Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-22
The Tammany Chieftain's Hard
Proposition.
OUTGENERALED IN THE STATE
A Desperate Fight to Maintain His
sSpnmacy.
COLER ONLY AN INCIDENT

Specidl DIspdtcn TO Inc Evening Stat
NEW YORK. August 22.-Richard Croker.
IL report be true. will stack up against
the hardest proposition to maintain his
leadership this fall he has ever had to en-
counter. 1t may be<stated almost positively
that he has broken with the vast meneyed
interests which he served during the life
of the late Roswell p Flower. He now be-
gins political fight In which his leadership
and the influence of his organization in local
and state politics are at stake.
The fight in the democratic party, In
which the nomination of Controller Golfer
for governor is only an incident, is the
most momentous since Tilden measured
swords with Tammany. Stripped of every
influence save Tammanys vote and patron
age. Croker begins his battle with bold
attack on the moneyed interests that have
heretofore been behind him.
Proposition to Wood.
AT Saratoga, Sunday, it is said, he asked
Eugene d. Wood of Albany to prevent
Hills election as a delegate to the state
convention. To his amazement Wood re-
fused and intimated that Albany county
would send Hill delegation to the con-
vention. When Croker heard that he real
lied that Hill had outgeneraled him by
patching up truce with the group of
democratic capitalists which had formerly
opposed him because of his aversion or
Grover Cleveland.
Il have had no dealings with Wood"
said Croker in his rage. He is the paid
lobbyist of corporations and insurance
companies and tells what he does for them.
| regard him as a fit subject for the dis
trlct attorney of Albany county.
When Croker gets angry and begins to
abuse people he is hit hard. 1t was SO
during the mayoralty campaign. In this
case the man attacked is member of the
democratic club and has heretofore been
the boon companion of the Tammany
leaders
His political associate in Albany is An
thony N. Brady, the capitalist. Mr.. Wood
is the legislative and political representa-
tive of big corporations His intimacy
with the Tammany leaders was based on
this fact; he dealt with Tammany as the
representative of the Traction. Telephone,
Gas and Electrical Companies of Greater
New York. Cookers attack on him means
the severance of political fellowship be-
tween Tammany and these interests.
William c. Whitney is the leader of these
interests. and II is stated that few days
ago Mr. Whitney formed an alliance with
Hill for the oveFthroN of Croker.
Sheehan, Men With Hill.
William C. Sheehan, who stole Erie coun-
ty from Croker as preliminary to his re-
entrance to state politics. arranged the al
lance between Hill and the democratic cor
poration interests of the state. He said the
day following the meeting of the state
committed:
The fight on Croker has just begun. In
fuences are at work which will put an end
to his bossism In state and city politics..
Cookers break with Eugene Wood shows
just what Sheehan meant. The former
lieutenant governor is the representative in
the Hill Sheehan-Coler combination of Will
lam c. Whitney, Thomas +. Ryan, Hugh
J. Grant, Anthony Brady, Thomas F.. Cum
mi III, de f.,4e Z orl
program of the combination is the nominal
ton of Coler for governor which means
the control of the state party machinery,
the overthrow of Tammany by votes of the
vast army of employees in the Whitney in
terests combined with the Independent and
anti-Tammany democratic vote OF New
York, the election of an anti-Tammany
mayor of Greater New York in 1901 and
the nomina ton of David b. Hill for PreSi-
dent In 1894
Coler is only an incident of HilPs great
fight for political supremacy. He was
trained for politics by Hill. and has turned
the better elements of the democratic par
ty for the assault on Tammany.
Realizes Hi. Extremity.
1t is said that Croker realized his ex-
tremity before he left Saratoga. He brought
Senator Grady and Augustus Van Wyck
away with him. The former was dropped
off at Albany to call on Judge d. Cady
Herrick and persuade him to accept the
nomination for governor.
The justice, Grover Cleveland demo-
crat, who carried Albany county against
Hill until recent primary 1t is claimed
by the Hill people, refused to see the Tam
many representative, and on learning mis-
mission made a public refusal to stand as
a candidate. Augustus Van Wyck, 1t is
assumed was brought down to carry a
message of coneiiation to Coler in the
event that he could not persuade the con-
troller to withdraw from the race in the
interests of harmony.
The controller dined with Judge Van
Wyck and Bridge Commissioner Shea at
the Brooklyn Club Monday. but it Is said
the Tammany representative made no i'm
preston on him. Controller Coler refused
to talk politics. His friends are fighting for
him in the open, and work has begun TO
carry the primaries for him in Brooklyn
while 1t Is thought that the efforts of John
G.. Sheehan will give him several delegates
in the state convention from the borough
of Manhattan.