The age-herald., 1899-08-19
.RoKER's PRESIDENTIAL TICKET
Bryan and Van wyck Are Now Said to Be
 the Team He Wants

From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
 New York, August 16.-What purports
 to be Richard Croker's plan for a dramatic
 entrance into national politicts was made
 public at the city hall today by prominent
 Tammany politicians who are in the con-
 fdenee of the boss and have talked with him since his return According to the
 statement made, Croker knew before he
 started home that Bryan was weakening
 in his allegiance to the free silver issue
 and would probably come out in favor of opposition to trusts and expansion as the leading issues for 1900. That was why the Tammany chief gave out an interview, in which he called Bryan a wise statesman and announced that he had changed his
 own views on the subject of expansion.
 Croker, according to the statement made
 today, believes that Bryan will be re-nom-
 mated on new platform. The Tammany
 chief is planning to secure the nomination
 of Van Wyck for second place on the
 ticket with Bryan, and to have New
 York man, selected by Tammany, made
 chairman of the democratic national com-
 mittee in 1900.
 The Tammany politicians who talked of the matter today said that Croker had
 never opposed Bryan, but was opposed to
 making free silver at 16 to 1 the chief issue in the next national campaign.
 Bryan and the Tammany chief are now
 in accord, according to the friends of the latter. The democratic organization of the state, led by Croker, is to work for the
 nomination of Bryan and Van Wyck on an antitrust, anti-expansion platform.
 The Tammany leaders say that this move of their chief will effectually shut out any
 rival organization in this city or state that might interfere in the fall campaign or in the local contests next year. These mem who say that they know Croker's plan, are
 enthusiastic over the scheme. They say that the boss has played the shrewdest game of politics on record, and that his plan to place Van wyck on the tail of the ticket is sure to succeed.
 The Van Wyck boom that appears to be falling to pieces, was, it is said, started in accordance with instructions from Cro- ker to his lieutenants before he went away in the spring. The movement has intended to develop the strength of Van Wyck in the south and other sections of the country.
 The Tammany leaders say that if the plans of Croker are carried out the local organization will be left free from outside interference in the campaign this fall, and will be regular, and have the support of the national committee in the more important election next year They profess to be- lieve that there is already some sort of an
 understanding between Croker and the Bryan forces in the national committee. Joseph J. Willett, of Alabama, who launched the Van Wyck boom at Tam many hall on July 1, will be in the city to-
 morrow. He has written or telegraphed a number of other southern and western Chicago platform democrats to meet him
 here for conference. The original pur-
 pose of their meeting was to discuss the future of the Van Wyck movement The indications are that by the time Mr. Will lett and his friends reach the Hoffman house the Van Wyck boom will be so dead that they can not revive it.
 MT. Willett is not member of the dem ocratic state committee of Alabama, and since his speech at Tammany Hall nearly all the party leaders and party newspapers in his state have told him that he made a big mistake, and that he could not deliver a single anti-Bryan vote in the next ma. ttonal convention,