Evening star., 1898-08-12

was Richard Croker Croker Informed
Danforth that If he did not obey orders that
he would get a state chairman who would.
Danforth ran crying to Hill. Hill had
counted noses on the committee and ne
knew that defeat was inevitable If he
forced the matter to a vote of the state
committee 1t was time for diplomacy,
not for fight. But it is significant that
David Bennett Hill had been beaten in the
state committee matters political for the
first time in many years.
But what hurt Hill worst of all was not
the defeat in the state committee; it was
the sense of his own political loneliness
the fact that he saw that Danforth, the man
he had made, the man he had selected for
state chairman, had deserted him and was
willing to take orders from Richard Croker
governor. chances which Hill well knows
are molecular.
Mclaughlin Goes Back on Hill.
The other man responsible for Mr.. HilI's
downfall is Hugh Mclaughlin. McLaugh-
lin, for many years the leader IN Kings
county politics, has been regarded as the
personal friend of Mr. Hill: but Tim Camp
BELLS What is the constitution between
friends" may be paraphrased by the ex-
pes ion, politicians have no friends where
patronage is at stake" Mclaughlin de-
teImined to find out the relative strength
Of Hill and Croker. Accordingly he sent
trusted agent through the state. This
agent Travelled from Sag Harbor to Sack
etts Harbor and from Princes bay to
Alexandria bay. His investigation was
complete and thorough.
what Mclaughlin wanted most of all to
Know was whether he, Mclaughlin, held
the balance of power" in the state com
mittee and the state convention. Had ne
possessed the balance of power he would
have taken his chances and quarreled with
Murphy and Croker; but what was the
good of quarreling if 1t would do no good?
The agent returned last week with this
report:
Mr.. Mclaughlin leave New York city
and Brooklyn out of this. In a stand-up-
and-knock-dOwn fight between Hill and
Danfofth on one side and Croker and Muir
ply on the other Croker and Murphy will
win. With New York city delegates be-
hind him Croker will be overpowering in
that convention Croker don't even know
his own strength in the country districts.
He is figuring on control of the cities but
l tell you that as between Croker and Hill
the majority of the country people prefer
Croker. They understand that he was out
of the country when Bryan was defeated,
but they cannot understand why Hill, who
was at Wolfert's Roost during the cam
paigu. would do nothing to help Bryan
That set led it. Mclaughlin was not will
ing TO make useless sacrifice of himself
to help Hill. He is an old man and sick
man. He knows that Barney York is anx-
lous to become the leader in Kings county.
lie dld not want to crown half a century
organization because he ordered them to
support Hill against Croker. And he knew
that Barney Ycrk and Tammany patronage
would win his old friends away from him
II he took stand in favor of HILL For
be 1t remembered Van Wyck is mayor of
Brooklyn as well mayor of New York
and Tammany Hall is rapidly extending its
eentacles to the eastward of the East river
80, with sigh, he bowed to the fates and
recognized Croker as the master
The Republicans Solid.
On the other side of the fence the repub-
Ecans are in solid front, and at this writ
ing there is no appearance of disturbance
in the ranks. There is nothing definite as
yet about candidates. Chairman OdeIl,
Governor Black and Teddy" Roosevelt are
all talked of with more or less degrees of
certainty and uncertainty. Roosevelts
bfom promises to move up a peg before
the end of this week due to his expected
arrival at Montauk Point.
1t is said that his friends will take Coop
er institute or some other large hall and
a popular movement will be started in be-
half of the gallant colonel of the Rough
Rfders. Roosevelt headquarters are al
ready established. The campaign is ex-
pected to begin with the organization of
companies of Rough Riders throughout
the state, uniformed in the typical garb
OF the cowboy regiment. Stump speakers,
cbeseh from large volunteer list, will tell
o.
the man and his party The managers for
the colonel say they are positive he will
accept the nomination, if regularly made.
he republican state committee will meet
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel on either Friday,
August 26 or Saturday, August q. Chair
man Odell will issue the call within a
very few days. The indications are that
the convention will be held in Saratoga
about September 81 Senator Platt and
Chairman Odell have decided that so far
as possible nothing should be acted upon
except arrangements for the convention.
Colonel John Jacob Astor, it is stated,
will be the republican candidate for Con-
gress in the twelfth district, better known
as the Tenderloin. Colonel George b. Nc
Clelan now represents the district and will
get a denomination from Tammany Hail.
In 1896 Mcclellan had 1880 votes to his
credit against Charles A. Hess, the repub-
lican candidate, who had 11rU00. There
were less than 500 scattering votes, the
TenderIoin district does not run much to
either populistic or socialistic ideas. Mr..
Hess was an unpopular candidate. 1t was
charged against him that he really did not
belong to the republican organization of
this city, and his fight altogether was not
a fair one from party standpoint. Colo
mel Astor, who, a year ago, would have
been opposed as being aristocrat with
a long rent roll in his favor, could have
got nothing more than the organization
vote of his district. By his record on the
field of battle, by his kindness to the SOL
diers under him, Colonel Astor has made
a record which his friends believe will
place him In the front ranks of the re-
publican party. In any event he is said
to have promised republican leaders that
he will stand for the congressional nomi-
nation from the twelfth district.