Evening star., 1898-08-12
HILL Is DEFEATED
Croker is Boss Of the Entire New
York Democracy.
DANP0RTH AND M'LAUGHLIN
Both Go Back on Their Former
REPUBLICANS A RE SOLID
REPUBLICANS ARE SOLID
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, August 12.-Dav.d Bennett
Hill defeated, Richard Croker triumphant.
Briefly this expresses the situation in New
York state democratic politics today. 1t has
been a struggle between BRAN power and
brute force and brute force has won.
Whether Hill, with his brain power, will be
able in the long run and the end to snatch
victory from defeat is another story, as
Rudyard Kiplng says. But just at present
the cold, hard fact remains that the much
hated leader of Tammany Hall is supreme
in New York state politics today.
Just how 1t all came about is a long story
and an interesting one. Hill is acquainted
with some of the facts concerning his
downfall. Others, involving the alleged
treachery of old-time friends and support
ers, have been carefully concealed from
him and will be laid bare in this corre-
spondence for the first time
First and foremost. there is the double
dealing of Elliot F. Danforth chairman of
the democratic state committee. Mr.. Ian
forth has for years been recognized as Mr.
Hits man Friday. Hill has trusted Dam
forth implicitly. Controlling Mr. Danforth.
the chairman of the state committee, Mr.
Hall has naturally figured that he could
control the state committee
For the detection of Danforth. Hill has
only himself TO blame, however AS a gen.
eral proposition, 1t may be taken for grant
ed that man who will sell himself once
Will sell himself again, provided the price
Is offered. After the famous Chicago con-
vention Danforth came to the front as one
of the few free silver leaders in New York
state. TIE issue was a new one and Dam
forth's espousal of the cause was regarded
as genuine and honest Then came the
Buffalo convention, when John Bovd
Ihacher, mayor of Albany and gold demo-
crat, was nominated on a free silver plat
form Hill was responsible for this noni-
nation, and he appeared before the state
committee and pleaded for harmony be-
tween gold democrats and free silver demo-
erats: Then it was that Senator Grady and
the Tammany Hall democrats quarreled
with Hill at the time.
Why Danforth CIung to HILL
But oanforth clung to Hill like child to
Its mother. For Hill, at the Buffalo con-
venuon. offered him the craftsmanship OF
the state committee, provided he would be-
tray his free silver friends and help nomi-
nate John Boyd Thacher. Danforth con-
sented
The world knows the result. Thacher
hnaiiy withdrew from the fight the pres
sure from the free silverites being too
strong for him to remain. The democratic
hosts of New York We're compelled to
swap horses while crossing a stream"
ana naturally they went down to defeat
Ihe candidate for lieutenant governor an
unknown judge from the upper part of the
state, was substituted in Thacher's place
oy the state committee, but the republicans
trfumphed and elected Black by majority
OF nearly quarter of a million.
To this day the friends of Bryan in New
York state hold that this interference of
Hill and this treachery of Danforth was
the primary cause of Rryan's defeat. They
are OF the opinion that if Hill had .playel
feir, or if he had kept hands off, tie
state committee, Bryan would have been
elected They do lot claim that they could
have carried New York state, but thew do
claim that if a rattling fight had been kept
up all along th3 line the battle ground of
the campaign would have been New York
state instead of the middle west and that
the fight would have been transferred fl ON
the corn lands to the sea coast, with the
result that Bryan would have carried MANY
of the northern and western states which
he afterward lost.
While Hill has been growing smaller Dam
1crth has been growing bigger. Months
ago he announced himself as a candidate
1or governor Many free silver democrats
who did not understand his connection with
tie deal at Buffalo regarded him as sin
Cere- Then there were others who were
disposed to sympathize with him because
he had, as chairman of the state commit
tee, been the leader of a forlorn hope in
a good cause
Eject of Tammany's victory,
Hill might have maintained his leader
81 ip in the state if it had not baen for the
overwhelming victory of Tammany Hall
resulting in the election of Mayor Van
Wyck. Then Richard Croker, who was re-
sponsible for Van Wycks selection, if net
his election, branched out and hlossorncd
out in all directions as state and national
leader.
Croker announced that he recognized
Senator Murphy as the leader of the demo-
Gratis of New York state, not Senator Hill
Hill, who is nothing If not a fighter when
fights are forced upon him, took up the
glove thus thrown down. And he might
have won but for two men.
One of these was the Elliot Danforth
the man that he had created chairman of
the state committee. Danforth's ambition
to be governor of the state of New York
had grown with his own growth as a DO
htical leader. Richard Croker finally is
sued an ultimatum to Danforth. He told
him tnat he wanted the state committee
called TO meet at Saratoga at noon of
certain date. Hill, who had heretofore re-
garded this state committee as his own
particular hunting ground even preventing
the free silver men from hunting the
scalps of the gold democratic ma mbers of
this committee, announced that he WAS in
favor of a late meeting of this committee
The first direct test of strength between
the two men was at hand. The hour had
come. And with 1t the man. And the man |