The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-21
DEMOCRATIC KNIVES OUT.
moon TO he LET Nv THE FACTION
FIGHTS ~ BROOkLTN.

joint Debate OF "oOdruH ana tlhrke.
II anybody thinks this Is very much OF ali Off
year in politics. he ought to divide day be-
tween the various political headquarters In
Brooklyn. The political atmosphere over the
Bridge is already hot enough for comfort and
he Indications point to Il much more torrid
condition before the campaign closes. The
Democrats are having lovely scrap
among themselves. in which extremely
personal personalities are being INDUCED in.
and the Republicans are crying. Sick en-
and working. tooth and nail to wipe the war
ring Democrats off the face OF the earth on
election day. The Republican managers are
exhibiting as much confidence in the result as
II they were conducting a campaign In 81.
Lawrence instead OF in Kings county.
1t is asserted by the Republicans. and Is ad-
mitted by the Democrats that never In the
memory Of the oldest Brooklyn politician has
there been such complete and thorough
organization and such perfect harmony as
there is in the Republican party In Kings
county this fall. All the eminent Republicans
over the Bridge who had grievances. or
thought they had. have forgotten them.
and. under the leadership Of Lieut-Gov.
Woodruff. are working as they have
seldom worked in any other than a Presiden
tial campaign. The Lieutenant Governor Is
directing the fight in person and Is giving his
attention to nothing else. He is at the head
quarters Of the County Committee every dav
from O'Clock in the morning until q o'clock
in the evening. and he knows Just what the
situation 10 in every Assembly district every
day in the week
With reports from election district leaders.
the leaders o. Assembly districts report to the
Lieutenant Governor daily and. sometimes.
o'ener. il the situation justifes 1t. Mr.. Wood
RUIZ let il Ina known q hN took charge
OF the campaign. that rainbow reports from
districts wouldn't go with him. and no didn't
want any. He told his lieutenants that he
wanted the rock bottom facts and II conditions
reported on this basis were not as favorable as
they should he. then ways and means would
be devised to improve those conditions.
The leaders liked the Lieutenant Governors
STRAIGHTFORWARD. plain way Of talking, and now
the machine is working as smoothly as IL each
part were on a ball bearing.
One OF the rules at the committees head
quarters provides against the making OF pre-
dictions. Mr.. Woodruff won't make any and.
following his example. his lieutenauts won't
make any. All that the Lieutenant Governor
Will say about results is
Kings county is naturally Democratic. Our
business is to turn a Democratic county into
Republican one and to increase our represent
alton in the Assembly. We are working as
hard as We know how to and haven't time to
waste in prediction. When the fight 10 over
and the returns begin TO come in. I'll have time
to make predictions"
The Democratic cam paign is being conducted.
as usual. from Willoughby street. Bridge Com
m Missioner John l.. Shea. Chairman OF the Ex-
ecutive Committee Of the Democratic County
Committee. is the active manager of the cam
paiRn. under. Of course. the watchful eye
Of tn" Hon. Hugh Mclaughlin. Mr. Shea's
friends say he was tn" logical candidate for
Sheriff this fall. that nobody else was thought
Of until the last minute. when Shea was turned
down and William Walton. Deputy Conn mis-
sioner OF Public Buildings Lighting and Sup
plies. received the nomination. They are not
any more inclined to make predictions at the
Democratic headquarters than they are at the
Republican camp. In fact. the Democratic
statesmen don't seem to care to talk politics
much anyway. About all they will say is ex-
pressed thus:
The Republicans have the harmony and a
pretty good organization. but we've got the
votes. and how are they going to beat us?
We've got some sorehends. but they'll proba-
bly, recover in time to stand up and vote the
ticket. There have been easier fights to win
over here than the one this year. but we arent
worrying yet
Tho electors Of Kings county will vote this
torney. County Clerk. County Treasurer. five
Municipal Justices. twenty lone Asse m bymsn.
and twenty-on Aldermen AS candidates for
two OF these offices. those Of Sheriff and Coun-
" Register. the Democratic machine selected
respectively. William Walton and John
Morrisey Gray. The nominations OF these
two men ara the cause. so Brooklyn Dem
ocrats readily admit. for whatever dsafreeton
exists within the party at present. As has
been stated above. it was taken for granted
among the rank and file that Bridge Commits
sioner John L. Shea would get the nomination
for Sheriff. His past services to the party. the
fact that he had always been one OF Boss Nc
I.auGhln's most trusted leuterants. and the
fact that he was tho executive head OF tho or
ganiHation in the county, all suggested Mr.
Shea as the logical candidate. and. in
fact no other name was mentioned for
the Office until Just before the
slate was announced. Then it became
known that Willoughby street had turned
down Shea and exalted William Walton. A
man who 10 unusually well informed upon
Brooklyn politics told SI'S reporter yester-
day that the ono reason for the turning down
OF Shea was the position he took on tho Ramapo
water Job when that was sprung on the Board
OF Public Improvements. Shea Joined Comp
troller Coler in his opposition to the Job. and
Willoughby street listed Shea for discipline.
The nomination OF Walton made Shca's
friends very Indignant. AS soon as it becams
known that he was slated for the nomination
for Sheriff they Immediately asked who he
was that he should secure such plum. They
called attention to the fact that he was not
even member OF his district organi-
2atou until alter he was appointed to
the Office he now holds by Mayor Van
Wyck They recalled that. from the day
he became a Brooklyn City Hall reporter years
ago, to the present time. he had always man
ngrd TO secure some profitable political APP
pointmcnt, without giving anything IN return
10 his party. Shea's friends asserted that Wal
ton had received all tn" political preferme mt to
which he was entitled and further than that:
in turning down Shea. Willoughby street had
set the seal OF itS d.Rappr0val on the
attempt Of a city official to protect the citys
treasury
-, ~, soon as SheaS friends began to talk about
the Ramapo water Job. the machine immed-
nteiy tried to COunterac the effect OF tho talk
lay causing Il statement To 60 forth that Shea
was not nominated for sheriff. simply because
lie could not he spared from tho Department
OF ilidgus that he was not turned down and
that he had agreed with the organization