The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-01
Croker is Winning Deserters
Back to the Fold.
None But Henry George Gould
Hold Them Away.
LOW WILL BE SECOND.
This is the Way it Looks to
Walter WelIman.
Young George Appeals to His
Fathers Supporters.

Chicago. Nov. THE Times-Herald
publishes the following New York dis
patch from Walter Wellman:
Now the struggle is fierce for the po-
litical assets of the dead leader of the
Jenersonian Democracy. While the
body of Henry George lay in state, re-
ceiving the homage of thousands of
sincere mourners, political leaders had
scores of lieutenants out in the high
ways and byWays of the great city, en-
deavOring to capture the votes. which
would have been east for the dead
philosopher had he lived until tomor-
row.
Richard Croker believes he is on the
eve of achieving one of the greatest
victories ever won by an individual by
virtue of the suffrage of his fellow cit1-
Zens-a victory which win make him alb
sOlute master of the second city of the
world. His confidence today was great
er than ever before, and the source of
it was the measure of success which
he is meeting in his efforts to capture
part of the votes which belonged to
Henry George before death took a hand
in the contest.
The great problem today is to what
extent Tammany can succeed in win
ming back that part of the George vote
which left it through the brilliant lead
ership of the man at whose bier the
multitude mourns. That Croker is MAX
ing some Roadway in this direction can
not be denied. If he is getting more of
the George votes than goes to Low he
will carry the election.
1t is apparent that Henry George II
cannot hold all of the votes which
would have been cast for his father.
Despite the sentiment aroused by the
latter's tragic fate and by the extraOr-
binary final demonstration of yesterday
there are many signs that a cOnsidera-
bic share of that vote is to be cast for
other candidates.
In this work of winning away the
supporters of the Henry George ticket
Croker possesses an immense advant-
age in that One-haIf the following of
the dead philosopher came from the ell
ements of society with which Tammany
is in close touch Many of them have
been, as a rule, voters of the Tammany
tickets, and therefore now peculiarly
amenable to the Establishments of Tam
many agents This is true more espec-
tally in the districts in which the poor
people live, along the East and West
sides of New York and in the labor res
ident sections of Brooklyn. At the
same time it is certain that a consider
able share of the original George
strength will go to Low, especially from
the uptown district and the better
parts of Brooklyn.
On the whole the disposition of the
George movement, like all estimates of
the original strength of the following,
Is shrouded in great doubt. It is i'm
possible to ascertain the truth in any
other way than by waiting for the re-
turns of the election, though it is just
here that the outcome of the whole
Struggle appears TO De cenIeGeQ.
Mr.. Cookers confidence in his success
may not be wholly unwarranted, though
it is my belief the vote for Low will be
much nearer in size to that of Van
Wyck than Tammany is willing to ad-
init. While the chances are that Tam
many is about to win, by slender
margin, it must be remembered that
there are elements in this campaign
which cannot be measured They are
beyond the reach of the politicians, and
of all known methods of testing the
this is if the nOn-partisan movement
were running as deep among the peo-
pie in this city as in Brooklyn, Low
would be elected. But it appears to be
true as Croker claims it is, that among
the thickly populated or tenement sec
tons of Manhattan Island where votes
are rolled up by the tens of thousands,
they scarcely know that Low is run
ming. Among These people habit is
strong, and their habit is to regard eve
~ political contest as lying between
the two parties. They are either Tam
many Democrats or they are followers
of the Republican machine.
Henry George may have made some
impression upon them through his COM
with their lamentable lack of Organiza-
ton the Low managers have not been
able to make much headway in the
back alleys and up the dark stairways
where American soveTeigns are found
in dense sWarms.
AS accurate statement of the situa-
ZION d5 lily luLoIAnallOn anu Judgment
enable me to make 1t that Tammany
stands to win barring a landslide to
Low
Through the agencies which are at its
command for winning back a fair share
of the George following, and the help
which the Plat dictatorship is giving
by holding its machine vote for Tracy,
Tammany seems to be sure of a plur-
atty of from 80, 200 to 40 600 over Low
in Manhattan. Although Brooklyn is
nightly aroused it now looks doubtful
rnl19 re1r1i in 1,e,
large enough to overcome Tammany'S
aduantaaa in New York nronar