Evening star., 1898-10-28
Croker is Unsparing in His Demands
on Office Holders.
RAISING Big CORRUPTION FUND
Business Men Are Taking of
Another Lexow Investigation.
LATE POLITICAL FORECASTS
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, October % 1898.
The democrats are naking desperate at
tempts to carry New York state for Van
Wyck. Croker is fighting the battle of
his life. To few of his confidential friends
at democratic headquarters Croker has an
rounced that in case Van Wyck is beaten
and Tammany Hall turned down by the
people of New York state he will take no
further active interest in American poll
ties. He expects to return to England and
enjoy life and spend most of his time in
training and racing his horses. For these
reasons it is everything nothing with
Croker. He will have all or none and
Tammany Hall office holders are obliged to
come up and contribute in manner un-
heard of in the history of the organiza-
| ton. Percentages have been increased I'M
til some men have practically surrendered
their salaries for October to the boss"
Corporations have been bled for campaign
funds in manner never before known in
New York city. In fact, matters have be-
come bad in certain quarters that some
business men have rebelled and have
served notice on the boss that they will
call for another LexOw investigation and
again show up the methods of political
blackmail adopted by Tammany Hall unless
matters made financially easier for
them in the future. Croker is said to have
received infol ma ton of this rebellion from
the Tammany Hall collectors, but he has
not indicated by word sign whether
lighter contributions will be accepted or
not in the future.
..Sinews" Sent Up State.
That a considerable portion of the cor
ruption fund which has been raised is fnd-
ing its way up the state is known and OBJ
served by all men. Ten thousand dollars
was sent to Rochester alone in a single
day. and republican agents, who keep
ing watch on the democratic Doodle han
dlers say that the state will be flooded
with democratic henchmen with pockets
well filled before election day. Republican
leaders have been puzzled for several days
to discover the basis for the democratic
assumption that Van Wyck would be elect
ed. They are convinced now that Tam
many's enormous corruption fund, swelled
by the contributions from the brewers anu
liquor dealers of the state, is the key to
democratic boasts. So large have become
the receipts of vice and crime in this wide
OPEN town. swelled by political biackmail
levied by Tammany leaders on office hold
ers including several policemen and com
mon laborers in the various departments.
that there is enough and to spare for every
assembly districts campaign expenses in
the state. 1t has been reported TO the re-
publican leaders that loo was allotted to
every assembly district in the state to get
out the democratic registration. Democrats
know that, too. and that is another reason
for their assumption that Van Nyck Will
win. as they say the large registration up
the state was the result largely of demo-
cratic effort" ramman%s district lead
ers in this city have had SO much money to
spend that they took chances of using 1t
to wager on the election.