The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-16
NEW YORK STATE POLITICS.
ORG CANNING THE FORCES FOR
THE GREAT FIGHT.
Pitted Against Hiil. Who Has
Nefsher-Piatt VIII bring Nation

Chicago Tribune-Uncie Thomas Collier
Piatt. the big white ehieftain from TcSa.
is located at the Oriental hotel at Coney
ready for one Of the largest political bat
ties Of mis- ife Richard Croker and a half
a hundred Of his Tammany medicine men
and lesser braves have gone 10 Saratoga
Springs. where they are plotting against
the whites. preparatory 70 the same battle,
David r. Hin is down on the Jersey coast
with long distance telephone in his hand
trying TO soft soap the upstate Democrats
into restoring him 10 the leadership OF the
party. out % which he dropped during the
Bryan campaign These three men see he
fore them fight which involves party
leadership. seat in the United States SEN
ate. q governorship, and as mach presidesl-
tisl politics a. can De injected into the situ-
alton prior 10 laA.
The election this year Is the first that has
been held since the new constitution took
fun effect. and so for the first time COM
piete state ticket - governor, lieutenant
governor secretary Of state. treasurer,
controller engineer ard attorney general
Is 10 be chosen in lump. II happens that
an entire state senate of fifty members and
an assembly Of loo are 10 be elected. and
this legislature will have the choosing Of
a successor to Edward Murphy in the Unit
cd States senate. So the immediate stake
Is large.
The Democrats have quarrel on hand
which is one 81 the most picturesque in
cidents OF the entire situation. AN and
Croker who have a cordial hatred OF each
other each wants 10 control the orsaniza-
ton. name the candidates, and go TO the
. ttssiNf h.
Hill calls Croker British racetrack
boss and processes at times openly pro-
found contempt for the Tammany brand OF
statesman Croker calls Hill a cold-blood-
Ell. selfish. hard-hearted trickster. Who
wabbles on political questions and played
the coward in the hour of the partys peril
in 1896, So the personalities in the situa-
ton make 1, entertaining.
Hill is strong with the Democrats outside
of Greater New York. He has been their
leader 80 long and has in times past made
them whatever they are in politics that
they are inclined toward him now. but he
has nothing but sentiment on which 10 feed
them He has neither patronage nor cash.
Croker has both. and while the upstate
Democra; claims 10 be somewhat hoher
than the Tainmany breed and does not rel
ish the idea OF bowling the knee 10 Croker.
his heart yeaTns for the patronage and the
cash.
Tammany has prepared to do business
this year on a cash basis. The fund to be
raised In New York city will be immense.
IL Will be poured into every county where
there is ghost of a show of electing il
member of the legislature. and IL Mr..
Croker succeeds in controlling the state
convention il will be simply because he
can offer something substantial in return
for support. If Hill loses IL Will be be-
cause all old-time sentiment Is washed of
the earth by a food OF pap.
The issues of the campaign will be as
sorted. The Democrats will follow pretty
closely the Pennsylvania precedent and
dodge the Chicago platform of two years
ago. They want to forget the international
questions too. and devote themselves
wholly to state issues. They are leading
up with arguments on the ALLEGED canal
frauds. They cry out against the metro
politan election bill. which Gov Black had
drawn and passed at the recent special sest
sion of the legislature to offset the Tam
many proposed manipulation of the police
department. They shrek against the
Raines liquor law and they drag in numer-
incidents In the mastering and man
agement OF state troops during the war.
They are for local issues wholly.
On the other hand. the Republicans will
bring national issues 10 the front They
will favor the retention OF large chunks
OF captured Spanish territory and will
bring up the spectar of the Chicago plat
form They have low tax rate on which
tn appeal 10 the country vote and they
will meet the attacks on the Raines liquor
law with showing OF more than sfco. 900
revenue turned into the state treasury
from that source.
The canal investigation shows that there
has been bad management. although no
stealing has been proved, and the Repub-
licans are finding that this question
they will have trouble. So IL may be put
down that the Democratic platform will
say little on national questions, while the
Republican will devote most OF its space
10 them.
Candidates are thick. and. while the
convention will not he held until we'll into
September the preliminary work Of
grooming them is well In hand. The Re
publicans have troubles OF their own on
this point. Gov. Black has big element
Of the party behind him. headed by the
superintendent OF insurance, Louis F.
Payn. Payn was responsible for his nom
inatlon two years ago. and he thinks he
ought TO have another term.
Gov. Black has not always agreed with
Uncle Thomas Plat. At times he has done
things 10 please the Mugwuusps and in
dependents and has turned down the reg
uiars Still, he r. on good terms personally
with Senator Piatt and IL the latter felt
support. The governor had the Mugwunps
solid two months ago. because he gave
them the primary law under which they
can help run the party in the big cities
New ne has Lost them because OF MS met
ropolltau election bin and the canal scan
dali The militia does not Ike him and So
all things considered he has a rather hard
row TO hoe.
Then there Is Col. Theodore Roosevelt.
OF the Rough Riders He has a boom
which started Ike prairie fire. and save
for little iet-up on account Of his letter
10 Alger Il has been going ever since. He
pleases the NugwurnIs and the entire
crowd tina. supported Seth Low last year
He has never been popular with Mr. Piaft
and the regulars. He ia too independent
He has b%en q rough rider IN politics for
years and has put his hobnaiiet1 shoes into
the necks Of good organization men. SO
far his boom IL concerned. there ts Just
THE 20 BE- said: II II appears when the
convention meets that he is the only Re-
publican that can be elected he will get the
nomination II ne wants IL. The delegates
l4-ay lar n