The Portland daily press., 1893-04-03

Already Captured,
ALBANY Correspondence of the New York Tri-
bune.1
One of the severest blows which the
National Democratic Administration has
yet received in the State of New York is
the capture of ''The Albany Argus by
the anti Cleveland Democrats, as an
nounced in an Albany dispatch to the
Tribune yesterday. The news created a
sensation at the State Capital today. All
Democratic politicians recognize its sig
nifcance and the effect the change in
the management might have upon the
Cleveland Democrats of the State. The
Argus for over eighty years has been
the organ of the Democratic party at the
State Capital. 1t was founded as far
back as 1918, and it has circulation
among Democrats in every county of the
State. Moreover, for ten years past it
has been the newspaper trumpet of the
Cleveland wing of the Democratic party
in the State.
One of its present stockholders is
Daniel S. Lamont, the Secretary of War,
and another is James H. Manning, son of
Daniel Manning, Mr.. Cleveland's first
Secretary of the Treasury in his first Adj
ministration. The newspaper has been
steadfast in the support of Mr.. Cleve-
land. Even when, after Mr.. Cleveland's
defeat in 1888, David B. Hill attempted
to secure the Democratic nomination for
President, and used all his influence as
Governor of New York to crush out the
opposition of Mr.. Cleveland's friends,
1.-THE Argus" stood Loyalty by Mr.. Cleve-
land, and at some pecuniary loss to it.
self, for it was deprived of the position
of Estate paper for two years by Mr..
Hill.
'sThe Argus" has been purchased
mainly by Anthony Brady, an Albany
Democratic capitalist, who for several
years has been engaged in financial en-
terprises with Edward Murphy, Jr., of
Troy, the recently elected United States
Senator. Mr.. Brady and Mr.. Murphy
are the chief stockholders in the street
railways of Troy. 1t was for Mr.. Brady's
sake, undoubtedly, that Mr.. Murphy
used his influence as chairman Of the
Democratic State Committee to- pass
through the legislature last year the
enormously valuable franchise of the
''Huckleberry'' railway Of New York.
He is a strong anti-Cleveland Democrat,
and as such was delegate to the Demo-
cratic National Convention of 1892, and
signed the celebrated paper addressed to
the convention, declaring that Grover
Cleveland could not carry the State of
New York. Mr.. Brady shares all his
friend Senator Murphy's dislike of Presi-
dent Cleveland, and, politicians say. will
turn the guns of "The Argus" upon the
National Democratic Administration as
soon as Senator Murphy gives the signal
for battle. The purchase OF the control
of ''The Argus" by the anti-Cleveland
Democrats, it is said, is part Of a COM
prehensive plan to gain the mastery of
the newspaper organs of the Democratic
party 1t was stated here today, for
bought $4,000 of the stock of the re-
organized New York Times with this
aim.
The editor of 1.-THE Argus" is to be
William McMurtrie Speer, formerly pri-
waite secretary of Mayor Grant, and at
present Albany correspondent of the
New York Sun. Mr.. Speer is son of
ex-Congressman Milton G.. Speer, of
Pennsylvania, and a graduate Of Yale.
He has been a journalist ever since he
graduated from college, with the excep-
ton of the year when he acted as Mayor
Grants private secretary, and nearly all
this time has been connected with the
New York Sun. He Will conduct the
Argus as a supporter of the State Adj
of Governor Flower, and as
a critic of the National Administration of
President Cleveland, when, in Senator
Murphy's opinion, that administration
deserves criticism.
1t is rumored in Albany tonight that
the Cleveland Democrats may establish
organ here in opposition to
the Argus, desiring to have some sort sof
channel for the expression of their
opinions at the State Capital. If this
rumor proves true, undoubtedly the
editor of this newspaper will be Eugene
T. Chamberlain, the present editor of
the Argus. Mr.. Chamberlain has been
a strong supporter of Mr.. Cleveland in
good and bad fortune. Moreover he is
one of the ablest journalists of the
Cleveland wing of the Democratic party,
and therefore the leader of that faction
will take care of him now that he is
driven from his place owing to his
for Mr.. Cleveland.
Governor Flowers appointments to
office have been selected chiefly from the
ranks of anti Cleveland Democrats. This
purchase of Democratic newspaper prop
erty by him and his friends indicates
that they are preparing for an offensive
war on the National Democratic Admin
istration. Their purchase of the Argus
strengthens their position.