Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-29
FRIDAY.............oCToBER 20. 1897.
THE NEW YORK CONTEST.


The mayoralty contest OF Greater New
York grows in ferceness as the canvass
draws 10 a close.
Henry George is speaking day and
night, and vehemently promises II elected
10 send both Tom Plat and Dick Croker
to the penitentiary, If possible. He in
sists that both of them have grown rich
by rascally use Of the power that they
WELD as party bosses.
But Mr.. George is able to say very lit
5io to the discredit Of Tammanys candi-
date. Judge Van Wyck. His worst allie
CATION against him is that the Judge is
"Croker's man" AS for Professor Low,
Mr.. George usually speaks Of him with
Difference.
Certainly George is making the canvass
very interesting TO the public and very
hot for Plat and Croker. All the same,
the real contest is believed to be between
Van Wyck and Low, while it is supposed
that George and Tracy will get about the
same number of votes.
II this be true, Georges aggressive cam
paign would seem to be hurting Tammany
less than II is the Republican machine.
For ourselves. we find It impossible TO
thread the intricacies of the situation,
though we are much impressed with the
fact that each candidate, boastful as he
may be, thinks Van Wyck is his strong
est opponent. The betting, too, is in IA
vor of Van Wyck.
Henry George. in making his fight
against Croker as the leader Of Tam
many. has charged that when Judge
Roger A. Pryor wanted 10 be a Judge he
had to pay Croker $4,000 for the nominal
tion. This charge has been utterly ex-
plcded. To begin with, Croker was not
she leader OF Tammany then. But more
important still, Judge Pryor declares he
did not have to pay anybody cent for
the nomination. but he states that after
he was nominated he made a contribution
OF 10000 to the Democratic campaign
fund. Inasmuch as the Judge was elected
for a term OF twelve or fourteen years,
he does not seem TO consider that he was
victimized in the slightest degree-par-
ticularly as Tammany rendered him an
account OF how all his money was spent
Like charges made by Mr.. George con-
corning payments by other judges and
officials have been explained similarly
There are two Judges Van Wyck. One
IS. resident of Brooklyn. Many years
ago here In Richmond, he married a lady
from southslde Virginia. Little Bob"
was here with him on that occasion as
his best man. And II is Little Bob"
who is our party's candidate now. And
by the way. this gentleman is alleged to
be very sensitive as TO his diminutive
size II IL said that this is one OF the
chief reasons why he has not made any
speeches during the canvass. But we
doubt the story. II is far more probable
that his absence from the stump is a
part OF Tammany's' policy, and even in
Greater New York II is admitted that
the Tammany people know something
about politics.
The present "non-partisan' admins
tration Of New York gets precious little
praise. while SO much speech-making Is
going on there. The truth is that it has
spent money recklessly. disappointed pub
lie expectation, and Disguised thousands
OF voters. who were made to believe that
81 Vas good public policy TO Dust Tam
many for awhile. Mayor strongs adj
ministration has demonstrated, that TO
change Is not necessarily to improve
We dare say that not a few sins are
chargeeble 70 Tammany's account, but
up 10 date New York has never had
any better government than II had I'M
der Tanmany's rule.