The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-28
GLOOM OYER THE WIGWAM.

District Leaders, Reports Received Yesterday
show That George L. Cutting Into the
Van wyck Vote Heavily and That Tracy
10 LoominG UP In DapEerous Fashion.
Not even in the days which preceded tho dis.
aster Of 1894 was there such an exhibition Of
long faces and general anxiety In Tammany Hall
as that shown yesterday. Tho atmosphere chilled
every brave who entered. II he came in with a
OF welcome and q heart bounding with
hope his countenance soon became as lugubrious
as that of tho leaders gathered there. The
braves talked in whispers. Tho subdued air of
the Wigwam seemed to demand that there
should be no boisterousness. They asked one an
other the cause for the gloom. The answer in
every case was Henry George"
The reports had been coming in from all
quarters that the Chicago platform candidate
was cutting into tho Democratic vote every
where. Such wore his inroads on Tammany
that there was great danger OF Tammany's do
feat. The reports said that all the attacks on
George. inspired by the Tammany managers,
seemed to be of no avail in stemming tho tide of
the movement in his favor. All these efforts
had been directed to turning organized labor
against George. the idea seeming to possess tho
Tammany canpaigners that the same issues arc
being fought that had to be met in the Henry
George campaign Of 1886.
The district leaders reported that this was all
a mistake; that there is something bigger and
broader in tho way Of an issue in this fight;
that Henry Georges personality is only a small
part Of it. and that the great moving force in
the George movement just now is Organism. As
the candidate who is running on the Chicago
platform, they said, he is attracting to his
support the greater part OF the mon who voted
for Bryan in 1896 and who are so earnest n
their support of Organism that there seems lit
tie prospect that they will ever forgive Tam
many Hall for its desertion Of the Chicago
principles.
Further reports wero made that the great
bulk Of the support which IL to DO accorded
Seth Low is to come from tho Democratic party.
Besides the Cleveland Democrats, who are al
most q unit in their support OF Low. the leaders
reported that there are many workingmen,
whose votes had been counted on by them for
the Tammany ticket, that will 60 for Low II
Henry George does not eventually win them for
himself, which they think moro than likely.
With these great schisms in the Democratic
ranks. not to speak Of the votes which will be
cast for the Hon. Patrick Jerome Gleason and
the many sound money Democratic votes which
will be assuredly cast for Gen. Tracy as the
representative of tho st. Louis platform. the
Tammany leaders reported that they could see
little hope of success.
Especially ID ulo so. IhCy oaSs III VIC" VI IL
comparative solidity Of the Republican vote.
Their Investigations have proven to their salts
faction that Seth Low will get but q compare
lively small part Of the regular Republican
vote. They admitted that he might get from
10 to Is per cent. Of 1t in four or five As
Bembly districts. but they said that this
would not be enough to warrant them
in tho belief that Tammany will carry
those districts for her candidates. In
all the other districts they found that the Low
Republican vote will not in most cases amount
to moro than 2 or 8 per cent. Of the Republican
strength, the Republican machine being in those
districts in perfect working order. In fact, tho
reports all agree that never has so much or so
effective work been done by the Republican or.
gsnization as in tho present campaign. and the
principal result Of this work has been to pre-
serve the organization vote almost intact.
This air of gloom in the Wigwam was light
ened momentarily when the Brooklyn Eagle
story Of a Croker-Platt deal to elect Van Wyck
in retu IN for a Republican Sheriff and a Repub-
lican Register was circulated there. Some OF
the district leaders actually smiled. and ono
remarked that no wished the story were true,
for Van wyck's election is all that Tammany
Hall needs to assure it all the municipal pat
ronage and all the political power which the
Tammany organization Is seeking.
Blu the trouble with the story" he con.
tinued. is that it is not true. It's a pipe dream.
1t says Sohmer is kicking because the deal con.
templates the election of q Republican Regis.
ter. Sohmer ought not to care. He's run,
ming for County Clerk. Then they talk
of tho emoluments of tho Sheriff's and
the Registers offices as II they were
fee offices like those of Kings county. The
EdDle's imagination seems to DO circumscribed
by tho limits of the borough of Brooklyn. 1 wish
- l.. &. a
would positively assure the election of Var
wyck."
The feeling that defeat Is in store for the tIoke,
only served to increase tho restlessne ss of those
leaders who resent the return OF Richard Croke,
to the active leadership Of tho Wigwam, and
there were renewed evidences that Their,
arc those in Tammany who. II they ar,
absolutely satisfied that there 10 no hope
for their ticket. which seemed to be their stat,
of mind yesterday. will DO only too willlne
TO turn In and help elect Gen. Tracy, thu
making the defeat of Mr.. Croker and his candi
dates overwhelming.
1t need not be explained that the reports o
tho district leaders referred to were not mad,
for publication. They were merely tho swap
ping of condolences between leaders, anc
the general air of depression and gloon
which followed this interchange NATURAL,
led to inquiries from all sides which soor
revealed the cause. There will bo no reports
from tho district leaders for publication. Mr.
sheehan announced this fact last week when h,
said that tho usual meeting of the Committee oil
Organization, at which predictions of election
results are made. will not be held this year.
In 1894 the Tammany campaign managers de
clared that Grant would be elected by q pluralit,
of 10000. This year no predictions of any sor
will be made. The favorite Tammany argumen
of betting, even, has been abandoned for a time
Notwithstanding the denunciation Of senate
PlHtt and the Republican organization b!
Henri George, and the fact that George is run
ming on the Chicago platform, while Gen. Trac
stands on that OF the st. Louis Convention, tn,
Tammany. campaign managers continue 10 az
pie are in cahoots and issue long statements
which are anything but convincing, In thei