Evening star., 1898-08-10
Both Fighting to Control the New
York Democracy.
RECENT SARATOGA CONFERENCE
Outline as Stated by the Tammany
Small Fry.
REPUBLICAN UNCERTAINTY
special Correspondence of The Evening" Star

! Special Correspondence Of The Evening" Star
| NEW YORK, August ., 1s9s.
| From the mass of gossip with which the
llittle-big fellows of Tammany, who tramp
| aground at the coattails of the leaders all
| day to catch a stray bit of policy as a hun
cry dog would catch a bone, We're loaded
| on their return to New York and earth
egain, the following seems to ring true:
| An offensive and defensive alliance be-
| tween Tammany Hall and the Kings Coun-
| ty Democracy for control of the democratic
| state campaign has been formed at Sara.
| toga. Richard Croker and his Tammany
| lieutenants and four of Hugh McLaughlin's
| chief aids spent the greater part of Sunday
| together and the political situation, judged
] from the Greater New York point of view
| was discussed. II the outline of the state
! campaign, as practically decided could be
made public, it would eafford interesting
! reading. no doubt, for David B. Hill and
\ the adherents of his lost cause. The lines
| are now said to be formed with Senator
| Murphy, Croker, Tammany Hall, Hugh Nc
| Laughlin and the Kings County Democ-
| r2cy on the one side, and David B. Hill,
| Elliot Danforth, Frank Campbell, John B.
| Stanchfield and a few others as the other
| faction. 1t was a singular coincidence that
| while this strong alliance for control of
| democratic politics in the empire state was
| btiiiS "Slu-u, certain dulltISllS VI t1lll
| were declaring that Croker's plan, to have
| the democratic state committee meet in
| Saratoga Thursday, had been thwarted by
| no less a person than Hill himself DAN
| forth, who happens to be chairman of the
| democratic state committee, has refused to
| call the state committee to meet this week,
| acting under orders from Hill AS Dan
| forth has refused to call the committee to
| meet just now, the only way that Croker
can get the meeting held would be to have
| majority of the committees members sign
| a call for the meeting.
Democratic GubernatorinI BOoms.
Uncle Ros' Flower. who has a well-de-
| veloped Croker gubernatorial boom, is in
| high feather at present, but the knowing
| ones say that there is a surprise in store
| for Flower. Croker has not committed him
| self to Flowers candidacy, and it is whis-
pered that Croker's candidate may be jus
| tice Barrett of the supreme court. Croker
and Justice Barrett are firm friends, de-
| spite the fact that it was before Justice
| Barrett that Croker's trial many years
ago, was held. Justice BSrretts term in
| the supreme court expires next year, and as
he would reach the age limit before another
| term as justice would be finished, even if
he We're reelected, there is a suspicion
among many democrats that Croker is seek
| ing to make another place for him
There is another new governorship boom.
! Mayor Robert A. Van Wyck is the name it
bears, and considerable enthusiasm was
aroused for 1t, not only among the mayors
Tammany friands, but among the upstate
democrats. Croker, however, does not
seem to share in this outburst. According
| to the charter there would have to be an
other mayoralty election at the next gen.
eral election after the president of the
municipal council succeeded to the mayors
chair That would mean that if Van Wyck
should be nominated and elected governor
President Guggenheimer would succeed to
the mayoralty but that he could hold
of NnppTnhar 1SG Croker
say the wise men, would hardly take
chances on another election so soon when
he now has his grasp upon the municipality
until January, 1902. On the other hand, if
Van Wyck should be nominated for gov
ernor and defeated, it might be a stagger-
ing blow for Tammany Hall, especially in
state politics.
Croker Going Into State Politics.
And it is now an open secret that Croker
is going heavily into the state politics. The
gathering of the Croker-Murphy forces at
Saratoga is regarded by politicians as q
matter of something more than local in
terest. The assertion is frequently heard
that Richard Croker, not satisfied with the
control of New York city. is about to begin
contest for the state leadership of his
party, and aspires also to be in the posi-
tion of 4 President-maker in 1900. Senator
Murphy, it is said is to be kept to the front
as a tigurehead for the present, in order TO
defeat ex-senator Hill, but when the stat.
campaign begins, these politicians predict,
Croker will come forward the state
leader and will thus be in a position TO in
fiuence the nomination of the next demo-
cratic candidate for President.
AS an evidence that the Croker-Hill fight
for the control Of the state is in earnest,
John L. Shea, commissioner of bridges.
turned this afternoon from Saratoga with
the news that all the members OF the demo-
cratic state committee from New York had
signed a request to Chairman Danforth to
n "a
Friday night, to fix the time and place for
holding the state convention. Croker
friends say he is going to force the issue
and the fight against Hill.
The Silver Bug.
But there is one thing both factions of
the democratic party will have to reckon
with, and this is the oft-jeered-at 'siiver
bug" In this connection a conference of
the free silver men of New York state will
be held at Albany on Wednesday of this
week. The conference has really been call
ed by the free silver democrats of Albany,
who are angry at both Senator Murphy and
ex-senator Hill. Both of these leaders have
studiously avoided discussing the Chicago
platform in it's relation to the affairs of
New York state 1t is the expressed inten-
ton of these free silver men, in the event
of the nomination of ex-Gov. Flower, Perry
Belmont or other. gold-standard man, to
nominate free silver democratic candi-
date for governor. This threatened split in
the democratic ranks may give Croker, Hill
and Murphy considerable trouble and force
at least semblance of harmony among the
regular democratic state leaders. 1t seems
to be pretty well settled that the next
democratic state convention will ignore the
Chicago platform and Bryan, and IL the
bolt of the Bryanites in the state ma
teridlizeS the election of the republican
gubernatorial candidate and the defeat of
Senator Murphys reelection aspirations
Will be materially assisted if thew NAV not