New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-18
THE BRYAN-CROKER DEAL.
NEGOTIATIONS GOING on SINCE LAST
MAY, SAYS J. j. WILLETT.
O. Il. P. BELMONT THE GO-BETWEEN-AL-
LEGED CAUSES FOR THE POLITICAL
sOMERSAULTs OF THE WIGWAM

.. H. 7. BELMONT THE GO-BETWEbN-AL
LEGGED CAUSES FOR THE POLITICAL
sOMERsAULTs OF THE wIGwAM
LEADER AND THE COLONEL
J. J. Willett. Of Alabama. president Of the Bar
Association Of that state. reached the city yes
tcrday afternoon. bringing the badly dishgured
Van Wyck boom with him. He went to the
Hoffman House and Immediately began opera
tiors. re opened a rapid fire gun upon Croker
dep.oyed his vocal artillery in abusing Bryan,
shailod Atgcd with his reserves and threw IN
political cavalry against stone Of Missouri
while protecting Van Wyck with his infantry
He reminded one OF n pInwheel in action, and
throw his verbal sparks in every direction
Mr. WiIlott is a tall lean man with cadaver-
Gus look and an amount Of stored up energy
that seems never to he exhausted. He took off
his coat mctaphorically speaking. and an
nounccd that he was here 10 work for eX-Justice
Van Wyck and that he didn't give a tinker's
outfit for Bryan. Croker. Altgcld, stone or any
Of the rcst. He declared bravcly that Bryan and
Croker had come 10 an understanding, and that
their deal was one Of the most corrupt political
conspiracies ever enacted He said the whole
thing had been cooked up for weeks. Altgeld's
Chicago interview he insisted. forerunner
substantiation trailer. and Bryan's Iowa speech
was the clinchcr. Bryan's intrigue with Croker
had lost him support in the South, ne declared
as Southern mon would not tolerate candidate
who would treat with Croker. Mr.. Willett
bclchcd out the political secrets in his breast
Ike an engine drawing cighty-throc cars up
steep grade and his wheels spun until they spat
fire
HIS BIG FOUR"
He referred 10 Bryan. Croker. Altgeld and q.
Il p. belmont as the Big Four" and said that
q. IT, 2 Belmont had been the political emissary
who had put through tho agreement he started
in bravely by saying:
MIR Bryan has. | understand, been negotlat-
ing with Mr.. Croker since last May. .. H. =.
Belmont, I am told. started these negotiations
and carried them on as only born diplomat
can. II Tammany is satisfied with Bryan. then
next % Mr. Croker Mr.. Belmont IS 20 be con-
sidered tho greatest man in Tammany Hall. and
certainly deserving % the second place on the
ticket should Croker and Bryan dominate the
next National Convention. These intrigues. l
saw. commenced last May. | was here then ana
met one of Mr. Bryan's most trusted friends at
tho Waldorf lie knew I was from the South.
/ learned that Mr. Bryan had written letter
20 This gentleman for tho purpose of having him
irtIrnated he vas ready 20 do just what H. prac-
tiral,y did in HIS Iowa speech. In return ior ths
DC hoped for the succur and support OF ~
Croker and that Mr.. Croker. Win All ot ms
Vows upon expansion would coniorn 10 ms
G3rpan'sJ views upon the question OF Imperld'-
irr The contents of this letter were 10 ne
s.nt by Mr. Belmont 20 Mr. Croker. VINO hdu
Ju.t sailed for Europe, and were to oe usea ds
" he sam tine ,po Commlttae o. one
ILuai,d uf the dollar dinner. through MT gum
hy Mt Bryau's official representative In the
city was 20 make combination Win J"tH -
Shaahan II was at this tiuo that Mr.. She"han
declared war upon Mr. Croker. but ne dldn
know that the fine Italian hand Of the
Nebraska statesman and Mr. ho'"'n, ,.'.,..,t, WIS
"a, work Belmont prevented IN" commit
too ~ one Hundred from adding IT'S forces TO
Slcchan. and STAYED of any acu"n uulii 'I.N''
could be- heard from Tn" influence or ShG'man'
ae y,.u os that of Charles ". Dayton ana Nor
man D. Mack of Buffalo. had been solicited %
iotn the Bryan forces. and Mack was {" he IN"
general managcr - the movement IN IN" S'a'".
