Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18
Tammany Boss Fishing for Power
With Big Bait.
WORKING FOR BRYAN'S DOWNFALL
All Kinds ofSCriiminaIs FIocking to
the Greater Gotham.
CARNIVAL OF CRIME LIKELY
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, December II, 1897
With the selection of the date for the
holding of the Tammany Hall primaries
December 2S-and the fixing of the time
men the general committee will meet for
rganizatfon-January 13-the political sit
natlon grows more interesting. Before
Mayor-eiect Van Wyck takes his seat IN
blaze of glory it is rather early to at
tempt to forecast the future for Richard
Croker. But 1t is evident from the develop
Inents of the past week that forces
gathering which will work for the undoing
of the Boss of Tammany Hall or else
give the young bachelor mayor Of the
greater city world of trouble.
The ''irrepressi5le conflict in national
politics between the friends of William
Jennings Bryan and the friends of Richard
Croker has already been outlined in this
correspondence. That the Tammany boss
Is aware of the fight that is certain to
&C me. sooner or later, is found in the fact
that Tor the first time in his history he
is apparently trying to form strengthening
alliances with the leaders or the ex-leaders
of the south and west
His visit to Chicago his attendance upon
a wedding feast at the marriage of State
the worlds fair city. it will be remember
ed, brought about his meeting with young
Garter Harrison and the invitation extend
ed to the Cook County Democracy to visit
New York at the time of Van Wyck's can
Vass for mayor. The senior Carter Har-
rison would have been wiser, but the
younger Harrison, an amateur in politics
and statecraft, was easily won over to
the Crokerian view point, and from this
time forward his followers may be expect al
TO follow the standard of Tammany Hall.
ChfcngO-New York Combine.
This alliance Of New York and Chicago
in democratic national politics has a wider
significance, deeper meaning, than most
have attached to it. Heretofore New York
state has fought it's battles in national
politics unaided and alone United with
Chicago and all Illinois. Croker might be
able to perform wonders in a democratic
national convention. True, at this time,
though Harrison controls the Chicago polit-
ical machinery, Altgeld controls the re-
mainder of the state. from the limestone
re cks where the drainage canal cuts
through at Lemont down to the lower set
Elements Of Egypt, and Altgeld it is worth
mentioning. Is a friend of Bryan and 10
friend or Dick Croker. Something of the
political future of this country depends
upon whether Harrison eventually wins in
the survival ofothe political fittest in I'LL
nois over AltgGld.. =
Then there is..the Meaning of Eustis the
former ambassador TO France, from Louis-
ana to Tammany Hall. There is the at
tempt to capture German. discredited by
Maryland for New York city and Tam
many. German has been talked of as
Cookers candidate for United States SEN
ator from New York. and even for Pres
ident in case he will consent to Join his
political fortunes to the empire state And
German. 1t is worth while to mention in
passing. would prove a power in Croker's
hands not to be despised His de feat CT the
famous force bill still enqears him to- the
old-line. old-tinse democrats of the south
ern states. With German and Eustis. rep
resentatives of, the--solld south, which in
the old days was accustomed to unite with
New York for the undoing of the republic
can party: with no Carter Harrison as the
representative Of the great west. Croker
would leave the friends of Bryan the little
end of the stick in a national democratic
convention.
Evidence of Cookers Clcverness.
OF course, Croker is clever He always
is. He was clever enough to run away to
England "for his health when defeat and
possible disgrace stared him in the face
He was clever enough to return con-
quering chief when 1t was apparent that
the pendulum was swinging democratic
ward Naturally he arrogates to himself
all the credit for this cleverness and thinks
that he is. in the language of Dry Dollar
Sullivan, ode whole push" He does not an
tegoniZe the friends of Bryan openly. He
IL even making friends with Henry d. Pur-
roy. who supported Seth Low, and the
leader Of the thirty-fourth district will he
welcomed back into the ranks If he chooses
to return. He is also trying to win back
the friends of Henry George, the followers
Of the late democracy of Thomas Jefferson
At the same time. he is coquetting with
ex-Secretary Whitney, Judge Scott, ex-See-
rotary Fairchild and even Perry Belmont
who furnished the most of the funds which
kept alive the gold standard democracy in
New York state in the last presidential
campaign.
Croker is quoted as saying to friend of
Bryan at the recent Lakewood conference
that he had no intention Of opposing Mr..
Bryan, now or in the future. He even
went SO far as to say that with the power
flu! forces of labor in the east and the tillers
Of the soil in the west behind Mr.. Bryan
he knew that no leader in any state dare
for one hour oppose the late candidate of
the free silver democrats; that he (Croker)
would not antagonize Bryan II he could:
that he (Croker) could not antagonize Bry
an If he would. At the same time. every
detailed move made by the boss in mu-
nicipal and national politics is in opposi-
ton to Bryan and the Chicago platform.
The Bryan Lion in His Path.
This coming conflict between Bryan and
Croker is regarded by many shrewd OBJ
servers here in New York city and else
where as the biggest thing in democratic
national politics" AS soon as the friends
Of Bryan are aware of the treachery of
Croker to the young Nebraskan there will
be a storm in this state and city, for Bryan
free silver and all-is still the idol OF the
democratic workingmen and the democratic
farmers up the state. The principal lion in
Croker's pathway, therefore. is Bryan. An
opposition to Croker in his own city and
state may soons'be expected to form-it is
even forming now-throughout the state.
And it will be IAN effective opposition-not
an ineffective opposition like that of the
democracy of Thomas Jefferson in the re-
cent campaign ~
Ac soon az the abnointments of Van