New-York tribune., 1900-10-23
COFFEY ASSAILS LEADERS
BRUTAL AND IGNORANT TRAITORS. HE
TERMS THEM.
RESIGNS FROM KINGS COUNTY COMMITTEE
AFTER FORCING REINSTATEMENT.
AND HARsHLY ARRAIGNs VIII
1OI-cT5EY STREET BOSSES

According to the order of the Supreme Court.
affirmed by the Court of Appeals. Senator
Michael J. Coffey was last night restored TO
membership in the Democratic General Com
mittee OF Kings County. representative os
the IXth Assembly District. II a bitter pill
to the men who had expelled him after farei-
cal trial After a simple resolution restoring
Ccffey to membership had been passed. Warden
Hayes on his behalf. handed in the Senator's
resignation. In it the Willoughby Street leaders
were arraigned in the harshest terms They
were called brutal and ignorant bosses and
held up to ridicule as traitors to the cause OF
William Jennings Bryan
James Moffett. chairman OF the County Com
nittee refused TO read the letter. after carefully
looking it through. Warden Hayes insisted that
Senator COffey's resignation was a legitimats
part of the business of the evening. but Mr..
Moffett persisted in ignoring It. After declaring
that the resignation would be considered at
later meeting he called for a motion to ad-
journ.
Senator Coffeys letter is in part as follows:
To the Democratic General Committee Of Kings
County:
Had / not been desirous of demonstrating
through the voice Of courts that under our
laws the people are not 10 be made the vic
Tins of brutal and ignorant political bosses, a
pror er sense of seIf-respect would have impeled
me to sever my political association with the
political miSrepreSentatlVeS or the DemOcratc
electors Of this county at that period OF time
when our Democratic affairs went under the
domination of the trinity now in control
The term Anarchist falls invariably from the
lips of the erstwhile leader of the WllOUghby
Street forces whenever the name OF Mr. Bryan IS
mentioned in his hearing. At a public meeting
Of the Andrew Jackson Club in January last
the trust defending Senator who Is now repre-
senting your organization in the Democratic
State Campaign Committee proclaimed that MI
Bryan was "pnhead" politician. and Just be-
fore that time in Washington hotel held up
the few Kings County weaklings who misrep-
resented their Democratic constituency IN Con
gress and forced them to carry the Republican
banner on the floor of the House Their treac9-
cry has been rewarded by renOnlihdtloh, u
should be punished by overwhelming defeat-
The crownng act of nfamy on this point was
the turning down Of the one Democratic Con-
gresham from Kings tho stood by his party
The central figure in Franklin Matthewss
tragic tale Of What Tammany Costs IN FIesn
and Blood the president of the Police Board,
who notwithstanding the moral obligation I'M
posed to refrain from political activity. on May
~ 1900. at time when the DemoSTat1e g. noSIs moss;
of the entire country were indorsing Ar- bryahs
candidacy. and only two weeks before your Sye-
Ophantic leaders were themselves compeHed 20
join n the chorus OF endorsement oi Bryan oS
the Democratic State Convention. at HeetlhS
of your committee moved 10 LAY on the table
forever resolutions indOrsing Mr.. Bryan whlch
were carried by your entire marlonette vote
save a single dishOnorable dissent
In the Kansas CITY Convention your organi-
Zation was the decisive factor in striking down
the fit leader of the State Democracy and made
laborious Mr.. Bryan's campaign against trusts
plank of the Democratic platform one who.
while his voice spoke denunciation against
trusts as the destruction OF the energizfns
forces of American institutions had MS pockets
bulged with the certificates issued by the
cruelest of all monopOes- Whatever was the
real purpose IN obtruding this man at TINS crlu-
cal iuncture OF the affairs OF the Democratic
partv or to strike down Colonel Bryan Ike an
assassin in the dark. the act was one OF dannna-
HE treachery to Democracy. and for II hold
your organization wholly responsible
The eliminating act OF dlsloyalty on the part
of your leaders, VINO apparently would rather
have a bit of local patronage than a President.
was the defeat by his home county representa-
tives of the candidacy OF Controller Coler IoI
the Democratic nomination for Governor No
one who has confidence in the sober Judgment
Of the people OF this State doubts that the
Controllers record in his present office, where
he bravely stood between the public treasury
and its wouIdabe IooteTs, would have insured
strengthened Bryan's candidacy here The
chairman of your campaign committee went {.
the Saratoga convention obligated as a man or
honor 10 execute the registered will OF his con-
stituents and vote for his friend and nefghnor.
but he and his colleagues were so weak, your
tInent and the determination OF your leaders
to damage so strong and so traitorous, tha-
Mr. Coler was knitted in the home or MS sup
posed friends And by this act was puonc
trust made vulnerable combinations for puhuc
plunder in and private plunder through pohtlcS
In the dust Through IL cOnmerelalisn IN
municipal politics is regnant and principe IS
forced to sleep until the next annual election
I believe I best aid the candidacy OF
Colonel Bryan by cutting loose from his enc
mics masuuerading in the livery OF his cause.
and associating with his true friends and join
ing my feeble energies with them