New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-31
THE SILENCE or RICHARD CROKER

Whore is Richard Crokcri OF course. few
things are more widely known than that after
he had held his political lcvce in Saratoga. and
caused n meeting of the Democratic State Com
mittcc 10 he convened there against the earnest
protcstations Of David II. Hill. he retired to the
Adirondack Wilderness. Nor Is there any rea-
son to doubt that his bodily fabric is still rusti-
eating In the North Woods But where is the
spiritual essence the soul which "oprinforms
that tenement of clay? The silence of Dean
Maitland was bostorouS in comparison with tho
silence which has lately cnvroncd Mr.. Croker.
II is n curious and remarkable circumstance o.
which no previous feature Of Mr.. Cookers ca
recr affords an explanation He has repeatedly
in recent years boon much further away from
the storm centre of New-York politics than he
is now. bu, ii has always been easy to discern
his spirit riding on the whirlwind During the
periods of his residence abroad the cable kept
him under almost daily observation. and he was
never Mt any time utterly cffaccd.
The only explanation Of this strange phenom-
enon is that Mr. Croker is thinking thinking
harder than he ever thought before. and finding
the output of this intense mental application
extremely unsatisfactory. Nor. If this is the
fact. Is it in the least surprising. There is
STATE from which the leaders might well pray
to be delivered on condition OF squaring the
circle. finding the lost books OF Livy. identifying
the man who smote William Patterson or solv-
Ing any old mystery of the human race. The
Democratic party. as everybody has been ON
cially Informed several thousand times, is going
to make this years campaign in Ncw-lork on
State issues The only trouble Is that large
MI roDf iupput IL o.
solved 10 make n State issue ont Of William ].
Organism This appears utterly Illogical 10 the
rest of the party. but no way Of proving their
case TO the satisfaction Of an Indispensable host
Of voters has yet beer discovered Most Of the
people who say that Bryan and the white metal
and the repudiation OF debts and general drift
toward anarchy do not constitute State issue,
and consequently have no place in this years
Democratic programme. are understood TO be
willing that in total disregard Of the feelings
of Roswell Pcttibonc Flower. no man shonld be
nominated for Govcrnar who did not vote for
BRYAN and all the consequences in 1896. But
this magnanimous concession does not begin, or
has not yet begun, TO satisfy the demands OF
those who are infamcd with zeal for regularity.
They require that the Chicago platform Of two
years ago shall be swallowed with profusc man
lfpSlHIlOIS Ol pTIue anu pI'HNui' ~ b" pi'ih''-
nary TO entering upon a fight against the recent
administration of State affairs In New York.
They told Mr.. Croker in Saratoga what they
wanted and meant 10 have and our opinion Is
that he betoOk himself TO the North Woods TO
.hnk II over
The natural conclusion suggested by Mr.. Gro
kcr's prolonged retirement and profound silence
Is that the more he thinks the more he wishes
he didn't have TO think at all. And it must he
admitted that 10 put statesman Of Mr.. Gro
kcr's calbre in such Il position is an atrociously
cruel thing. or would be except for the high and
holy principle ut stake. He secs some tens of
thousands Of Democrats getting ready TO prove
in November, in case the necessity arises. that
free silver etc, is not the kind Of Il State issue
that they can afford to tie up TO- On the other
hand. hc secs .he ruthless defenders of regular
ity preparing to maintain NJ all hazards that
without ii everything is lost. including honor.
II he doesn't wish from the bottom of his heart
that he was peacefully losing his money on the
English turf instead of trying to arrange the
conditions of a political race in NewYork we
miss Our guess.