New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-07
CHECK ON CROKER'S POWER
THE WHITE CIVIL SERVICE LAW AND
THE PRIMARY REFORM STATUTE.
A TAMMANY MAN DECLARES THAT THESE
TWO HAVE MADE OFFICE HOLDERS nE-
FAINT AND CHOICE OF OPPOsI-
TION LEADERS POSSIBLE
TION LEADERS POSSIBLE.

FAINT AND CHOICE OF OPPOSI-
TION LEADERS POSSIBLE.
"Tammany Hall is in the throes of rerolu-
ton" said a man high up in the councils ofthat
organization yesterday. "and the result Of the
primaries this month will open the eyes of .ome
people. Croker cart control the office hoiers
any more and the leaders can't hold their dis
tricts when they antagonize popular sentiment
The cause?
THE White Civil Service law and the Prinary
Reform law. The former keeps men in ofic re-
gardless OF the wishes Of the organization. and
the latter enables majority of the Democntic
voters OF any district to elect leader hostih to
Croker.
Watch Sheehan's district for corroboraion
Of what | say. Before this year could make
certain of electng whoever the Boss waited
to be elected: it's got TO be a comparatively
honest election, under the new law. and the
chances are in favor of Sheehan coming nut
victorious Yet no man has dared say the thhgs
about Croker that Sheehan has said and rerrln
in Tammany."
Has the Civil Service law any bearing on he
Sheehan fght?"
certainly. 1t may surprise you to know nat
20 per cent Of the office holders here are in snn-
pathy with Sheehan and are helping him wfr-
ever they can. DO you suppose they'd be at my
such tricks but for this blasted Civil Ser1ce
humbug? Not your life. Now they know
they're safe. and IT makes them Independent
enough TO please themselves. Besides Sheehn
has been telling them OF how he'll REMEMBER
his friends when he is once more leader OF Tan
many Hall Croker will say nothing personally,
although all Of his lieutenants and trusted men
are doing his fighting
'If we had the old days again-the days ie-
fore the reformers began monkeying with pdi-
tics-every office holder would either do what
the machine wanted get out. Now. there is
no reason for the office holders to trouble them
selves as they it. and inability to turn
them out bars us from getting the active and
enthusiastic aid Of young hustlers ambitious 70
get Office.
Il tell you these Civil Service and Primary
laws have played the deuce with us, and nobody
IN Manhattan realizes that more keenly than
Richard Croker. Every Tammany district in t1e
city may elect leaders dead opposed to him. and
he can't stop It. What can he do? Patronage
was his chief power. but where's the patronage
to come from when men. once In office. may
hold on indefinitely, whether or not their polrl-
cal affiliations are approved at headquarters?
That's why Office holders have publicly hon
nobbed with Sheehan. They are getting IL
through their heads that under the altered con-
ditons he has more than fair chance of beat
ing Croker and they know that he has the sym
pathy Of ex- Senator David r. Hill and Hugh
McLaughln who have succeeded in getting 10
the front through this Ramapo scandal"
why didn't Croker come out against that
steal?"
He couldn't arrord to. He wasn't In 1t per
sOnaly but lot OF the other leaders, big ana
little we're and 10 have denounced the scheme
would have given them excuse for Joining
the Sheehan forces No: Croker is walking on
egs" t"st 49, md he doesn't know the moment
that he'll he in a mess.--