New-York tribune., 1901-09-23
CROKER'S BURDEN HEAVY.
BELIEF THAT HE WILL BE FORCED TO
ACCEPT COLER AND BOW To
SHEVLIN'S ULTIMATUN

Richard Croker at the Democratic club yes
terday again declined to discuss the situation In
Tammany for publication He evinced great
annoyance, however, at the frank articles pub
lished in the newspapers outlining the situation
in the Wigwam and dilating upon the dilemma
which Croker and his allies are in The situa-
tion in Tammany, however, is just as was out
lined in The Tribune yesterday Croker wants
to nominate Lewis Nixon for Mayor. but he has
found that this is impracticable or impossible
In the first place, Nixon is not satisfactory to
the leaders in Tammany whose districts roll up
the big majorities. Sullivan, Engel Foley.
Scully. Nagle and others have told Croker that
their districts would stand for Nixon
They say that he wants to clean up the town.
wipe out gambling and vice generally. and do
away with the system of police protection OF
vice. Their districts the ones in which vice
fiourishes. Their big majorities are due to the
efforts of salOonkeepers. poOlroom men. gam
blers and the prOprietors of other disorderly
sorts Croker realizes that he must depend to a
great extent on majorities in these districts to
offset Tammany minorities in other districts,
and therefore listens to what these leaders havs
to say
The situation in Kings County has also made
Nixons nomination more impracticable. James
Shevlin, spokesman for Kings. has delivered to
Croker uItimatum which he cannot afford to
ignore. In the Democratic State conventions
the party and in the national convention Kings
County holds the balance of power between the
forces of ex-senator Hill and Richard Croker
At Syracuse. at Kansas City and at Saratoga
Kings has voted with Croker, and this has de-
throned Hill the dominant leader in the
State. Now Kings is confronted with situa-
tiOn which demands repayment from Croker
The Kings County leaders have pointed out to
Croker that in 1897 the vote of Van wyck for
Mayor was less by $1,000 than the combined
votes CT Low and Tracy. Now the forces that
supported Low and Tracy in 1897 are united
In addition to this. GrOut. the present Democrats
president of the borough, has been placed on
the fusion anti-Tammany ticket. Grout is popu-
lar, is strong campaigner, and it is believed
will help the ticket This would indicate an
even greater anti-Tammany majority this year
than in 1897. Kings views this situation with
alarm. The election of the county ticket and
Of the president of the borough in Kings County
is of vital Importance to the organization across
the bridge The loss of the president of the
borough. with the great amount of patronage
under this Office. and the other county Offices.
would be fearful blow 10 the Kings County
organization
The leaders across the river believe the only
salvation for Kings is to have a Kings County
at the head of this ticket and the leaders
have elected Bird s. Coler as the strongest man
to nominate
This has been anything but agreeable to
Croker. He hates above everything else TO give
in and acquiesce in the nomination of the Con-
troller. He is trying to induce him to take Sec
ond place the ticket but the Kings County
leaders say emphatically that Coler will not
accept denomination. The indications yester-
day that Croker win be forced into noni-
mating Coler and placating Kings to hold his
prestige in the State.
Aside from the demand for Coler from Kings
a majority of the leaders in the Tammany or
ganization want Coler. COIer is personally popu-
lar with the leaders in the Wigwam. They say
he has been just in dealing out patronage, and
that honest bill has gone into his Office which
has not been promptly audited and sent through.
The leaders have had four years to test CoIer.
and they say he has always 'rung true" Nearly
all The contractors and in Tammany the
tractors influential element, have de-
clared for COler. This Is all distressing to
Croker The Tammany chief is trying in every
way to circumvent the attempt to foist the Con-
trOller upon him,s and Nixon. George b. McClel-
Ian, Justice DugrO, John Whalen and Mayor
Van Wyck talked of in connection with the
nomination. Kings County, however, stands
sullany by its decree that the nominee for
Mayor must come from Kings. and the belief
is that Croker will be compelled to submit.
Croker was studying the situation yesterday
for several days. He is waiting for the fusion
forces TO take the field with a full ticket. and
outline a plan of campaign. and then he viii
nominate ticket, draft a PLATFORM ana prepare
for a campaign. -
One thing is taken as a certainty by Tam
MANY men. and that is that Asa Bird Gardiner
is TO be nominated for District Attorney Car
diner was removed from office by President
Roosevelt when he Governor. Now Gardr-er
demands the nomination to secure "vindicatiOn-
1t is said that Croker and the Tammany lead
ers recognize his insistent claim and that he viii
be named