Evening star., 1898-11-02
Contest in New York is Taking on
This Character.
fAMMANY LEVYlNG BLACKMAIL
Prospect That Soldier Vote May
Cut Considerable Figure.
1T IS FOR ROOSEV ELT
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star

| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, November l. 1893.
| The trend of political events seem to in
| dicate that this is not much d cam
| laign of the republican vs. the democratic
| party, but d campaign of the people vs.
| Richard Croker. A prominent Tammany
| Hall man said to your correspondent last
| night that defeat for Crokers' candidate
| in the present campaign meant the loss of
| power to that gentleman and a possible
permanent residence abroad. This is per-
| haps going too far, but the origin of the
| ST egestion makes it worthy of repetition.
| Never before in the history of political
| campaigns has Richard Croker taken such
| an active interest as this fall. Every en-
| ergy of Tammany, the immense influence
| of the city administration the police de-
| partment with it's despotic power, are being
| used to elect Augustus Van Wyck governor
| To collect campaign funds it is alleged
| that every sort of blackmail is being prac-
| ticed. Both Manhattan and Brooklyn are
| said to be paying the tribute of vice to
| the wigwam ruler. Every man in business,
| from the great wholesaler to the small
| baker, is being made to feel the sway of
an iron scepter. Tammany and Willough-
| by street leaders are charged with giving
| commands to the police and other depart
| ments which can ruin AS Bourke Cock
|
| make 4 career" There are signs of 81
| lent revolution against this rule, and any
| thing may happen next Tuesday. These
| are not fancies, as every tradesman Will
| testify in secret The newsstand and the
| bootblack privileges the street corner
| are all prey for the tiger. The courts are
| wanted with the immense patronage of the
| judges in appointing receivers. Even today
| it is said that there are Tammany law
| firms ard that to receive respectful con-
| sideration suitor must employ these men.
| Police whip Voters Into Line.
| The police, according to reliable lnforma-
ton, are being used to whip voters into
| line. They copying registration books
| in the best portions of Brooklyn, which
have a fixed and republican population,
! and where false registration would be i'm
possible. Those who have seen these pro-
| ceedings say Tammany is putting on the
| screws. The police are said to be going
| farther. They carry registration books
| away from the polling places for examina-
ton. Under the law this is a felony.
In the borough of Manhattan we are
| simply wide open and the wide-openers are
paying for it, said a political authority to-
| day. He added: "A new trick in running
wide-open town has been disclosed We are
all awake to the restoration of the old sys-
| tenn of disorderly resorts. open by grace of
Tammany Hall, but a method of col
lecting the revenue appears now to be prac-
ticed. Lawbreakers used to pay the police
captain regular monthly tribute, and when
this was paid they were safe. Tammany dis
trict leaders also are now acting as collect
ors. Frank Moss has in his possession
letter signed with the name of the Tam
| many leader of a downtown district and re-
| ceived by the proprietress of a disorderly
house practically ordering the recipient to
COM to the Tammany club house of the dis
trict and pay. The letter will go on record
as the first published example of its kind.
| The old ways of collecting blackmal did
i incl Ihn Lot LNt-i1
district leaders are. to some extent, taking
! the place of police captains in collecting
| money.
| 1T has been brought out already that in
! certain east side districts the proprietors of
| dives We're obliged to arrange with the
| district leader before opening. The next
LeXow committee will discover a new sys
tenn of corruption running side by side with
| the familiar one. OF course. the collections
made by district leaders directly for
| political purposes. That money is to defeat
| Theodore Roosevelt for governor by defray
| ing campaign expenses up the state and
| swelling the fraudulent vote of the lower
| east side. The more money collected by
| district leaders from keepers of dives and
| disorderly houses the more chance there is
| of Van Wyck's election. The chief bene
| ficiaries of Tammany rule are lawbreakers
| and, naturally, they are relied on TO con-
| tribute their utmost toward extension of
| Tammany rule to the state"
Uprising Against Crokerism.
|
headquarters today indicate that there is
brewing an uprising against Crokerism,
| which promises to cuminate on next Tues
day, and it all comes about through the re-
| cent exposures regarding this wide-open
| town. People in every section of the city
| are finding out that the town is wide open,
| and that in every a Tammany pull or
| money to oil the hinges was back of the
| opening.
| plyar has Il atny ont
! of sight in the present campaign. He is at
| his home in Troy. and his name is rarely
| mentioned at Crokers campaign bureau in
| the Hoffman House. The senator has had
| very little to do with the present cam
paign. and now that the democrats have
| lost all hope of carrying the legislature he
| has ceased to be a factor in state politics.
| Croker made a combination with Senator
| Murphy to drive David B. Hill from con-
| troll of the democratic organization of the
state. The combination was successful in
| the fight against Hill, but as soon as
| Croker got control of the state committee
| and nominated his candidates he proceeded
| to run the campaign according to his own
| ideas and ignored Murphy. The friends of
| the senator recall that it was under his
| leadership that the party was thoroughly
| organized and won victories in 1891 and
! 1892. Murphy and Hill then worked in har-
mony. and I.nmany could not control the
state committee or dictate nominations to
| a state convention. When Murphy turned
| from Hill to Croker many of his friends
1
| and that Tammany would use him to get
| control of the state committee and then
| turn him down. Last winter Mr.. Croker
| said publicly that Senator Murphy was the
| democratic leader in the state. That was
| the time he was planning to fight Hill for
| control of the state committee. With the
| aid of the senator, Mr.. Croker won his
| fight, and today Murphy is ignored.
| The Soldier Vote.
! Several references have been made in
| this correspondence to the soldier vote In
| the event of many returns this may be
| very important factor, and is worth ex-
| tended consideration. 1t is estimated that
| there are about 5000 absentees from this
| state who are entitled to a vote on land or
| sea, and they may go far toward settling
| close contests in legislative or congress
sional districts, even in the state.
| Should such contingency arise. 1t would
delay the announcement of the official re-
suit a long time, the returns from dis
! tant Manila or Honolulu might not be re-
ceived before the latter part of December,
although the result would be known by ca
] al. ion f.ayxv