Evening star., 1899-04-19

3, WEDNESDAY, APRIL
ceedings might suppose that after the COM
mittee is through with Mr.. Croker II. Is
going to have Senator Plat and his lieuten-
ants before 1t. From the fact that one
hears almost as much of Platt as of Gro
ker. am inclined to think that Tanimany's
counter attack has not been failure.
Question Regarding Moral Sentiment.
Whether the moral sentiment of New
York is really going, TO be reached by the
inquiry must be determined by the devel-
opments of the future. Is am restating a
view previously expressed in saying that
thus far the real moral sentiment of the
community does not, seem to have been
aroused Inquisitor Moss, has shown that
he is driving straight ahead. The legisla-
tive committee is nienely the coach in which
he sits. Some intimations, are given that
he will drive right through the republican
organization as we'll as through Tammany,
but nobody really knows. 1 have asked a
good many people what the result would
be, and NEST of them are doubtful. They
all recognize the possibilities, and they
point to the fact that while the Lexow
committee four or five years ago was at
first discouraged. 1t did succeed in creating
a moral revolution. The same possibilities
are in the Mazot committee. I have heard
republicans say that Tammany is surely
doomed now, and that their own party
has its opportunity in the city. Others of
them seem to be more complacent under
Tammany control of the city, because they
say the republican organization always
splits into factions when it has power. This
is the way the republican machine poltti-
clans discredit reform organizations which
go outside of the regular party lines. The
democrats are badly divided in their opin-
ion regarding the result. One of them PRO-
pounded the curious proposition to me that
while Tammany might suffer locally, it
would be stronger factor in national poll
tics He seemed to fear that revolution
would sweep along and would really sub
merge the organization because OF lts
identity with the bad features of municipal
administration
Tammany Leaders Fear Bryan.
Most of the Tammany leaders have more
fear of Bryan than of Moss and Mazet. 1t
would be a comfort to forget Bryan for
day or two, but as long as he is in the
neighborhood this is not possible. 1 think
he is making progress in the way Of organ
ization. Tammany recognizes this, and
some of the democrats who are not his fol-
lowers recognize it.. The only people who
do not seem to see it are republican lead
ers. The newspapers are a littla hysterical
in their treatment of Bryan. They tell him
he is of no account in New York, but they
don't say this with much apparent conf
dence The solid New Workers who do not
follow political affairs closely feel that they
have a grievance against the newspapers.
In talking with several of them have no.
ticed that they show resentment The jour
nails told them after the last presidential
election that Bryan was buried. and would
be heard of no more. Now, while the solid
New Workers are not sure whether 1t is him
or his ghost that is walking among them,
they think somebody is TO blame because
they were led to believe that even the name
would drop out of the newspapers.
1t is hardly necessary to say that most of
these solid New Workers are of the gold
standard class of democrats. They still
hesitate about becoming avowed republic
cans, and they have no tent in which to
shelter themselves. They are also fretful
because there seems to be so little demand
on the part of the general public for Mr..
Cleveland to come out of the academic
groves of Princeton and save the country.
/ asked three four of them about Mr.. j.
Sterling Mortons new party, which is said
to be meant as a shelter ami refuge for this
class of democrats. Not one of them had
heard of it, and it is grieyous to say that
all of them had to be reminded who ]. Ster-
ling Morton was. Now, I know this will
not discourage Mr.. Morton, ror cause him to
abandon his plan for a new party. Yet it
seems to show that there IS not great inter-
est in 1T among the classes for whom it is
meant.
Harmony Issue Still Lacking.
While Mr. Bryan is keeping the demo-
any progress during the last three days
in formulating the issue which is to bring
together all the elements Of the opposition
to the republican national administration.
The anti-expansion issue may develop into
a definite line Of opposition, yet there is
something still lacking In it, The pub
Usher of a widely circulated religious news
paper, who Is himself mildly anti-expan-
sionist and radically gold standard, told
me he thought Bryan was making some
headway with religious people who are op-
posed to President McKinieys expansion
policy. But he thought that this favorable
sentiment was due to the antagonism of
Croker and Tammany to Bryan, rather
than to any agreement with the latter S
opinions.
While religious people may think more of
Bryan because Tammany opposes him. that
hardly seems magnet to draw them away
from their own party. Moreover. it is not so
certain, in spite Of the present antagonistic
attitude, that Bryan and Tammany will
be apart next year. Said one of the friends
of Mr.. Croker to me: "Oh, Crokers Jeffer-
son banquet wasn't so much of defiance
to Bryan as you thought. You won't find
Croker doing much against Bryan. He will
elect the regular delegation to the next con-
vention, and while these local Bryanites
are threatening bolt and contested dele
cation, they won't be admitted Everybody
knows Croker isn't going to go against the
regular nominee and everybody knows that
if he is nominated Bryan wants Tammany's
tween themselves
If that should be done, Mr.. Bryan would
necessarily lose some of his recent con-
verts. There is, for instance DIR. Park
hurst, who is sneering at the Mazet inves-
tigation, because, he says, it is republican
politics. One of the Bryanites who was
present at the interview between Bryan
and Parkhurst several weeks ago tod me
that they found many congenial traits in
each other and became quite chummy
The same Bryanite insists that Andrew
Carnegie is going to support Bryan. Car
negie," this man says, doesn't think the
silver question important any more and
isn't afraid Of it, but he thinks the coun-
try is making a big mistake on expansion.
and Bryan is the only man to save it, 1
have passing impression of having seen
different statement from Mr.. Carnegie as
to his intentions, but that will settle itself.
Talk With o. H. p. Belmont.
So far as 1 can discover, Mr.. Bryan is
going to find increasing trouble in holding
his silver chariot along the anti-expansion
course. Wandering around one of the big
office buildings the other day to find a