Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-16
The Tiger Has Not Abandoned the
Fight on the Nebraskan.
OBJECT OF THE RECENT INTERVIEW
People at Saratoga Had Talked
Too Much.
PLAN OF CAM AIGN


abandoning the fight on Bryan, but is play
ing a sharp game. The seeming confusion
in the council Of the anti-Bryanites at
Saratoga caused by Mr.. Croker's remark
able interview is not as serious as it seems.
The fact is that the much discussed Sara
toga conference was attracting too much
attention. Silence and stealth is the motto
of the jungle folks, and the success of the
plan of the tiger depends upon not exciting
the suspicion of the Bryanites. The Sara
toga conference got into the hands of the
chattering Bander-log, and that Is why
Croker, the tiger, has broken up the coun-
cil-for the time being-and sent the chat
terers home. The methods of the Bander-
log are not the methods of Croker the
tiger
The attack upon Bryan has not been
abandoned, nor even checked by Croker's
favorable comments on Bryan. The only
change In the situation is that those who
do not know how to conduct their council
without making a noise that will attract
attention from all quarters have been
driven away
The success of the plans of Croker, Cor
man, Whitney. Harrity, Belmont and
others-many yet unknOwn-to defeat Bry-
an depends upon the Bryan people being
soothed into a feeling of security.
Croker's Plan.
Croker has been trying for some time
to win the confidence of Bryan. He knows
that the Bryan people will have power
enough at the next national convention to
pass upon the credentials of delegations
presenting themselves at the door of the
convention and that an anti-Bryan delega-
ton cannot rely being admitted if
Bryan delegation is contesting. The Bryan
people have been contemplating the selec-
ton of a contesting delegation from New
York, should Tammany and those cooper
ating with that organization oppose Bryan.
In order to check this movement Croker
has for some time been trying to convince
Bryan's friends that he and Tammany are
not hostile to the Nebraska candidate.
Lines of the Campaign.
The campaign against Bryan has been
arranged on these lines, that men hereto
fore hostile to Bryan should pretend to
come into the Bryan camp, accepting what
they could not prevent" and that politi-
clans whose loyalty to Bryan and silver
had never been questioned, but who could
be reached should be bargained with to
join in a secret movement for the nomina-
ton Of another candidate and to "get the
party together"
this plan should be conducted with great
secrecy, and that men in the Bryan camp
who could be dealt with should be consult
ed sngly, without their participation in
and that wherever possible men who could
be relied on by the anti-Bryan people
should get control of the machinery in their
respective localities by retaining the conf
dence of the Bryanites until their control
of the machine could be assured. Consid-
erable work had been done along this line
before the Saratoga conference was
thought Of, but. on account of the sus-
picions Of the Bryanites being aroused, 1t
was not meeting with the success antfcf-
pated
The Saratoga Conference.
1t was then thought that If certain south
ern and western men identified with the
Bryan element of the party, who had the
disposition, but not the courage to join in
a movement against Bryan, could be
brought in contact with Croker, Whitney
and Harrty they could be convinced of the
practicabilitv of the plan for Bryan's de-
feat, especially as the temptation of a large
campaign fund and financial advantages to
the south could be held out to them. For
this object the Saratoga conference was ar
ranged. Some small men, however, arrived
in haste upon the scene in advance OF
Croker and Whitney, and at once began to
talk with great fluency about things that
were designed to be done in secret. 1t was
heralded that Croker would soon be there,
and that then this little band of patriots
would proceed to do" Mr.. Bryan. But
when Croker arrived and found all this
chatter of the Banger-logs going on, he de-
clined to go to Saratoga. and it is said that
the object of his interview in praise of
Bryan was designed to counteract the blum
der made by those who talked too much
and to establish himself in the confidence
of the Bryan people. who had become thor
oughly aroused by the noisy indiscretion of
small men who did not have enough sense
to keep still.
The Croker Interview.
1t is said that the Croker interview does
not mean the abandonment Of the fight
against Bryan, but is really a move to-
ward a most determined effort to insure
the presence in the democratic national
convention of men from various sections of
the country who will take commands from
Croker when the time comes for action.
Croker does not want delegations to the
national convention to go there under it,
structions to vote for Bryan, but knows
that such instructions will be insisted on
if all open fight is being made by the anti
Bryan people to capture the convention
The reliance of those who would defeat
Bryan is on their ability to capture unin-
strucced delegations after the assembling
of the convention, and their object now is
to soothe the Bryan people into a sense of
confidence which will dispose them to
yield to arguments against instructing dele
cations by the state and county conven-
ticns. Therefore, Croker is not given credit
for sincerity in his decla1 ations favorable
to Bryan, but at the same time, he Is
credited with having weather eye to the
possibility of all attempts against Bryan
failing