Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-03
7 A M MANY HALL
Upon What It Builds It's Hope of
Success.
NOT ENTIRELY ON THELIQUOR INTEREST
Many Small Merchants Put to
Inconvenience.
CROKER AND SHEEHAN

A well-known member of Tammany Hall,
once in office, and who will participate in
this falls campaign in New York city,
said to a representative of The Star today:
Tammnny's Hope of Success.
There is a misapprehension down here
respecting the New York situation as it
affects Tamrany Hall. Tammany's hope
of success next month does not rest en-
tirely upon the liquor interests. The liquor
interests will help Tammany, but alone
they could not restore Tammany to power.
The excise question is simply one of many
questions involved. One hears more about
it than about the others, but the others,
while apparently unimportant in compari-
son with that, are yet of a nature to prom
Use Tammany substantial returns at the
polls. I'll give you a sample: A practice
had grown up permitting small stores using
delivery wagons to leave their wagons
drawn up close to the curb over night. In
many cases it was great convenien ce
The owners had simply to send their horses
to the stable for the night, and they We're
thus enabled to load the wagons for the
first delivery in the morning while The
horses were at breakfast No harm. was
done TO anybody. The streets We're not
obstructed.
Changed by the RcfOrmers.
They refused the small merchants this con-
venience, ordered the wagons off the streets
at night and put the owners to a good deal
Of expense. Now this will be heard from on
election day. When you consider the large
numbe: of small merchants in New York,
and the rumher of men they employ, and
count them all for Tammany this time, as
III my judgment they may be counted. you
get suggestion of the reason why Tam
many expects to win this fight. l give this
merely as a sample. 1t strikes an outsider
as small matter, but it is large enough to
serve as an illustration. 1t shows that the
refolmerS, upon taking charge, assumed
that everything that Tammany had or
dered. or even permitted TO be done, was
wrong and must be changed Herein they
erred. l am not myself willing to defend
the whole record made under Tammany.
There were some very grave abuses, and
they were properly exposed and corrected
But Tammany in many things gave the
people of the town good government, as the
people within the past year have discovered,
and when they are assured, as they will be.
that the return of Tammany to power will
mean a revival of all the good things with
out the bad things the majority will re-
verse the judgment of last November"
At Tnmmany's Helm.
"Who is at the helm in the Hall now?'
THAT question cannot be answered by
giving any one mans name. JOHN Sheehan.
the finance committee. and that has been
construed i'll some quarters to mean that
lie is Richard Croker's successor. with the
full authority that Mr. Croker once exer-
cised. 1t is a mistaken conclusion. Mr.
Sheehan may in time come to be the di-
recting head of Tammany Hail. but that
time has not arrived"
What is Mr.. Croker's position?"
MIR. Crokcr's Position.
That also is bard to answer. When 1
am asked if Mr.. Croker is out of politics
1 answer yes and no. He is cut of politics
to the extent that he has relieved himself
of the burdens he once bore as the recog-
nized and responsible leader of Tammany
Hall. He meditated the step a long time
before he took 1t. He was sincere in his
desire to get out of the place. The work
is almost killing. Mr.. Croker was a robust
man and developed marked adaptab for
the duties of leadership, but even he broke
down. Leadership. however, is one thing.
Interest in politics is another. l imagine
that long as Mr.. Croker lives he will
continue to take lively interest in poll
tics, and particularly in the fortunes of
Tammany Hail. And, naturally. Tammany
will continue to take a lively interest in
him and be glad always to have his coun-
sci. In that sense Mr.. Croker is still most
decidedly in politics"