New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-06

TRIBUNE ILL
the clouds broke. and last year Tammany gath
cred its shattered forces together.
The appetizing vision of the plumber Of the
greater city was held out to the leaders who
in politics only for the money in it. Tam
many had been out of power. and it lean
and hungry There had been no fat Offices for
the Tammany cohorts. and therefore no salaries
to assess There had been no control of the
Police Department. and therefore no chance to
make use Of that great machine to collect money
from every saloon, gambling house poolroom.
pushcart vender. disorde!ly house and steamship
company. In fact there were no dives open.
Tammany leaders circulated among the d-time
gamblers, poolroom- keepers. keepers Of disor-
derry houses and other lawbreakers and begged
subscriptions. with the open promise that #
Tammany won the city should once more be
wide open" How faithfully Tammany Hall
kept lis promise is well known now. but Tam
many did not keep its promise out Of any sense
Of honor in sticking to its word but because
when the town is "wide open" Tammany is able
to collect an enormous revenue each month from
these places.
CROKER HURRIES HOME
cellent chance # winning Richard Croker, who
had before his departure for Europe. said he
would never have anything more TO do with poll
tics in this country. received word OF the condi-
tons from one or two old-time followers The
result was that he hurried home. He gathered
around himself shortly after his return some Of
the leaders that he felt would stand by him.
To these he made promises Of rich favors If
they returned to his standard on one mem
ora BILE day he walked into Tammany Hall at a
meeting Of the district leaders. and. utterly s-
noring John c. Sheehan. he made speech de-
Claring that this election was his vndcatIon,
and ne went further and declared himself as
head Of the organization. The long years OF
discipline told and meeky he was accepted.
Since that time he has absolutely dominated
the organization. BY his brutality. roughness
and uncouth ways he has driven out OF the or
ganzation many men that were friendly to ii
in the past and whose names gave a scant air
Of respec liability to the organization. To-day it
Is the organization of Croker. Freedman. Car
roll Van Wyck. Delmour and others Of their
kind. and others are admitted TO the party
counsels
Richard Croker to-day is far different man
from what he used to be. Even the leaders that
have known him longest wondering at the
change Once upon time Mr.. Croker replied.
when asked something about a political matter.
Il don't know nothin' about politics" That
rough sentence gave him sort Of National
reputation. In the old days he dressed plainly.
was transformations and seldom spoke except to
friends To-day he rushes into print and
flood Of words hangs trembling on his formerly
tacturn lips. He has erected a club for him
SELF which he proudly boasts is the fest club
in New-Y York. and here he is as absolutely an
autocrat as he is in Fourteenth-st.
Since Richard Cookers return from Europe he
has undertaken the social reformation of Tam
many Hall This presents a curious psychology
cal question. The men who have fought Tam
manys battles the East Side and on the
West Side are who have been used to the
corner saloon and the docks They are not the
kind of men who take kindly to a dress suit.
and they look with suspicion upon any man
these hard headed hard listed, rough and-tum-
bic fighters into line remains to be seen. 1t is
almost pathetic 10 visit the Democratic Club in
the evening and watch the gathering there. The
Tammany men, in limiting dress suits. shoes
that creak a broad expanse Of shirt front stud
ded with huge diamonds. and with high collars.
sit around looking uncomfortable, and furtively
watch Richard Croker and try to initiate what
he does II it had been any other person than
Mr. Croker who tried 10 inauguTate this reform
a battle would have ensued but "the chiefs
word is law and when he said that dress suit
,yos tho raal thing for evening wear al the club