Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-21
NEW YORK AFFAIRS.
NEWS FROM THE BIG METROPOLIS
BY COLONEL JOHN L. COCKERiLL.
Hilrs Candidacy for the Presidency
Something About the Hotels and Their
bad OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Scheme.

Il. Hills open and direct candidacy Tor the
presidency OF the United States has re-
suited in stirring New York politics to the
very dregs. 1t IL something of a curiosity
to see man diligently working to secure
the presidential prize through the same
methods that are employed to shape ward
caucuses aud to secure district leadershlps.
Senator Hill does not SIT back IN calm
dignity waiting to be invited TO the presi-
dency, but he goes out IA i seeks IL ana IL
not at all ashamed OF MS action. tie began
five wears ago to build up a political ma
chime In this State. He has not ceased
from that labor for one hour, and as re-
suit he has to-day the most perfect ma
chine-like organization OF any man in the
country. When his state committee
called convention for the 22d OF februa-
~ to nominate delegates 10 the Democrat
&c National Convention "a wild howl went
up from the element of the Democratic
marty attached TO the political fortunes OF
Grover Cleveland The early date set Tor
the convention surprised them. ana they
denounced 1t as an unprecedented pieceot
political chicanery. They went INTO the
with their wailings and they
have held great mass-meetlng AT
Cooper Union TO denounce Hill and
his cohorts. OF course. all this has
no effect on the Hill programme. and. III
nv Judgment, IT would not make parti-
Gle OF difference whether the state con-
yention be held this month or the last
week IN MAY. The weather and season
viii not Affect the result. Mr.. Cleveland
has at no time since 1888 had a chance OF
securing delegation from this state, iot
the simple reason that he has no power
and no machinery. Mr.. Hills campaign,
as Manned. is to secure New York-Cleye-
lands own stronghold-and then proceed
TO gather in such other States as NAV De
controlled or influenced by the fact that
he has the Empire State behind HIM. VI
course the outcry of the so-called Demo
cratic Mugwumps will iniure HIM IN the
West and South. where he ls weakest, ana
that is what l suppose the protest mere
means. By branding Hill as a trickster
and peanut.polItlciant they excite preludlce,
but they probably, Will not heIP the cause
of Mr.. Cleveland much. The average
Democratic politician IN this part OF the
country is not a broad-minded or enllght-
ened man. as a rule. but | hnd that the
majority of them believe Hills nomination
TO he a fixed fact. Thus brings him many
adhesions, and 1t may be pretty safely SAID
hat if he cannot secure the nomination
for himself at Chicago he will come very
near nominating the man-and that man,
1t is more than safe TO say, Will not be
Grover Cleveland.
OUR oFF-coLoR HOTELS.
That Hotel Royal fire of last week still
leaves IT. terrible impress upon the city.
D., he usual sense of horror has been aroused,
but the probabilities are that not single
thing will be done to prevent recurrence
of that shameful holocaust. The Hotel
ROYAL was one of q score or more OF hotels
in this city which III their affairs skirt
along the border of respectability,. but
which are at the same time conducted III
most Infamous way. Originally corner
cheap hotel, it kept adding to its area
by annexing adjoining buildings, and as
a result was a badly-constructed, badly
ventilated, and badly-superylsed lnstitu-
ton. Its rooms were small and greed
showed in every aspect OF the place. While
a number Of respectable people and at
least dozen respectable families made q
home in the hotel 1t was really house of
entertainment for questionable casuals.
No questions were asked SO long as names
of men and women were registered
at the office. and no baggage was required.
1t has been stated that while 100 rooms III
the building were occupied on the night
of the burning, there were only four trunks
n the baggage-room, The place was
not much frequented by Illicit couples
in this city, but was meeting place tor
people from the neighboring cities and
towns, The character OF the house was
well known TO all the men about town,
but yet its semi-respectabllity and Its ex-
cellent cafe, together with ITS charming
location, alongside BRYANT Park, gave 1t a
certain popularity which enabled the pro-
prietor to make ut least 100000 per year
after paving his avaricious landlord, Mr..
TAn
view of the tinderbox character of
the building, its wretched elevator
shaft. its dark corridors, its paltry
rooms, and its general lack OF
fire-escapes. it IL wonder that on
that fatal night only seventeen people per-
ished out of a total of at least $50. While
we have here in New York an alleged sys-
TEN of building inspection. 1t Is pretty
generally believed that there Is practically
no inspection at all. There Is deep
seated belief that the man who is willing
10 pay little money III the shape OF an
official subsidy can erect and maintain any
sort of building which does not excite
public hostility. The fact was brought
out the other day that at least twenty
hotels were not complying WITH the
law in providing fire escapes in leach
room. Outside of the new hotels
which have been put up during the last
few wears and those now in process of
building, there is not hotel here that can
be SAID to approach in any degree "a condi-
ton OF fireproofness. The elevator shafts
III most of them are small wooden chin,
neys, and a man on tho top floor would
have no earthly chance of salvation In the
event Of basement fire. The Hotel Royal
fire. am told, injured the hotel business
considerably. Iu the old establishments
people do not care to mount above the
second story. But in month from now,
unless we have new horror, this catas-
trophe will be forgotten and people will be
found contentedly snoring IN the tops OF
wooden hotels as before. Perhaps 1t 10
we'll that we forget easily.
BUFFALO BILLS BIO SCHEME.
That remarkable citizen of the world,
Colonel William +. Cody, turned up here
the other day, fresh from Europe, tall,
erect, long-haired, and graceful, his splen-
aid outdoor life showing IN every feature
of face and form, despite his handicap or
Sc years. When | saw Cody twenty-five
years ago, knocking about the country
with wretched border play, which he
presented in theatres, he was as hand
some man as could be found in ten
States. But there was IL good deal OF
the uncouthnesS of the frontier about
MN, despite MS c0iShlIlC
he is O polished traveller and gentleman.
His association with the dignitaries and
better class aristocrats of the old country
has broadened his mind and given him a
social bearing, which makes him most dis
tinguished indeed. The Colonel, it is
said, has made a half-million of dollars
during his latest stay IN Europe, and his
business here now is to make arrange
ments for exhibiting his Wild World y
show at the Worlds Exhibition IN Chicago.
Instead of combining himself to cow
boys and Indians. he proposes to gather
in one combination all the fearless,
rough riders of the earth, from the
Cossack OF the Don TO the wild galloper
of Tartary, and from the English fox
hunter to the fierce Arab of the desert.
he proposes to build on the Exhibition
grounds in Chicago a reproduction of the
Roman Coliseum. That which chiefly
interests him now is the question of Sun
day observance in connection with the
Columbian Exhibition. The proposition
10 close the show on Sundays does not
please Bison William. He says that
Chicago's theatres are open on Sun
day nights, and there is no reason
why he should not be permitted to give a
Sunday afternoon exhibition. As this will
probably be his best day he looks to it to
help cut the edge off his enormous ex-
penses. If he cannot open on Sunday tho
probabilities arc that he will reduce the