The times., 1899-03-21
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Croker and Bryan.-Mr. Croker and
Mr.. Bryan have finally crossed swords in
what may become a fight to the death,
politically speaking. Some time ago Mr.
Croker decided to give an elaborate ban
quet on Jeffersons birthday, April 13. The
Metropolitan Opera House, in New York.
was hired for the occasion and over LOO
invitations were issued. The announce
ment was made that the dinner was to
be very elaborate affair; that it was to
cost $40 plate. and would probably settle
the political future of the Democratic
party for the next decade at least. Mr..
Croker's invited guests included William
j. Bryan. Grover Cleveland, and nearly
all of the 5lmen who have been promi-
nently identiied with the Democratic
party during recent years. Mr. Bryan ac-
knowledgedi Mr.. Grocker's invitation. which
| was conveyed through Perry Belmont, the
president of Mr.. Croker's club, by asking
whether Mr.. Belmont had publicly pro-
| claimed his conversion to the doctrines
enunciated in the Democratic platform OF
! 1896. In replying, Mr.. Belmont evaded
making direct answer to Mr.. Bryans
| query. Herstated that the invitations to
| the dinner Were issued by the club and
without regard to the individual opinions
| of anyone. All Democrats, he declared.
ought to join together in honoring the
memory of Thomas Jefferson. So far as
can be learned. Mr.. Bryan has made no
reply to Mr.. Belmont's last communica-
| tion. 1t is safe to say that he will not
| dine with Mr. Croker and Mr.. Belmont
upon the date mentioned. 1t is believed
that Mr.. Bryan will be in New York on
| the night of April 13, however, and that he
will not have to skirmish for a place to
l IT. H.
Gratis Of New York who have the courage
to stand up for the Chicago platform.
| They have engaged the Grand Central
| Palace, over in Lexington Avenue,
building which, IL not quite as fashionable
can accommodate larger company than
! the Metropolitan Opera House. The din
ner to which Mr.. Bryan has accepted an
invitation will only cost 81 plate. Even
| ing dress will not be required, but the
| guests will include most Of the prominent
national leaders Of the Democratic party.
| Among those who will be present at the
Grand Central Palace one-dollar dinner
are James K. Jones. John P. Altgeld. Jo-
| seph w. Bailey, George Fred Williams,
| William ]. Stone, Charles A. Towne, and
Benjamin r. Tillman. Very few men of
national prominence will be, it is under
| stood. at the Croker Belmont dinner
| There Will be, 1t is asserted, practically
no one OF any consequence from outside
| the limits Of the State of New York.
| The contrast between the two dinners will
be most marked. Mr.. Croker and his
friends naturally resent the rude invasion
Of their territory by the adherents of Mr..
| Bryan. but it is said that they will have
| still further cause for complaint before
many weeks go by. In word. it is under
stood that Mr.. Bryan and his friends have
decided to beard the Croker lion in his lair:
| that the Jefferson dinner at the Grand
| Central Palace is but the preliminary to
| the beginning of vigorous campaign in
New York against Mr.. Croker and the
| Democrats who refuse to subscribe to the
tenets of the Chicago platform. 1t is the
purpose of the Bryan people to go ahead
and elect delegates to the Democratic Ma
tional Convention next year with the as
| surance that the convention will admit
their men and turn down Croker's Mr.
| Croker has challenged Mr.. Bryan to a con-
/ test on the sacred soil of the Empire State,
and the challenge has been accepted Will
| 1t result in the elimination OF Mr.. Croker
from the field Of national and even State
politics? Such result is within the range
| OF probabilities, according to the friends of
| the Nebraska statesman.
Gossip About AIger.-The latest re-
port regarding Secretary Alger is that he
will voluntarily" retire from the Cabinet
some time next month. and that he will
be succeeded by General Horace Porter, at
present our Ambassador at Paris General
Porter is from New York, and would be
acceptable TO Senator Piatt and the Re-
publican organization OF that State He
took prominent part in the Presidential
campaign OF 1896, and was chief marshal
OF the parade at ithe Inauguration of Mr..
Mckinley. Rorter was on Grants staff
during the Civil War, and he actually saw
| considerable military service He could
hardly fail to be an improvement on Alger
| Mr.. Alger is. making preparations to start
tomorrow on trip to Cuba. He will be
| gone, it is understood. for len days or two
weeks. Upon his return. some of his close
| friends intimate that the formal an
| nOunccment tof his withdrawal from the
! Cabinet will be made
VIII Queen Victoria Abdicate p
! The chief topic in diplomatic circles for the
| past few days has been the rumor that
Queen Victoria was thinking seriously of
abdicating. She has been very feeble for
several years, and of late it is said that
| she has hardly been able to attend to any
Of her public functions. The abdication or
death of the Queen would, of course. make
the Prince of Wales the King of England
! The point the diplomats are discussing
with the most concern is what will be the
| probable effect of the elevation of the
| present Prince of Wales to the British
throne on the politics of Europe and per-
| haps, the world? There has been a gen
eral feeling in some quarters for some time
| back that the advent of the Prince of
| Wales to the throne would be the signal
| for a general uprising which might lead
| TO results as momentous as those pro-
duced by the French Revolution. But this
| impression has. of late, almost disappeared
| Europe, said a prominent diplomat
| yesterday, may be on the verge of a
| bloody war, but the Prince of Wales is
not likely to cut much of figure in it
one way or the other. 1t is of very little
| moment, as a matter of fact, whether he
ascends the throne or not. He will not be
much more than a figurehead at best. His
power for good or i'll will be limited The
government In England is established
upon very enduring basis. 1t cannot be
overturned by any change in its nominal
head
1T is true. however. that the influence
of the Queen has been in the direction of
peace. She has been anxious not to have
| the close of her reign marred by bloody
| war, and undoubtedly her wishes in this
| respect have had great weight with the
| British Ministry. Everyone feels. how
ever, that Europe is on the crest of a
volcano which must give way some time.
But whether that time will be soon or late
no one can foretell."
The LAW About Theatre Tickets.
From the New York SUM-
The fact that ticket bought for theatre and
not used on the date stamped it is always