home.
1 The disorganiZed condition OF
Tammany Hall when Mr.. Croker
became Grand Sachem, and how he
revived and reorganized the braves
4 until they obtained absolute control
| of every department of the city and
county government is familiar to all
students of current political history.
4 But the most delicate and skillful
piece of political work he ever ac-
complished was the bringing together