New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-16
CROKER FOR SILVER.

It appears to be generally agreed among OBJ
servers Of politics that Richard Croker mas de-
termined to use his influence In the Democratic
party to hold the organization In this state true
to free silver and the Chicago platform. Sena-
tor Murphy's vote for silver and ex-senator
Hills desire to draw Democrats here from the
financial errors into which they were led III
their worship Of party regularity by the favor
ties who captured the Chicago Convention have
marked out the path for him, and 1t Is said to
be settled that all the power Of victorious Tam
many will be used in an effort to give the coun-
try free silver by the vote OF the State Of New
York.
II the plan by any chance succeeds one man,
and one only. will be to blame. That man Is
he who put Croker IN power, and made 1t pos
sble for him TO use the government Of the
greatest city on the continent to advance the
cause Of Organism. Under pretence Of work
ing for sound money he betrayed the people of
this State into the hands of the repudiatiOnists
knowing that this State and country had been
carried for the gold standard only by the aid OF
honest Democrats who were patriots before
they were partisans, he devoted himself all
last summer and fall to denunciatlon of indie
pendence and non-partisanship, TO glorfca-
how wicked or unpatriotic their conduct and
did all that he could to make every Mugwump
and Democrat who voted for Mckinley dis
gusted with RepublicaniSm as they saw 1t
manifested In New-York City That man
Thomas C. Platt He and Croker were In alb
solute harmony on the duty of allegiance to
machines Croker said that II man couldn't
support his machine he should support the
I oh
announced that he preferred Tammany Mayor
to any Mayor who was not his own allure.
Under such teaching naturally the independent
who voted a Republican ticket once will be
slow to offend Plat by giving him more of the
support which he scorns.
II there ever was any sincerity in Platts os-
tentatious devotion to the gold standard he
must feel sad, indeed to realize that in the
last year he has done more 10 strengthen Bry-
anism in New-York State than any other man.
He split the Iepubcan vote In this city, and
made it impossible for one who wished non
partisan Mayor to vote for a sound-money
candidate for Chief Judge without annoyance
and trouble IN the voting booth He tyrannized
over country Republicans that he not only
lost Assemblymen IN strong Republican dis
tricts but cut off the rural vote for the State
ticket about sixty thousand from 1895, and far
more than that from 1896 Had he been less
set on having his own way in city and State
he might have led not only united party. but
a party reinforced by thousands Of honest
Democrats TO n great victory at the polls and
made 1t Of no moment what course Croker
takes with regard to free silver But he has
crowned Croker king of New-York has put in
his hands immense power for the next election,
has given the Democracy a leader possessed Of
resources which can hold the party 10 Bryan
ism, and make 1t dangerous even here which
II was not In 1896. That Is the result of Platts
work for sound money.