Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-15
cRoKERs CONVERSION.

| CROKEHS CONtEhsio''
The Hon. Richard Croker returned u
New York from England on S"'uiu"'
and Sunday morning the papers OF 'n"'
big overgrown. provincial city cohtaii'''
long interviews with him. ordih"i"''
Mr.. Croker IS not an easy man from Wnoi"
90 extract information, but upon this oc-
cos,op no welcomed the reporters merihy
and smoke freely on many public ques-
tons.
ia urent away an antI-Bryan man ana
an expansionist, and came back sIea'
admirer of the eloquent Nebraskan ana
hitter opponent OF the Presidents inpe-
realistic policy
! vnat wrought this sudden change IN
him is not clear His explanations upon
,ba, noint lack the lucidty which he IN
fused into his other statements; but ne
denied that his change of mind was due
10 any outside influences. He says that
having thought these questions over. ne
has reached the conclusion that Mr..
Rrvan rs one of the greatest men Amer
Tea has produced" and that Bryan
power with the people is extraordinary
Yet. in a supplementary interview gwen
TO the press night before last, Mr.. Croker
desires IT be distinctly understood that
mother he nor Tammany is committed TO
Mr.. Bryan's denomination. He states that
he does not mean to say that he Will Work
for MIR. Bryans nomination, or that Bryan
is "the only man fitted for the nominal
ton"
Nevertheless, it is indisputaole that MS
position with respect to Bryan is far dr.
ferent from what 1t was a few weeks
ago. Then he was hostile TO him, now
he lavishes praise upon the great Demo-
cratic champion.
We should not be justified in assuming
that Mr.. Croker will help on Bryan's can
didacy. but we may believe that Tam
many will not fight Bryan in the way II
was expected to do. And Mr.. croker's
pronunciamento must be taken in connec-
ton with the fact that great efforts have
been made recently to organize a Van
Wyck boom.
IT is hard to read the thoughts. or d.
vine the purposes. OF such a man as Dick
Croker, but we guess his real object now
IS TO put the New York Democracy in
position TO be influential in the next Ma
tional Democratic Convention A mint
that he drops with reference TO the free
silver ratio indicates his hope that the
convention will leave that to Congress.
If the purpose of Mr.. Croker be such as
we suppose, it will result in enlivening
national politics very much. If he and
his political associates go TO the conven-
ton resolved to discuss all questions
calmly and abide all issues in good faith.
the Empire State may regain her position
in national Democratic councils. we can
not promise them that their views will
be accepted, but we can guarantee thom
a respectful hearing.
Mr. Croker has convinced himself that
the war in the Philippines is "a part
Of political plot to put back into power
the discredited Mckinley Administra-
ton" While he admits that at sounds
harshly to say the President is RESPONSE
and thousands Of homes, he insists that
the statement is not more harsh, brutal.
and inhuman" than the facts warrant.
Furthermore, Mr.. Croker thinks the Phil
ippines would be useless TO us If we sub
dued their people.
Politicians and newspapers throughout
the country are very deeply interested in
what some of them call "Mr. Cookers
flop" And in more than one instance it
is intimated that 1t is a scheme of his
to control the next National Democratic
Convention. That may be true. He has
the right to entertain a proper ambition
I'm that direction, but he must know that
his influence In the convention will be in
exact proportion to the sincerity of pur-
pose which he and Tammany evince.
We should not be frank If we did not
say that Tammany is distrusted. There
IS much fear that Il wishes to rule or
ruin" 1t may be that in this matter in
justice is done It, Still, it is for Mr..
Croker and Tammany to counteract that
suspicion. and they ought to go into the
convention determined to win. If they
can, by fair means; but, If defeated on
the question of platform or candidate,
resolved to support the ticket with such
vigor and enthusiasm as forever to ban
ish all doubt as to their loyalty to the
party. The game of "heads win,
tails you lose" is not one that Is popu-
lar with the mass of American Demo
Gratis.