New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-09
Colgate's
CASHMERE BOUQUET
Toilet Soap.
uP GRACE'S MAN PARKER.
g,s SCHEME TO CONTROL THE POLICE
FORCE

,ov HE AND SCOTT AND THE OTHER STATE
DEMOCRACY OFFICIALS ARE FASTENING
THEIR GRIP ON MAYOR srRoNG's ADJ
mN1srRATIoN PARKER's RECORD
AS HUBERT o. THoMPsoNs
LIEUTENANT-A REVIEW OF
THE EXISTING SITUATION.
n. ell the appointments made by Mayor Strong
~. caused regret among clear-headed
,-.,s than those of Francis NJ. Scott as Corpora
49,, counsel and Andrew D. Parker as Police
r.rissioner This was not on account OF their
u,,cs They were both Democrats. but under a
~ ,or,san administration Democratic appoint
-s,ts were expected There are Democrats and
n.uocrats however. These gentlemen call them
,r.s representatives of the State Democracy.
rh.v are: and the State Democracy, with the ex-
,;on Of few eminent. high minded gentlemen
- hovs given tone and strength to it, Is about as
ornl.t. an aggregation Of political sportsmen as
49, .ver nourshed Manhattan Island 1t is
." I'M for the most part of men who have either
49,, licked out Of Tamnany Hall or kept out Of
49,, organization for good and sufficient reasons.
rha basis of Il is OF twofold character One part
and a very small part. too-represents an honest
a,gn,6ed protest against the frghful depravity of
-oks-s followers: the other-and by far the greater
is nothing more nor less than the old Grace gang
dokering with Tammany Hall for the last fifteen
years. ~
William r. Grace Is supposed to be out OF politics
That suppositon has been current ever since he
rs,red from the Mayoralty. He has cultivated 1t
industriously No outside the kindergartens
however has ever held 1t seriously no one who
nrofessed to know anything about him and his
methods ever dreamed of accepting IT, and his
annual resignation from the iotsam and jetsam OF
the County Democracy has always been considered
as one Of the refreshing incidents OF local politics
Every one knew that attached 10 his resignation
was a cable big as those which support the
Brooklyn Bridge. Mr. Grace could not retire from
politics II be would; he wouldn't II he could he
wouldn't. because he enjoys the excitement OF IT,
He is a born politician and one Of the ablest that
The Democratic party Of this county has produced
He is not only cold. calculating and resourceful
hut when the occasion requires II, he can display
Dantonic audacity.
FOUR YEARS AGO.
This rhase Of his character we'll Illustrated
four years ago when he entered the lists against
uil and Croker Hill had the Democratic ma
chine in his pocket. and Croker was back OF him.
The Democratic State delegation was Unanimously
in favor Of Hills nomination for the Presidency
Everything seemed settled. so far as New-iork
stat. was concerned. Everything was settled
until William R. Grace stepped forward and opened
the fight that resulted in the Anti-Snapper ConVen-
witnessed in the Empire State. William c. Whitney
has received the lions share of the credit for this
but every man familiar with the internal workings
OF that movement knows that the practical force'
the dynamic energy. the untiring perseverance, oe
longed TO the Hanover Square statesman. ne
aroused the party sentiment. and crysalzed IL INTO
an organization that crushed the White House hopes
of David B. Hill Whitney was the hnsher OF the
work, but its author was Grace.
But while he can fight boldly. he prefers TO Work
In the dark sapping and mining are more TO his
taste. He likes TO burrow. and 1t pleases him TO
work behind citizens movements, reform as
sociations" State Democracies and all that sort
Of thing That is his line at present II has been
for the last two years-ever since the beginning OF
the campaign against Tammany which resulted In
Mayor Strong's nomination and election In that
contest he displayed unusual skill and craftness 1t
Is the common saying among politicians that ne
realized more on his investment than any other OPP
ponent of Tammany Compared with his returns,
the rewards that befell the stecklers. the German
Democracy the O Brien people. the Anti-Machine
Republicans and even Thomas c. Platt himself.
seem exceedingly modest. 1t Is generally aereeu
that in point Of numbers the Grace crowd was the
smallest Of the whole lot. Numerically his 1orce
was frightfully short. but he was long on respec'a
bility. and on respectability and submated nerve
he the day.
He hesan early in the summer by dickering with
Tammany Hall through Mayor Gilroy Gilroy real
lied that Tammany had big fght De1ore IT, ana
he proposed to make alliances wherever possible
He and Grace had arrived at an UNDERSTANDINGS
Unfortunately for Tammany. the Martins. the
burrows and the other Wigwam leaders did not
appreciate the serious character OF the Impending
conflict In this they lacked Giroy's clearness OF
perception. They thought 1t was simply an ordi-
nary fight and would be attended with the Ordinary
resuts-a Tammany triumph SO they repuoia'ea
Gilroy and his dealings with Grace, and sat down
had "a IA
Of Grace however allowed the fact OF his dicKer-
inrs IN become known and when the Committee or
Seventy met this seemed to them one OF the most
Narming features Of the situation some OF the
leading Democratic members OF the committee were
friends OF Grace. They Intentionally or ihhocehty
magnifed his importance until an alliance WIN MN
seemed 10 the committee absolutely Indispensable
This view was reflected in the composition OF the
municipal ticket. II was loaded TO the sunWaIes
with State Democracy men, Grace's friends among
the Seventy. with great adroiness. INSISTED that nc
was going TO bolt anyway and the best way 10 40
under the circumstances was to leave him as niue
excuse as possible That done with VEN
geznce.
A PRETENCE OF DISSATISFACTION.
When the representatives Of the various organize
tons assembled at the Charities Building Hall TO
listen to the Committee OF Seventy's report. Grace
and his supporters sat in the centre Of the hail.
each OF them wearing an ominous and dissatisfied
LOOK Iney pretended that they were dissatisfied
and Francis VI. Scott was put forward as usual
to voice the pretended discomfort that felt by
MS people over the nomination OF Republican
Mayor.
scott, II VIII be remembered. was nominated for
Mayor as a union candidate against Grant In 1880
The Brunswick Hotel Conference. at which he was
chosen. was supposed at the time to be absolutely
honest, but few experienced politicians doubt now
mat II was guided from beginning to end by Tam
many hands. At all events. Scotts nomination was
more satisfactory to Tammany than any other ele-
nent Of the community.
He has been chronic office-holder. He had
picked up good deal OF knowledge about the city
government, and by making himself useful to