New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-27
CHOATE RIDDLES CROKER.
THE TAMMANY CHTEFTAIN AND
BALAAMS IMMORTAL STEED

! por-srsc MEETING UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
THE ELAINE cLuB-cHIcKERING HALL
CROWDED DESPITE THE, DISAGREE
ABLE WEATHER WHICH COULD
NOT pAMPEN REPUBLI-
CAN ARDoR.
When after miserably wet day. the weather
last evening becams If possible. even more "'.'
erable and depressing. the organizers VI Wv
r.ass-meeting under the auspices OF the DIANE
Republican Club at Chickering Hail peSa" ~
fear that even Republican enthusiasm "'u''
s,lccurnb 10 the inclemency OF atmospheric coii
dlticns. and that only small audience "ou'u
gather But their fears proved to he uhioun"e"'
lust as similar fears from IKE course WI 'o
| rar, ., tho orpanizers OF the great meeting at
| Carnegie Hall last Friday proved 10 he uhlounu
! Cd also Repuhlicans are by this time fully
alive to The Importance Of the present cam"
pagn. and IT will take a good deal more thah
wet weather dampen their enthusiaSh'
Chickering Hall crowded last night JUST as
/ Carnegie Hall was crowded Friday. md as
those who attended the latter meeting were re-
wardod by hearing from the lips of w bourhe
| Cochran one Of the finest addresses that ne mas
made in his career. the audience IN Nhiohe 'n9
Hall listened to a speech by Joseph H. |ho''s
which was masterpiece Of ncisive logic ana
/ epicra mmatc brilliancy.
IL is certain that some Of Mr. Cnoa'e say
! ings about the Tammany boss and his sateii'tes
viii live as long as the men referred to remain
| in public life Nobody had applied the au-
ioctive "coIorless" to the brothers Van Wyck
/ until Mr. Choate did SO last evening. hu' 1t -
impossible that so exactly suitable definition
sbor,d be forgotten. His comparison. also. OF
/ Mr. Croker's recent utterance in reply 'o '''
! censure Of the Bar Association 70 the speech OF
! Ba1aaro's ass is likely to stick to Mr.. Croker as
| long as Mr. Croker sticks TO politics. "untll inc
| ass spoke said Mr. Choate, anna roars VI
| laughter nobody imagined what perlect as
/ he was When he spoke he was dlstihsuiS"e"
over all other asses. Then. also, ne spoke oe-
cause he was frightened. 1t was because ne got
/ into tight place. II was In the SAME "ei''
! place that Croker spoke. when ut last ne WAS
afraid or him who bore the sword before hii'''
you can tell who the young man Is VINO pore
the sword"
And then Mr. Choate went on IN speak or inc
various issues Of the campaign. local. state ali"
| National One Of his most telling points was
! tho IN reference To the certain result of having
one brother Van Wyck in the Mayors chalr IN
vew-york city and the other brother Van
wvck in the Governors chair at Albany 10
asked how many bills that Robert approved
,.ra likely % be vetoed by Augustus; whether
u uas likely that Augustus would ever use his
| nowar ~ removing Robert whatever the latter
| ehorld do Mr. Choate closed with reference
n the supreme National Importance Of the com
| ing election.
4 BIG AUDIENCE
As has been said. the hall was crowded.
! Everv seat was filed few minutes after me
doors were opened. and before long the corridors
were also occupied to their fullest capacity IL
has h4on = favorite criticism Of Republican
meetings on the part Of the Democrats that the
,rosr mart Of the audiences consisted OF
! .orrer This has been. Of course. untrue. and
f., was doubly untrue last night. There were
! ,.,,, women in the audience but they were
enormously outnumbered by the men and IN
~. -o,1ar,, orIv two or three women were 70
be found.
sbortlv after o'clock the speakers entered
aud vvere greeted with tremendous cheering
The Diamond Quartet sang three political
songs which found immense favor with the
! audience some of the lines. such as When W.
nh, him in the Governors chair. thereN be
hot time in the old town tonight being hailed
with great enthusiasm
John A. Weekes. jr.. Assemblyman Of the
| XXVth District presided. In the course or his
onening address Mr.. Weekes referred 10 the
crowded state of the hall in the nclement
weather OF last night proof OF the enthusiasm
of Republicans. He then in speaking OF Colonel
Roosevelt. said he saw him when he was boy.
twenty years ago swimming a mile from the
| shore in Long Island Sound. on being asked
what he was doing there. young Roosevelt said
he was lust diving 10 see where the rocks We're
THE fearlessness Of the boy. went on MT
Ueekes has been followed by the utter fear
o,Ho thero a IL
ties which made him practically leader OF the
New-York Assembly In 1883 and 1854. which
made him the best Civil Service Commissioner
the country ever had: which made him turn
| corrunt police force into one OF the best in the
United States AS Assistant Secretary OF the
Navy his ability went great way In making
the victories Of Dewey. Sampson and Schley
| Ooud cheers) possible These characteristics
made him gather together his band OF Rougn
Riders and these characteristics will make MIN
one Of the best Governors the State OF New
York has ever had" Great applause)
MIR. CHOATES WIT.
The chairman then in few words introduced
Joseph H. Choate to the audience. Mr.. Choate
was received with the greatest cordiality. the
audience rising and cheering for some minutes
Mr. Choate spoke as follows:
| This cordial reception that you have given 10
! me Is almost great compliment as received
| last week from the unctuous lips Of Mr.. Croker
| himself for / must say that regard II as the
highest compliment for any respecta1le cltlzcn 10
| he abused bv him d.aushterJ And there is
| great deal that hangs the fact that Mr. Croker,
| FOR the first time In this campaign. mas opened
/ his lips The dumb has spoken. u.aughterD lie
| never speaks when things are going In way tnat
/ suits him lie has never been known 10. and
| ask YOU why ii H. that this shrewd and cdlculat-
| ing politician. this late hour In the campaign
mas found IL necessary to open his lips? Wei, this
| audience looks Ike good, od-fashioned
! audience who remember things they have read IN
/ M Ribf l'rOlcrs speech and why he spoke re-
| call 10 my mird the familiar story OF Balaam'
/ ass daughter, and in two three points
| AIR croker reminds of that very cell
! chrated beast OF burden. In the frs
I Mace until the asa spoke. nobody In
| -. r.orld irnagIncd what a perfect ass he was.