The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-19
IN GREATER NEW YORK.
GOSSIP or rHB SECOND CRY IN
THE World.
n,cL cvoker Declares Thst He Will Fur
nish Good Goycrnment--Corne
Crew and Its Coach.

NEW YORK, Dee. I6.-It Is gradually
aawnlng upon certain newspapers that
possibly, despite their assertion that the
ssv lease OF power won by Tammany
a result in horrible misgovernment'
Nr. Croker and his associates propose
giving the best government they Know
how to the great city 10 come into eNis-
ccnce on the first OF the year. II may be'
shcy say. that Mr. Croker and his assoc
esatcs are really anxious 10 show now
efficient they can be- .,,,o,,
AS a matter OF fact this supposiHon
4. ,,e1, within the truth. Mr.. Croker s
desire 40 have the city wen goVerheu'
d,,rine tho next four years. Is a perfectly
natural one. being born of the universal
instinct of self-preservation since ho'V-
,tously bad city government Will surely
mt ramnany ont again. Moreover MT
Croker honestly believes his man van
wvck and the assistants he IS to gather
chou, him will be able to give better
citv government than the town has ever
eptoved. II is quite natural tRat such
abatement az this should be looked upon
with crooked eyes from many quarter
nut IL Is only fair TO make H. ana ~
NAV be added as a fact that Croker bsS
himself offered one expert observer
large sum OF money TO spend some 'line
in England and on the continent OF hu-
rope FOR the purpose OF studying the oest
old-world municipal methods, ana report
ing al intervals 20 the new city govern
ment here.
This Offer was declined by the eX-
pert 10 whom IL was made, but 1t Is
quite within the probabilities that some
other man az well equipped has accepted
Il. and is even now getting the material
together for his first report
New York IS Of course. divided into
two great camps as 10 the possibility
OF Tammany putting up good govern
uent: members Of the one holding that
such a thing cannot be. while those or
the other are well satisfied with the
prospect.-or they would not have voted
for Van Wyck. But 1t IS a question as
90 whether there is anybody at all. be
sides Mr.. Croker and his intlmates, who
believes he can possibly realize his other
ambition. which is. OF course 20 get into
society with a big $. 1t is curious
ambition. isn't II, for a man like Croker
Especially i'm view OF the fact. that with
pne exception. 40 Tammany man not
Torn inside sociely's sacred portals has
yet passed through them
THE ONE EXCEPTION.
The one exception IS Bourke Cochran,
the ex-Tammany representative in Con-
gress who was a close friend Of Tom
Reed when in Washington.
But Cochran Is not now I'm sympathy
with Tammany, and the fact that he was
few years ago the one exception IL
said 10 rankle and burn in the breast
OF Croker with a bitterness and intensity
that can be imagined but not described
For Croker dislikes Cochran more than
any other man alive. save possibly Mr.
Pulitzer Of The World. Just what detail
started the fires OF Cookers animosity
10 burning a. would be hard TO say. but
Hhere are many that ought TO know
who say IL was the combined facts
that Cochran sometimes spoke well Of
Reed and sought occasionally 10 please
Cleveland There is no manner Of doubt
that the Tammany bosss anger was fuIi-
ously famed by the indifference 10 his
social aspirations displayed by Cochran
in 1929. when Croker was making his
prettiest social plays.
Croker showed his teeth first when
Mr. Cleveland declared that he would
be pleased If Cochran could be made
Senator from New York. The Tammany
man then declared in favor Of Edward
Murphy Of Troy. whom he has nav
backed against ex-senator Hill; and the
fun began forthwith. Cochran would
have naught to do with the Tammany
Office seekers. turning an invariably deaf
ear 20 Cookers pleadngs in that direction.
The relations between the boss and the
congressman got so strained after al
while. that Croker. in 1894. threatened
20 do Cochran up by attacking him with
his fists iugtifying his threat OF bodily