New-York tribune., 1900-01-14
PAYN AND MAZET REPORT.
STORIES CONNECTING THE FIGHT OF
THE FORMER WITH THE DELAY
OF THE LATTER.

OF THE LATTER.
There are always wheels within wheels in poll
tics and the gossip yesterday IN political circles
indicated intricate combination existing at pres
ent There whisper and murmur connect
ing the fight Louis It. Payn, the State Superintend-
ent of Insurance. is making to retain his Office
and the delay in the transmission to the State
Legislature of the report of the Mazet Commit
tee. There have been many stories afoat about
this delay in filing the report of the Mazet Commit
tee. One Is to the effect that the majority report
numerically fays Richard Croker and some of his
intimate political associates for making money out
Of the CITY, and that the minority report is equally
scathing in its arragnment of Senator Platt and his
political associates for taking advantage of political
influence to further private ends; also that the
delay due a desire to effect a compromise so
that Senator Platt might be dealt with gently by
the minority report 1t was in connection with
this that the story about Payn cropped out and 1t
originated in trustworthy quarter.
AS is well known. Payn is making strong fight
TO retain his place State Superintendent of In
surance Governor Roosevelt is determined. it is
known. to remove him. It is necessary for the per-
son whom the Governor nomnates to succeed Mr..
Payn to be confirmed by the Senate, and here IS
where the struggle comes. Payn and his friends
according to general belief will make fight in the
Senate defeat the confirmation of any one named
as his successor Senator Platt and other leaders
of the organization have declared that they are
letting the Governor and Payn fight it out and are
not interfering.
almost as friendly with Tammany Hall and Demo-
cratic politicians generally he is with the Re-
publican organization He is said to have strong
personal friends among the Democratic Senators,
and it is asserted that he would be able to get
strong support from them against any one named
to succeed him. He is also credited with having
strong personal influence with many Republican
Senator's and it Is reported that they would stlck
TO him unless ordered by the organization to
stand aside There have been indications OF late,
hat
organization leaders, while processing to keep out
of the contest are in truth quietly telling the
Republican Senators that 1t would be TO their in
terest and 70 the interest of the Republican organi
cation to let Payn beaten. This quiet informa-
tion according generally accepted report, is said
to have reached the ears of Payn and stirred him
to vigorous action.
PAYN THREATENED, IT IS SAID
According to the story told yesterday, Payn went
directly to Senator Patt when he heard this report
and told him bluntly that If he left him in the
Iurch he would In turn take advantage of his warm
friendship with the Democrats to make the minor
ity report document the Senator would remember
for long time to come According to the story,
this threat had a perceptible effect upon Senator
Platt and he has changed his attitude toward the
support of Payn.
Mr.. Payn in the city yesterday, but he had
little to say. He denied that he had held meeting
at the Grand Union Hotel with his friends. Il
have held no conference with my friends" he said,
land l know of change In the matter Of the
State Superntendency of Insurance.
Many stories were ahoat among the legislators
in the city. and they less interesting
Many of them related to Payn's fight. According
to these reports there four Democratic Senators
lines and cannot be held accountable by any one
They are expected to be found behind Payn They
They are it is said likely to oppose the Governor.
n1opt S boSce Gr ~ Is uhde[St09a WI b
interesting and that will be watched with great
| interest.
Mr.; Hoffman, the Tammany member of the Ma
zet Committee, when seen Yesterday. wouldn't dis
cuss the minority report He said the so-called
way INTO print OF late were guesswork, pure ane
simple He declined to give any information about
publican members not to embarrass them by MAX
at present in the hands Of S Ti' re r'
This report, it is understood written by Sena-
1T is: not true. said Mr. Hoffman, that the
Democratic and Republican members of the
mittee @ have ave, reached an agreement as to how the
Croker: 1t is false that have agreed to expurgate
some things that are unpleasant for the friends of
Croker considerately. The minority report win be
ren 70 e dRe Leg sat- pTeGiseIy as was
Mr.. Platt it will stand as originally written"
MAZET DENIES DEAL.
Robert Mazet, the chairman of the Mazet Com
mittee, said yesterday:
The reports that here has been deal to tone
committee. and that there is to be a meeting to-
udy LOT that purpose, are untrue. The committee
has had no meeting conference to-day and will
not, SO far as l know. The majority report Of the
committee has not been completed and there will
be no changes in it. The report is not to be pre-
Sented to the Legislature Monday, but 1t proba-
bly will be presented some time next week
AT the headquarters of the Republican State
committee last evening Chairman Odell said he
peheYed that the delay in sending the report of
the Mazet Committee TO the Legislature was on
account of want of harmony among the members
Of Of the committee as to recommendation for legs-
latlon TO prevent the payment of political assess
ments by candidates for judicial office. Mr. Costello
was not IN favor of such recommendation. and
ne is understood to have refused to sign the re-
port with such q recommendation in It, Republi-
cans up the State have not been able to under
stand that there is any wrong in candidate for
the bench making a contribution to his party's
campaign fund. Testimony before the Mazet Com
mlttee showed thai in this city the payment Of
political assessments by candidates for the iudci-
ary was an evil, but Mr.. Costello is said to have
declared that such testimony did not apply to the
practice up the State and that he could not see
a good reason for recommendation for general
legislation on the subject.
1t was reported last evening that there had been
an understanding by which the terms of the recon-
mendaton should be changed so to have il apply
only to New-York City. Mr.. Mazet, 1t was said
intended to go to Albany on Tuesday and hand in
the completed report.
There a gathering OF Democrats at ",The
Club last night. Among those present were AS
seInblyman HOFFMAN. Assemblyman Trainor, John
Whalen, John f. Carroll, Senator Grady and
II was said that the minority report of the Niazat
Committee under consideration Nothing romIi
be ascertaned as TO what took place at the Confer
ence - 0 0i
SIEGEL~COOPER EMPLOYEES DANCE
ANNUAL ENTERTAINMENT IN MADISON SQUARE