New-York tribune., 1900-12-24
DISTRUST hill AS LEADER.
LITTLE SUPPORT FOR HIM IN AN ANTI
TANIAIANY MOVEMENT HERE.


K. Mcclure, chairman of the Democratic State
Executive Committee; Frank Campbell. chair
man of the Democratic State Committee:
Elliot Danforth and number of other
prominent Democrats were at the Hoffman
House yesterday. They all came to town to
attend the thirty-ffth anniversary celebration
at the Manhattan Club They stayed over Sun
day. and naturally gravitated together and
talked politics. Some people inclined to
place stress upon the fact that ex-senator Muir
ply talked long and confidentially with Mr.. Hill.
The truth is-as politicians realize it-Mr Muir
ply is no longer a factor in the party in the
State He cannot control his own organization
in Rensselaer, County. He is looked upon
a fgurehead put forth by Richard Croker as
State leader to cover Croker's own sinister de-
signs.
John B. Stanchfield was also in the group. 1t
is said that he has received a faithful promise
of denomination in 1902 from Richard Croker.
and he seems to be trying to keep to the fore.
Augustus Van Wyck was also fitting around
with benign smile on his face, On the whole.
it seemed to be field day for the insurgents
and regulars the important and the unimportant
figures in the State organization
Many people wondered what Mr. Hill was do
ing here but the fact is plain to nearly every
politician Mr.. Hill is working night and day
to bring about condition of affairs by which he
can attend the next Democratic National Con-
vention as a candidate for President with his
own State delegation back of him, and, TO quote
a Tammany leader. he is having his 'own
troubles" Hill is largely responsible for the
present and prospective scheme of an anti
Tammany organization in this county. He
knows that Croker is the great obstacle in his
path fov pd. stca4 PR rer1nent. He has gath
cred around him such revolters from the Tam
many organization John Sheehan. Henry
D. Purroy Bird S. Coler, William F. Sheehan
and others, and is trying to get support for an
organization which is to be built up. He has
| received little encouragement. Some honest,
stalwart and earnest Democrats who want to
see Croker overthrown in this city have said
bluntly that they did not want Hill leader
in the movement. They clearly the selfish
motives which are actuating Mr.. Hill. Some
have gone so far as to say bluntly that if Hill
and Sheehan were able to build up a cohesive
and powerful machine to fight Tammany, as soon
as Tammany saw the menace and was ready to
make terms Hill and John c. Sheehan would
sell out wholesale. One prominent Democrat
said yesterday:
Hill and Sheehan are both rank cutters
Sheehan once had Croker down, and had him alb
solutely beaten and he let him up. Sheehan's
protest yesterday morning most laughable
to those who know the facts Why, Sheehan has
the heart of a kitten, and Croker knows it. When
Sheehan won his fight in the IXth District, and
retained the leadership after Croker tried to
depose him, what did he do? AS soon as the re-
turns were in, and he saw that he had won. ne
went into the Hoffman House and called up
Croker on the telephone and said: Mr. Croker
you know I have never said anything about
you Croker laughed this many times
John C. Sheehan'S brother William +. Sheehan,
was the maddest man in the county when he
heard of the abject attitude taken by his brother
when he had his fight. Sheehan is nne
/ IaoI To 1p11 Hcrh
Then take Hill. He is no better. Why, II
Croker would promise Hill the delegates from
this State in 1904, Hill would get down and
! backen his shoes. He has been pushed out into
the open two or three times to fight Croker, and
he has always quit. All Hill is after now is
delegates. That is what his visit to town at
this time is for Hill wants to build up an anti
| Tammany organization to club. When
( il became strong enough ne would employ it as Il
means to make terms for himself There is not
an honest Democrat that would foster or help a
movement engineered for this purpose by Hill"
There was much talk about the Manhattan
1 Club celebration of Saturday night in political
circles yesterday. 1t regarded as a great
success. The politicians. however. we're not
/ inclined to look upon ii as significant. While
Hill was greeted cordially, prominent Democrats
say that the very men who greeted Hill most
kindly distrust him a leader, and would have
nothing to do with movement he headed to
put down Croker. There seems to be no ltkeli-
/ hood that the club as an organization will take
! any part in the Mayoralty campaign next year,
/ but many of the individual members will be
! aligned against Tammany by working with the
/ Committee of F1fJeen or some otner organlza-
ton 1t is said, however, that any organization
! Mr. Hill tries to engineer will fail
! There has been a great deal of talk to the
/ effect that William c. Whitney would soon re-
! enter politics and help to reorganize the party.
! To this was added the report that Grover Cleve-
land would come out and try TO take COM
/ manding place in the National councils of the
/ party and once more become its acknowledged
National head 1t may be said authoritatvely
that Mr.. whitney will take no active part IN
! politics, for while yet, anyhow Just what Mr.
/ Cleveland will do is unknown yet. he has
1 spoken freely of late and there are indications
/ that he NAV become active once more, but those
! closest TO him in this city say that they have
received no intimation from him that he wants
to be supported in any movement for reorgani-
zation of the party. The better element of DEM
oorats and the men who want to see the party
reorganized talk in a conservative way They
say 1t is too early yet, and that a year or Two
years or three years may change the whole
complexion of things SOFT is just as we'll TO wait
/ do