Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-21
Tammany Candidate Only Speaking
in Houses of His Friends.
FEARS TO GO BEFORE GENERAL PUBLIC
He Might Have to Answer Some
Very Awkward Questions.
CROKER'S BETTING BLUFF
pecial Correspondence OF The Evening Star

| Of the Thomas Jefferson democracy-who
| says that in the event that Judge Van
| Wyck takes the stump during this munich
| pal campaign he will attend every meeting
| and, at the risk of being ordered from the
| halls by the police, he will ask the demo-
| cratic candidate for mayor: DO you stand
| squarely on the Chicago piatform?" In
| the event that this question is answered in
the affirmative, the question will be asked
| DO you believe in the free and unlimited
| coinage Of silver at the ratio of IL TO l.
| without waiting for the d:d or interference
of any other nation earth?" If Judge
Van Wyck answers this question either in
the affirmative the negative. it is a good
bet at the ratio of 16 to l that Mr.. Van
| Wyck will never become mayor of Greater
| New York.
The trouble with this smoking cut pro-
| cess is that Judge Van Wycl win in al
probability never take the stump. He may
| make a few speeches in the houses Of his
| friends at Tammany Hall before select
| circle or at his own personal headquarters
| in the Barthold Hotel. Though he is ad-
| vertised to speak in every borough of the
new city before the close of the campaign,
it is said to be diamonds to dollars that he
| will do nothing of the sort.
Van Wyck's Evasive Policy.
If Judge Van Wyck does takes the stump
| and is asked these questions by Georgeite
| democrat he will undoubtedly ignore or
| dodge the question, just your corre-
| spondent has predicted he would do from
| the first. The chances are that Croker
will adopt the policy OF keeping their can
| didate out of the thick of the campaign
| until the heat thereof is over.
However much one may dislike the policy
| of evasion adopted by Van Wyck and his
| advisers one is forced to admit that up to
! the present time the tactics of silence have
| cd inf1i,1 nlr "a n
| passionate analysis of his letter of
| ceptance shows it to contain many points
| which appeal to the residents of New York
| city. At least one organ which has been
\ on the fence to considerable extent, dods-
| ing between Van Wyck and George. prac-
| tically makes the Van Wyck letter the oc-
| cason- for ciamhering down on the Tam
many Hall side. The very details CT the
letter. the large number Of f.REopositions in
| doIsed serve to confuse the voter and have
! the effect of throwing dust in the eyes of
! the people and detracting from the main
| issue-the Chicago. platform.
If Judge Van Wyck can stick TO the
| text of that letter for the next ten days
| 1t viii seriously hurt cause said a
leading republican today. But car he
keep quiet under the pressure that will
probably be brought to bear upon him from
all quarters TO declare himself for gold
or s:lVer?'
Said q prominent member Of the Citizens
Union today: Van Wyck's letter ought to
furnish good campaign material for the
Citizens Union. He says he favors dollar
gas, and yet the legislature last controlled
by Tammany, when Flower was governor,
would not permit a dollar gas bill to pass.
Van Wyck declares against combinations
which prevent competition, and yet the
Croker-Brady-Maher combination, which
seized tn. streets of Westchester for the
Huckleberry road, got legislation through a
Tammaay senate and assembly that pre-
vents competition. Van Wyck says he is
against franchise grahbers, yet all the lead
crs of Tammany, from Murphy down to
Tony Brady, are notorious franchise grab
bers. Van Wyck says he favCrs eight hours
work for labcr but his leader Sheehan
in his contract work employs non-citizen
labor. Van Wyck asks for more schools,
but forgets to say that when Mayor Strong
took hold there were 1900 children I'M
able to find sittings in the schools The
letter promises to do for the city what
Tammany has never done before and will
be torn to pieces by the Citizens Union
orators"
Money for Georges Campaign.
There has been considerable talk about
a desperate dearth of funds in the Jeffe--
sonian headquarters. THIS was vigorously
denied today. Said one of the committee:
I'VE are carrying on this campaign with
out money. All the men who are workins,
for Mr.. George have volunteered their SER
vices, and tae only bills we have to pay
are fer printing. typewritin, anG the hire
OF halls. We have $1,000 SO far subscribed
by outsiders and all the ready money that
is necessary. The state prints our ballots
lree and our orators are serving without
pay. "A remarkable feature OF our cam
psign so far has been the fact that we
have been free from strikers and striking
organizations. Some men have asked for
money 20 help them pay for meeting
places in their districts, and when told we
had none for that purpose they went ahead
and paid for them out of their own pock-
cts"
Int thx.l l,xl,
speak for George, it is said only one re-
celves compensation. He is poor man.
with large family. For several years he
mas been warm friend of Mr.. George
and an enthusiastic advocate of his ideas
The salary he is being paid is far from a
princely ere. 1t is only just sufficient TO
give food and shelter to hiInSeif and
family.
1t was also said that the Low camnatpn
fund was growing small and that the cam
paign committee spends considerable time
discussing finances. The Citizens Union is
conducting E. very expensive campaign. and
an appeal has been made for contributors
to keep it moving.
Struggle for the Colored Vote. Il
One of the features of the week is the
struggle for the colored vote, estimated at
about 10000. Seth Low and Gen. Tracy
are equally determined to corral 1t. The
Citizens Union will make its campaign
through the pulpit and something else The
republican machine has corps of negro
"spellbnders'' of both sexes in the field
1t has also organized number of elee
clubs. which will make a singing campaign
through the negro colonies of the Greater
New York. The republicans however will |
rely principally on the same methods of |
persuasion as the Citizens Union cam
paigners. Until a few days ago no effort
was made to get the colored vote in line
for the president of Columbia College. II
was asserted that there was dissatisfaction
With the treatment that the colored men
had received at the hands of District At
torney Olcott and Chairman Quigg of the
city committee, but the amateur politicians
did not take advantage of ii. They were |
letting the colored mans Indignation cool
when Gen. Anson G. McCook took hold on
affairs. Since that time the colored breth-
cen have been warmly welcomed at the |
Citizens Union headquarters deputy |
sergeaEt-at-arms has been appointed to see |
that they are given due consideration, and |
they have been formaliy- introducesl In |