New-York tribune., 1901-10-28
GLOOM CIRCLES CROKER
NARROW MARGIN ESTIMATED BY LEAD
ERS URGES HIM To DES-
PERATE FIGHT.

Tammany Hall enters upon the last week Of
the campaign with a great deal of trepidation,
but also with a grim determination to fight
desperately 10 the end. Croker has issued or
ders that the last week Of the campaign must
be one of incessant labor. The estimates fur
nished him by the district leaders, from which
he figures a plurality Of only 22OOO for Shep-
ard in New-York County. are far from salts
factory 10 the Tammany chieftaip. He realizes
further that the tide is running against him.
and that when ii comes to counting noses at
the end of this week this estimated plurality
of 90 600 may have vanished into thin air.
The thing that worries the Tammany leaders
more than anything eIse is the county ticket.
Tba,, couId take the defeat of Shepard with
eouanimitv In fat. they have had a feeling
from, the start that Sheperd's defeat was a
political probability While working for the
NIayoraIty. the Tammany men have been es-
peCiaIly jealous for the county ticket Ihe loss
OF the District Attorney and the president OF
the borough would be a blow that Tanmany
would feel more keenly than anything else
They want the District Attorney 10 prosecute
"grafters' not amenable to the Tammany com
bine" and to protect "grafters" who are in the
combine" They want the rich and powerful
office of president of the borough for the patron
age IL carries In TTnger for District Attorney
thay have a candidate that he relied upon
TO prosecute or fail 10 prosecute just as in
structed In Fromme they have candidate
for president of the borough who viii do just
as he is told
The narrow estimated margin worries CROKER
because even should this majority he obtained
for the county ticket. there is a strong pos7i-
biuty that Jerome may run so far ahead Of his
/ ticket as 10 he able 70 offset this calculation
| Jerome is bothering the Tammany men great
| deal Tammany would pay anybody a round
sum who would pull Jerome off the stump for
| the present week. Down on the East Side and
up in Harlem and especially in Tammary
srronchoIds Jerome is making canvass that is
alarming the Wigvam leaders. They are track
ing him with their best speakers They are
emblazoning his path with Tammany placards'
ard they are pouring money in his wake 10 OH
set the work he is doing. but apparently without
effect
The leaders in talking among themselves ad-
nit that Jerome is just likely TO he elected
as not Fromme's personal unpopularity is
also initiating against him. and it is believed.
even bv some Of Fromme's most sanguine
friends. that he vii he cut so badly on Election
Dav that it will he hard work to pull him
through
Another depressing phase 10 Tammany is the
candidacy of Robert A. Van Wyck- hundreds
and thousands of Democrats are publicly an
WICK This year Tammany has plurality
Of 30 600 to 10000 in sight. so that man on the
ticket can run 10000 behind and be safe. 1t is
going 10 be hard pull for each and every candi-
date on the county ticket to get through at all.
The situation so far Shepard is concerned
Is viewed I'm the Tammany camp with a good
deal of unconcern. The wgwamites realize
that Kings will turn In fusion majority that
NAV offset whatever Shepard gets in Manhat-
tan Croker would like TO elect Shepard. but
every effort being bent toward saving the
county ticket.
II money could buy election, Tammanys
chances I'm this campaign are excellent. There
seems TO be no bottom 10 the dough bag" at
Tammany Hall No one. with the possible ex-
ception OF Richard Croker. knows Just how
much money is being used. but there is proof
of a lavish expenditure on every hand There
was report yesterday that the Metropolitan
Street Railway Company lad contributed slOo,-
600 TO the Tammany campaign fund This
could not be verified. but IL generally be-
lieved In fact some say it low estimate.
Aside from this heavy contribution from the
Metropolitan company. Tammany has raised
an enormous sum from other corporations Then
there are the assessments paid by candidates
and office holders. another vast sum- Then
there is the revenue from saloons. gambIlng
houses poOlrOoms and protected vice Tam
many's fund. it is estimated, runs into the mill
ions and the money is being lavtshly used
The leaders have told Croker that the drift is
against Tammany and, struggle as they VIII.
they cannot offset il. They are giving ground
inch by inch. but surely. A week ago they
figured on 10000 plurality. This has been
trimmed to ID 900 and another week may see
the figures altered 10 an even break or an
actual fusion majority in this county.
Croker has urged his aids TO redoubled efforts
He is working harder than he ever worked be-
fore and is exercising every channel of power
and influence to help the ticket The last week
of the campaign he promises TO make the live
liest and hardest week OF campaigning that the
city has seen. Tammany is desperate, and
there is an air of gloom over the club. Few Of
the leaders are to be found there or at Tammany
Hall Croker has told them TO keep in their
districts and keep working, and not 10 loaf
GROUND the club Tammany Hall