The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-07
PEOPLE WANTED A CHANGE.
Col. George A. Mercer on the Defeat
of Tammany.

Col. George A. Mercer on the Deteat
of Tammany.
The defeat of Shepard for Mayor OF
New York and the downfall of Tam
many Hall, was unexpected to Col.
George A. Mercer, who was in New
York several days before the election.
Col. Mercer had gathered from obser-
walton that Croker's organization
would be victorious. T.
"Out of 100000 voters. of course, there
are many who are silent until thelr
ballots go into the box" said Col. Mer-
Ger, in discussing the result OF the
election yesterday. These are me
people who selected Seth Low. ol
course, the election goes down as a re
publican gain and a Democratic loss,
but II was not because Low. was more
popular,. or even considered a. better
man. that he was able to defeat Shep-
ard The people wanted a change.
They were restless and became tired
of the rule of one party. Corruption
and vice stalked about unhampered un-
der the Tammany regime. and the peo-
pie felt like they wanted change IN
the running of the municipality.
Il don't believe that they consider
the Republican party any better than
the Democratic, or either that they
thought the Fusionist candidate any
more able, or honest, than those put
ND by Tammany. AS Croker himself
said, the people wanted change. This
is unquestionably true, and Croker and
Tammany were defeated; not Shepard
IT was not the candidates, but those
behind them whom the people wanted
to see put out of power.
Il don't believe that 1t pays to Keep
any crowd in office too long. l don
care what party or faction it is or what
intention they make claim to at the
start, they necessarily become corrupt.
1t is a natural result of too long "a
service and too much power. These
men go into office for something ana
the longer they remain in power the
more of that thing will they get. Then
the people get tired and want a,change
and the party in power is thrown over.
During my recent stay in New York
talked with many prominent persons
on the political situation in the big
city. There can be no doubt that vice
has been well protected under the Tam
many rule, and that affairs had
reached an awful state. All privileges
had to be purchased by those seeking
them, and the money was divided.
starting with the power behind the
throne and going down to the men who
made the collections. 1t was this sort
of business that was defeated in New
York Tuesday. Why / am told that
merchants had to pay their weekly ;sti-
pend for the privilege of placing goods
on the sidewalks, in violation of one Of
the ordinances. There are innumera-
BILE ways in which money has been coll
lected by those in Tammany Hall, and
every conceivable sort of vice received
protection when the money was paid to
those authorized to make collections.
Il am glad that Jerome defeated
Cnger for district attorney Had i
been in New York should have voted
for Jerome. believe that he will give
the city a turning over and that there
will be many changes. There will be
much less vice and ] think that the
Raines' Law will be repealed. 1t has
been a farce and ! am informed every
saloon claims to be a hotel under the
law which has been such comfort
10 saloon men. Jerome will probably
have this matter rectif1ed. But as |
have said it does not do to keep any
crowd in power too long and the peo-
pie want to change things when they
become tired"
Some of those in Savannah who keep
up with New York politics say that
Croker is responsible for the defeat of
Tammany and that the Democratic or
ganization which has been in power so
long will have a new leader. One OF
IneSe POLITICIANS Sdiu yesterday ludI
the Irish members of Tammany Hall
were sore on Croker because of his Wis
its to England and his conduct in that
country. This was a pill that they
could not swallow and they helped to
defeat him. One of these prognostica-
tors believes that DRY Dollar Tim"
Sullivan will be the next leader of
Tammany Hall.
Hon. r. E. Park, State Treasurer.
who was among the state officers who
visited Savannah yesterday, in dis
cussing the New York election. ex-
pressed sincere regret at its outcome,
the election of Low.
II am thorough Tammanyite," he
said, for l consider that Tammany is
the. only friend that the South has in
New York. The result of the election
i consider national calamity. but can
attribute no cause for it, other than to
the ups and downs of politics"