New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-26
A STARTLING RUMOR.

Here's more trouble In the midst Of all the
excitement over Cuban affairs, with stocks tum-
bling down three points day and squirting
up two the next; with the Tammany contingent
who went into 1.-THE Street on thin margins and
Crokers tip gone broke" and thrown back on
the waiting list for the Civil Service Commits
sion to force an entrance on the municipal pay
rolls for them: with newspapers getting out war
extras once In fifteen minutes and newsbOys
bowling the whole town into Mysteries; with
the Oshkosh militia mobilizing, the Podunk Ma
tlonal Guard under arms the Naval Reserve OF
Utah drilling indusriousy night and day on
Salt Lake, the Governor OF Kansas IN eruption
and the Governor Of Illinois in a state Of mind;
with audiences In the theatres rising up and
singing the Star Spangled Banner and other
patriotic tunes in various keys; with the dog
show adjourned, so that the dogs Of war may
discharge their proper functions in the news
papers and on our unprotected coasts; and
most ominous Of all-wlth Senator Allen of
Nebraska fallen into phenomenal silence and
innocuous desuetude-with all this, we say,
what should happen but the sudden circulation
Of the startling rumor that Plat and Croker
have fallen out! Truly, It never rains but 1t
pours!
The story goes that Croker having acquired
an interest IN certain city railway stocks upon
the strength OF an understanding with Plat
that the latters following in the Legislature
should act with Cookers Tammany people in
that body In favor of all measures for the con-
servaton and protection Of these railway cor
porations is in danger of being left by his
Republican ally. They say that Plat for some
reason, possibly a conscientious regard for the
clty's welfare or an unsel1sh love for his fellow
men. has decided TO lam through" the Legls-
lature n bill authorizing the city Of New York
to put up AT public auction the franchises OF
the Sixth and Eighth Avenue railroads This OF
course. would be hard on Croker, and especially
hard on Crokers friends who, on his tip, have
loaded up with stock of the Metropolitan Trac-
ton Company on thin and perous margins
And If there was really an understanding be-
tween Croker and Plat in this in other mat
ters it would look very much as if Plat him
self had dropped into the habit which for so
many years he has freely and fuently charged
upon pretty much everybody with whom he has
had political commerce. Of breaking faith. We
can hardly believe 1t. The relations between
Croker and Plat have been so intimate and
so profitable that we cannot credit this cruel
rumor.
No: Plat might go back on Ouigg. or Fred
Gibbs-their places could be easily 0lled-but
never on Croker. Croker Is too useful TO him
There is, TO be sure, some plausibility In the
theory that by the Introduction Of such n bill
Plat would compel the Tammany members TO
pm, themselves on record and so disclose their
attitude toward the corporations which they
pretend to have In such holy horror That also
would put Croker in a hole. and perhaps knock
the Tammany Democracy out OF considerable
amount Of political capital in the matter Of its