Evening star., 1901-04-23
THE NEW,.YRK MIND
1t is Occupied Equally by Politics and
Stock Speculation.
EX-SENATOR hill And HIS WORK
Effort Being Made to Overthrow
Tamn'anylHa|l.
TROU BILE FOR CROKER


stock boom and with it's customary pro-
vinciai complacency thinks that all this in
some way is the work of New York itself.
One result is going to be that Pierpont Nor
gan when he goes to Europe dfsplaces
Chauncey Depew in the columns of the To-
cal newspapers. 1t used to be that Mr.. De-
pew's departure, his hobnobs with the po-
tentates of the old world, his impressions of
affairs abroad and his newest story in
large measure satisfied the Gotham appe-
tite for novelty from spring until fall.
But all this is changing. If Senator De-
pew should go abroad now he would hardly
get more than a paragraph and perhaps
mention in the newspaper headlines, be-
cause all the rest of the space would be
taken up with Pierpont Morgan.
The local view is that Pierpont Morgan
is the Atlas who holds up the financial
world, and that as New York is the foot
stool for him, it has it's share in this great
work.
David b. Hill.
Aside from the glow Of satisfaction which
spreads from Wall street up to Harlem
over the prosperity of the country, the New
Workers are, for them, unusually interested
in municipal affairs. 1t all comes through
the systematic and unexpected way in
which the Tammany tiger Is being baited. I
was surprised to hear David B. Hill cred
tied with doing the batting, though at
long distance. In the uptown hotel where
Mr.. Hill sometimes stops an enthusiastic
admirer who has been booming him for the
presidency for the last fifteen years told
me that nothing could stop it this time.
1t Is little fatiguing to have to take up
presidential politics three or four years In
advance Of the proper time, but Hill lives
in politics and lives for politics, so that in
his encourage nothing else could be heard.
His devoted followers are quite sure that
the path now is plain one, though 1t may
not be altogether a straight one, because
Senator Hill is accused by his enemies OF
turning off into crooked byways. Whether
it is actually SO or not, his followers think
that today he is manipulating the whole
democratic party, or rather the fragments
which were left when Mr.. Bryan got
through with it.
That Hill is making long strides toward
regainng his leadership in New York
seems to be agreed by both his friends
and his enemies. That he will be able to
exercise a marked influence In national
politics when he regains his leadership is
the growing belier that Tammany is in q
fair way to be undone, temporarily, at
least.
Can't Get Along With Croker.
Hill and Croker never will be able to get
along together. Their mutual friends are
of the same mind on that point. Croker
hates Hill and Hill has contempt FOR
Croker, which the latter's temporary sue
cess in ousting him from the state leader
ship has not dminished.< If Hill can bring
about the overthrow of Croker In New
York city for one municipal election the
Tammany boss power in state and nation
al affairs will be destroyed. at least dur
Ing the interregnum between presidential
elections. Mr.. Hill is not a theorist in
politics and is not by nature reformer
But he knows the value of reform senti-
a Tn3iDt himself a
sympathetic attitude toward this reform
sentiment, which in a hundred ways is
now manifeSting itself against Iammanys
control Of the city.
The movement against Tammany at pres
ent is being directed along two lines. One
Is that of the Citizens Union movement,
which would be non-partisan. The other Is
for a new partisan society which would be
purely democratic. 1t is this movement
that the older politicians watch with great
er interest, because they know that citi-
Zens' and non-partisan organizations usu-
ally disappear after a single campaign. If
a real anti-Tammany organization can be
built up within the democratic party its
influence will extend into the next ma
tional campaign. That is where David B.
Hill comes In.
Anti-Tammany Organization.
At first sight the probability Of this anti
Tammany organization succeeding does
not seem encouraging. Many of the men
in it have been quite prominent in the past
and have been affiliated with Tammany,
but that is not a source of strength with
the public. The Tammany leaders claim
that most Of them are soreheads who
could not get what they wanted from the
wigwam, and therefore became reformers
On the part Of these former Tammany
men it is claimed that they revolted be-
cause they would not indorse Tammany's
corrupt practices, and that in their pres
r.
sonal ambition because none of them wants
Offices.
Some are men of the highest character,
such as ex-Justice Joseph P. DAILY and
Roger A. Pryor, who have had cause to
feel the humiliation which may be put
upon the judiciary by Tammany machine
methods. Others are practical politicians,
such as John c. Sheehan. who was dis
placed from the Tammany leadership by
Croker after he had been given a trial
Ex-Leader Sheehan would not pose as
type of the angelic reformer in New York
politics, but he has very practical knowl.
edge Of Tammany methods gained from
experience. His activity in the present
movement is said to be significant because
Of the determination OF influential corpora
tions and financial interests no longer to
submit to the extortions which Tammany
has forced upon them.
Specifically they are described as the
Whitney interests though ex-secretary
berth. However, one Of the local politi-
clans recalled to me that Mr.. Whitney's
first great success in politics was when
there was a rival democratic organization
to Tammany, which was able to fight
1t in every assembly district. This was
back in the days when John Kelly was
the head Of Tammany, and rival society,
known as the county democracy, was built
up by Hubert o. THOMPSON and William c.
Whitney. 1t was this county democracy
which went to the Chicago convention In
1884. championing Grover Cleveland and
offsetting the opposition Of Tammany Hall.
of which Bourke Go Cochran was the elo-
was tremendous" factor at that time.
but after Mr.. Cleveland became President
it somehow lost it's influence and disap-
peared, just as did other organizations
which had helped TO secure his nomina-
ton. do not know whether the present
conditions in New ny orlsii will develop an
other county DEMOCRACY or not, but it Is
certain that whatever In them is promising
will be manipulated skillfully by the
friends Of David B. Hill.
A Moral Wave.
In addition to the opposition within the
party which is threatening, Tammany is
also suffering from what might be called a
"a