Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-03


REAL POLITICAL KINGS.
sketche. Of Mon Of Unquestioned suprem-
acy and UnbOunded Power.
THOSE WHO ARE KNOWN BY THEIR NICK
NAMES AND HOW THESE WERE ACQUIRED
HOW THEY MAINTAIN THEIR HOLD UPON THEIR
suBJEcTs-THEIRP PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS.
There are hundreds Of political leaders in
the city whose prominence makes them central
figures In the lobby Of an uptown hotel there
stood group Of men last evening whose strik-
ing personal characteristics and great political
power entitle them to special notice.
They are men who control votes, in fact own
votes. They can say 81 will deliver to you
1000 to 5000 votes or 81 will take away from
you this number Of votes" They are politi-
clans. Politics is their business. They manipu-
late votes as the Wall street man manipulates
stocks and deal in them as the merchant deals
in any commodity. It seems strange that one
man can thus hold in the hollow Of his hand
the SURFACES Of 30 many men. 1t would ap-
pear that their constituents do not think for
| themselves. This is to a certain extent true.
These men do the 'thinkin' :" for them.
THE KING OF CoNEY ISLAND.
The most unique figure in American politics
| today, as well one of the most powerful
individual members of the democratic party, is
John Y. McKane. He is forty-seven years Of
| age, Of middle stature, athletic build, blonde
mustache an6 ford complexion. He dresses
| neatly and in good style, always wearing white
necktie He is called the liking of Coney
| Island" and no monarch in Europe has more
| absolute sway over his subjects than he has
| He is Methodist, takes IN interest in church
| work and teaches Q Sunday school class.
Up to nine years ago he was a democrat Boss
Mclaughlin put in nomination an assembly,
| man who was not acceptable to Mr.. McKane,
who informed the boss that unless the nomna-
| ton was withdrawn he would 90 over to the re-
publican party and take his followers with him.
| He was laughed at. He went over and SO did
$500 voters in the Grsvesend district Of Long
| Island He marched in the Harrison inaugural,
| for he was then . republican. Tomorrow he
| marches in the democratic ranks, for he is now
| . democrat.
1t was necessary to bring McKane back into
the fold Of the democracy But he made his
own terms, which were that he was to be REIN
stated in full favor, president of the board of
supervisors of King county. member Of the
King county central committee. . member OF
the state central committee and state elector.
| His army Of subjects cast an overwhelming
vote for Cleveland. But there was q deal on,
and though the democratic electoral ticket
received McKane's full strength. it was cast
solid for the local republican ticket.
| Numerous efforts have been made to break
this mans tremendous power and to disnte-
| crate this solid voting mass that obeys blindly
his dictates, but all have failed. The legislature
once gerrymandered, a. it were. the election
precincts OF his district by placing the polling
places 20 far apart that he could not visit them
all in the day. John put a booth for each vot-
1 = II T. Kill IL
| he wanted them, and his action was sustained
by the courts.
He 10 the chief of police Of Coney Island.
He handles the zoe, 900 people who come down
| there daily with the ease that all Washington
handles that number Of inaugural visitors. He
II genial in his manner, is doing fsvors for peo-
pie day and night, owns nearly all Coney Island
| and IL Q builder.
SILVER DOLLAR" SMITH.
'silver Dollar" Smiths name is not Smith
He is Hebrew. as his features indicate. He ID
. large man, with a corporation as big al
Jimmy" divers, with black hair and mus.
tache and prominent nose. Why he dropped
his true name 10 variously accounted for, but
probably because for political reasons plain
ordinary Smith would be better. He is Q saloon
keeper In the eighth assembly district on ESSEX
street. The floor Of his saloon is inlaid with
silver dollars, hence his sobriquet. Smith is an
out and out politician. He is not in politics for
fun; he doesn't lie awake at night from patriot
ism. He was once . republican, was for years
. follower Of tho talented and astute politician
]. j. O'Brien. Smith and Barney Rourke
were O'Brien's trusted first neutenants. They
changed the democratic eighth district, which
had been democratic for years, into Q repubi-
can district.
Then O'Brien died. The brains Of the trio
being gone the other two wanted to be on the
winning side. With scrobatic agility the eighth
was once more mstamorphosed into a demo
cratic stronghold, and Smith IL now one Of the
leading lights in Iammany Hall
"DRY DOLLAR" SULLIVAN.
"Dry Dollar" Timothy Sullivan is another Of
the leading characters Of Tammany Hall. he
IL a young Irishman, six feet in height, never
drank or smoked and has vein Of Irish wit
that 10 all but matchless. He Is an assembly.
man and has exercised more influence in that
body than any other man.
He was Q newsboy. He never received any
education and has and now is educating him
self, for he h intellectually very bright HI
owned six saloons In that quarter Of the city de-
nominated 1.-THE slums" by the residents o,
9Th avenue. He has sold al his saloons. Il
studying law and vii make undoubtedly good
lawyer.
Ors rainy day when little Tim was foldins
his newspapers on the curbstone Of Park Row
gentleman tossed him . dollar bill in payment
for the paper. The bill fell in the gutter and
In minute was ooturAtoo- Inc gentleman told
the little fellow that he might keep the bill q q
present Little Tin, in thanking him, said tina
: b would take The dollar bill home to his mother
, and dry 1t. since then he has been called "Dry
, Dollar" Tim. He 10 . Tammany district leader
--' JUSTICE DIvvxR.
II Justice Patrick Diver b another Tammnn,
leader Who balls from the Chatham and Cenn,
streets distxicts He formerly kept saloon o,
Chatham street, . stouss throw from City Hall
. bat upon bis appointment - police justice b.
. Mayor Grant he sold out
Divver b = seif-made man. He Vas once I
tanner and . barkeeper and then saloon pro
priet0f. He b . handsome man Of gentlemanl,
, asinaAnor, v9y diguiAsd and has considerable
sbility. His district Il the banner demoerati.
fdistEist q tie caty, being awarded the Tam
many banner, and he will be accorded the righ
Of Linz In tAs parads tomorrow Of the Tamman,
forces IA eeasequsnca. Mulberry Bend' ani
ths "Five Point" The very hssrt Of ths slum
DO You BELIEVE In Annaxatsonf
-Ths Moaroe doctrine 10 one thine, hut another
Tie doetxine Of regular moken thai there h no Gig
arctic Ike the Old Dominion. Photograph In eacl
package.