Arizona republican., 1899-10-19
CRoKeR's DoLEfuL SHADOW
IT Hung Like a Pail Over the Dewey
s. Ceremonies.

A few days before the arrival of Ad-
miral Dewey q New York cartoonist
drew a picture of Richard Croker
standing with one foot on the Battery
sea wall, the other on Central park
and waving one arm to indicate all OF
Greater New York, he was saying:
Admiral; my town.
Dewey probably did not see this car
toon. but being a close observer, he
must have seen and felt the spirit of
it a thousand times during the two
days that he was the guest of the city.
The welcome to the hero of Manila was
officially an affair of the city admins
| tration, in. substance it was a SpOnta-
neous outburst of popular enthusiasm,
but in the general plan and arrange
ment it was Tammany affair, shaped
to exploit Boss Croker in the reflected
glory of the admiral.
From the time of the first formal
welcome down the bay until the end
of the land parade on Saturday. the
face of Croker cast a protruding and
offensive shadow over every scene. He
was thrust forward everywhere by the
plans of mis- fawning and bootlicking
followers and the mans own vanity
kept him at the front at times when
tact and decency would have sent him
to the rear Holding no city office he
could not we'll take the place of the
mayor in the formalities, but he was
placed upon the reception committee,
and in that capacity he made himself
more conspicuous than any other man
who had to do with the welcome to the
admiral.
Some incidents of the reception that
received little notice al the time will
be talked of for days to come in all
sections of the country, because they
We're witnessed by men who had not
known the Tammany leader before and
watched him closely. Many of these
spectators We're guests of the city, and
men of Importance in their own states
The rudeness of the treatment they re-
ceiYed made them close observers of
the manner of the boss of Tammany
and the men he has set to govern New
York.
A fine steamboat was hired to con-
vey the mayor. reception committee
and invited guests down the bay on
Friday morning for the ceremony of
official welcome and for the naval pa
r2de. This boat was held at the pier
ten minutes beyond schedule time,
waiting for Boss Croker. It would not
have been held as many seconds for
any other member of the committee.
When it was discovered that the boss
would be late the mayor and all the
other city officers on board gathered at
the gangway on the lower deck TO wait
for him. Governors of states, there as
guests of the city by special invitation
made their way on board as best they
could. struggling through the crowd on
the pier. No one met them at the
gangway. The mayor did not receive
them-in fact, ignored their presence.
When they got aboard they had to shift
for themselves. No one in authority 50
much as made an inquiry relative to
their comfort
When Croker appeared the band
played Hail to the Chief The mayor
bowed humbIy before him and city
turned errand boys to
his slightest wish. Squads |
of police cleared a way for him if he |
wished to move across the deck, and |
the guests of the city We're forgotten.
No provision had been made for them |
beyond permitting them to ride in the |
same boat with the boss.
On the reception committee there |
were some distinguished men, but |
Tammany had planned that Boss Gro
+xer should do the receiving, and he
did. He stood by the gangWay when |
Dewey came aboard, the other mem
oers of the committee kept well back |
by two lines of police. The situation
was peculiar. 1t caused much COM
nent. but the boss seemed to enjoy the
role he had selected for himself He
was first to greet the admiral, then he
ed him off to the cabin and stood at
MS right throughout the reception.
Other members of the committee We're
hustled along by the police; the mayor
dropped back into the crowd.
The scene made Croker express the
dea of the cartoonist, Admiral my
Own!" and the boss was determined
o do the honors in his own way. When
he reception was over he led Dewey
o the gangplank, shook hands and
waved him off, while the other mem
'ers of the committee We're ignored or
ost in the crowd. 1t was a great day
or Boss Croker.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.