New-York tribune., 1901-12-31
CROKER FORCED TO SPEAK.
SAYS HE WILL SUPPORT BELMONT IF
COURTS DECLARE HIM REGULAR.
FRITZ LINDINGER's ADHERENTS. HOW
EVER. STILL THINK HE HAS THE
BACKING OF TANfMANY.

BACKING OF TAMMANY.
| The anti-Croker Democrats of the With Con-
gress District belonging to the Democratic Club
yesterday carried the factional fight into the
| club forcing Richard Croker to come out with
a statement that Perry Belmont must be sup
! ported if the courts should declare that he is
! the regularly nominated candidate for Congress
! in the With District. Croker, apparently, told
! Fritz Lindinger and Councilman Joseph F.
! OGrady that his friends IN order TO defeat Bel
| mont, would support either or the other Of
| them Lindinger assured by those in au-
| thority that, if the courts decided against
O'Grady in his attempt 10 have his nomination
declared regular the Croker Murphy men in the
Ist, lid and lid Assembly districts Of Manhat-
tan would support Lindinger.
Lindinger went from the Democratic Club on
Sunday TO his friends IN the Ist and lid Assem-
bly, districts, and told therzz that Croker was
backing him. The Belnont-Finn Democrats
who are fighting Murphy and Croker were quick
to see the tactical blunder of Croker in this
move, and dared him 10 support any other than
| the regularly certified Democratic candidate
Mr. Croker. who apparently has lost some OF the
shrewdness OF his earlier campaigning days per-
ceived that he had blundered and yesterday
went to the length of explaining that he had
never ordered the knitting of Mr. Belmont in the
event Of the courts declaring him the regular
nominee.
at is lie absolute and foolish lie" said
Mr.. Croker that have ever said to any one
that my friends would knife Belmont From
the start I have never indorsed any candidate.
Colonel Murphy and Councilman Ryder came 10
me and asked me not to press Mr.. Belmont on
them. and I said I would not interfere in any
way. This talk of my knitting Belmont is all rot.
Councilman OGrady was here only few min
fNfa 41Fl
cided in Belmonts favor it would be his duty
and the duty Of his friends to work hard for
the election Of Belmont. That is my advice 10
all men who call themselves Tammany men. II
these men who are against Belmont choose to
do otherwise and break away, am not to blame.
The newspapers won't believe that though I
want to say that If my worst enemy de-
clared the regular Democratic nominee for any
Office I would give him my heartiest support
That is what Tammany Hall must do in the
present case. We must bury all personal feel
ings and be regular. That is the foundation
upon which Tammany Hall stands. To do any
thing different would mean that we are guerillas
and Tammany does not fight that way. If I
were to make public statement that the dutv
or the organization was to support the regular
candidate, no matter who he might be and then
call my friends aside and tell them to do lust
the opposite isn't it plain that 1 would place
| myself in their power forever? Would anybody
have confidence in me in the future?"
| VIII Tammany support Mr.. Belmont en-
Enthusiastically" Mr.. Croker was asked.
ALAS, POOR CROKER.
! TT will IL I have any say in the nattarr - sa,d
Mr.. Croker. Il will bury all personal feeling
even though they have tried in this caupaien
| to make me the main issue. The trouble IS that
| MI Belmont. like lot of other disappointed
! Democrats after they leave Tammany. thinks II
| 1ashionapie to attack Croker. They think that
VIII win votes for them, and in this case I hone
| 1t will But the newspapers will never fairly
| print my side of the questions raised
| Il have never said that I would put Belroor+
| out OF the race. The only statement I made was
that unless somebody interfered to prevent the
| nomination OF Belmont the grand turv MIGHT
| interfere and I repeat that statement now
base my remarks principally on a general r,roor
| concerning his method of securing the nonoira
| tion That's all will say on that point now
Mr.. croker ridiculed q report which said that
! he was to quit Tammany and sail for England
on January 25 next
Ex-Judge Edward Browne and Colonel Aso
! Bird Gardiner, representing Councilman Josen-
/ +. oGrady' yesterday got ready the necessary
/ appear 10 Eae supreme Court In order to side
! track Perry Belmont and at the same time sa-
a
certificate Of nomination Colonel Gardiner said
| last night that there was no doubt about bis
| getting the decision, but tho Belmont men ridi-
! eule his statement and say that the Judgment az
the Board of Elections in naming Belmont as
| the regular Democratic candidate will prejudice
the Supreme Court in favor of Mr. Belmont
Ali was life and animation yesterday at the
! Belmont headquarters in the Astor House DEM
-ocrats from all over the Congress district
| hearing that Mr.. Belmont was engaging a num-
! Der Of workers for Election Day. thronged his
| headquarters. and kept him busy from early
| forenoon until late last night. Judge Battery
! Dan" Finn. who is helping Mr.. Belmont in the
canvass, when told yesterday that the Croker
! men were passing the word around to get ready
| to knife Belmont chuckled and said:
Knife the regular Democratic candidate heyl
Oh, guess Mr.. Croker is too sly fox for that
1t wouldn't be healthy for the Murphy people
| IN the Ist Assembly District If we should find
that they were knitting the regular Democratic
| ticket howl would go up that would reach
the fnnermost recesses OF the Democratic Club
| All we want is the favorable decision of the
Supreme Court. Well look out for the kniane
| afterward."
when Judge Finn was asked by a bystander II