TIN. ,tpneifInu WAS 60 hc made known "H'H
,t r',rocro,ic Committee mot In St Louis at
-. limo ~ tho antitrust dinner. on May ~
lest Hut just before that. understand ""rl
was received by Mr. Belmont from Mt. 'I"h'' u.
,,bi,b he declared himself aS Wiling 10 aC''P.
n, pr,,,'s princinles and saying that he would
So declare hinsc, upon his return from Eurole;
In tho mean time. through Nj. helW9Ht anu
Norman f.. Mack. all dealings WIN J"nh -
eba.ban were ~ be cut loose. which was done
VAN WICK DID NOT GO.
relieving that everything was settled OK
Governor stone of Missouri visited TINS city
,.., oa,,., ov-.Tustice Van Wyck 10 attend the
antitrust dinner Mr.. Van Wyck d'd not go
Whom T came into possession Of these facts'
number or warm admirers Of Augustus @ Van
week met AT the Lawyers Gun I'D '".S Dt'S,
o,d &, ua4 decided tndt II ti' ''"u.'''''
proved true | was 20 declare Tor iH' ''"t tho
York Democrat who Is htI"N'" az ,,.~ ,n
L. -
the south against Bryan h'cauS' ~ ,hn Iat.
,,orted mat ne had refused to vot" f"r tn' I''
charles + Crisp for Speaker III th' -,
pnrr.santativcs on the ground that 'Ll' '''t SO.
itepItseIl.', ,I tocr a Confederate officer. EN-
tueticn Van Wvck will receive the son" SUI Suifn 10Y
or ot least Ave southern states Wnicn M.'' itb
support the man VINO y..n, - u'T 20 gidely popular
- ,hn South II was fear Of Van WICK UNA unn'
made BRYAN intrigue with 'r"N'' ''' '
mort Of Ncw-York .t.,o, -, tho Van
~ WiIIett was the lone sentinei OF IN %llr haa t.t
~, .Ml ,,, last night a. the other boomers n',i
NOT arrived lie said they W"u'" w. ~ ~ ttoffrron
and conference Will toe h.Id Tb Tt ''v nonforenccs
Itoueo nj ! o'clock tonight NJ Ia ,,anv
iU 10 continued for several days; anu W.,
,rnrtnont Democrats from the SOUTH ~S"uIn aini ,hisc ox
he added would he present; A'no"S ,,oraI "
Ir'5 ~ oc,cording to Mr. Willett are "'Hetdl w, w
p@ctrn, ,, ~, - Tennessee: ex-Congressman W;
- FngIish Of Indiana: +. ; l,untEnt1n.ji t.
Georgia: colonel Charles iudIoHi oEHis % O. A. John
s,"1o ""1 - Mississippi: y. 3. Hamilton OF ,,,V =,
ria: G r. Woods. Of Savannah, Ga, rar,o Court
Wcclollan chief Justice q the supreme O''''
~ Alabama and many others.
MIR WILSON'S ATTACK ON FLAll'
49, t,,r,,s H. Wilson. who on Wcdnes-
~. ..,,,re 70 a shot from Senator Platt said:
ady e1} Mr. NJ piatrr failures balanced against hi,
s,,ccessos in politics he would have to go nl,o
roliti,al bankruptcy, and there w'uId not w.
. aI-,inister them" Is ready 10 follow up
''''uht w. g.. h.s said with more Of the same sort
=, ss.a h., e. attacked by the Senator
!" -. I hoye dome" said ne n n Tribune