Evening star., 1901-10-21
Registration in New York Breaks
the Of Year Record.
REPUBLICANS FEEL HOPEFUL
Democratic Campaign Has COL
lapsed for the Present
OWING TO SHEPARD'sILLNESS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Low profess to feel greatly ENCOURAGED
with the outlook. This is record breaker
in the history of municipal registration In
the Greater New York territory and Is
taken as an Indication of the interest in the
general result. The figures Of 100000 con-
stitute a sort of halfway house between
the registration of last year. when every
nook and corner Of the city was ransacked
for voters for Mckinley and Bryan, and the
registration of three years ago, when the
three-cornered fight between Tracy (repub-
lican), Low independently and Van Wyck
(democraD, brought out every available
voter at that time. Though many thousand
short Of the registration Of 1900, as was to
be expected. owing to the difference in the
interest taken in most northern cities be-
tween presidential election and local
election, nevertheless the figures run many
thousand higher than the year when Van
Wyck swept into power owing to the quar-
rels between the republicans and the fol-
lowers of the Citizens Union organization
A large percentage of this increase Is due
to the increase in the population of the city.
It Is extremely difficult to get line on the
politics of these new voters. or to deduce
inferences which make 1t safe to even ven-
ture guess as to the final results.
Republicans Feel Hopeful.
Nevertheless. the feeling In republican
circles is that this is a republican year,
and that a sweeping victory is due In this
city. The triumph Of republican principles
in the last election, the utter demoraliza-
tion and disorganization of Tammany Hall
and the allied democratic organizations so
far as national politics are concerned, nat
urally makes the republican party un-
usually strong in this section this year.
Local influences aside, therefore, the Seth
Low supporters are In an unusually good
position for putting up winning fight
Bad Blow to the Democrats.
This illness Of Shepards has undoubtedly
had a bad effect upon the campaign. and
it has encouraged Low and his followers to
redouble their efforts. 1t is not the kind of
a campaign that Shepard has been expected
to make. From the very beginning he has
been on the defensive. And this, too. when
it was expected that he would take the
offensive and pour hot shot into the ranks
Of the reformers In much the same way as
he once assailed Tammany Hall and the
Willoughby street Organization in Brook
lyn. To the surprise Of republicans and
democrats alike, however, Shepard seems
to have entered into the canvass in a half
hearted sort of a way. Whether this Is
due to the fact that he is in poor health or
that he feels that he Is stultifying himself,
the fact remains that his conduct up to
date resembles nothing SO much as the con-
duct Of man preparing for plunge into
q cold water bath or a child trying to sum-
mon up courage to swallow a bitter dose of
medicine. 1t is possible that upon his re-
turn, and at the grand mass meeting that
Is being planned for him on the night Of
November 2, Shepard may appear in his
old-time form and stir things up, but just
at present 1t is impossible, as 1t has ever
been impossible in the past, to tell what he
will do.
Richard Croker who is in charge of the
campaign, Is predicting a majority for
Shepard Of 60,000 in the city. Mr.. Croker's
political predictions since the advent of
Bryan In national politics have proved the
laughing stock of all who have cared to
listen to his statements. In the old Cleve-
land days, when the pendulum swung dem
ocraticward, Mr.. Croker was not so far out
Of the road. But since the influence of the
democratic party commenced to wane In
the north and east Mr.. Crokers political
forecasts have been valueless.
Where Lows Strength Lies.
1t Is a safe wager that Low will have
10000 majority in the territory above the
Harlem river. Brooklyn Is always puzzle
to both parties previous to any election. 1t
has reputation of going heavily one way
or the other. For instance Kings county
piled up majorities running into the tens of
thousands for Judge Augustus Van Wyck
and against Roosevelt when the present
President of the United States was running
Tor governor Of New York state. On the
other hand. Kings county is not afraid Of
supporting republican candidate. Brook
lyn Is Seth Lows old home, he made an
ideal mayor Of the city Of churches, and in
dependents and democrats across the big
bridge are rallying to his support. Brook
lyn may give 10000 for Low or it may give
10000 for Shepard. The returns alone will
tell the story.
The old city Of New York, the present
borough Of Manhattan. in other words Man
haitian Island. is naturally democratic. I'm
der normal conditions New York may be
| relied upon to return a majority of from
2o,OOO to 10000 for almost any candidate
tnat Tammany Hall chooses to nominate.
This year there has been a tremendous re-
volt against the dictates of Tammany Hall.
The East Side democrats have been made
to feel the crushing hand Of the blackmafl-
er. The million dollar Democratic Club on
9th avenue, built up by the of1lceholders
and contractors who have waxed fat off
the good things of the city, gamblers who
have defed the law. is out Of touch with
| against Devery has been widespread. II
| the Bronx can be relied upon for 10000 for
Low. and II Brooklyn will only give Low
| 10000 majority on that side Of the river It
! Will more than counterbaIance any ma
jority that Tammany may secure on Man
| haitian Island. Mckinley carried Kings
| county, but 1t was by small majority.
Bryan carried Manhattan Island by about
10000 plurality.
| Result Likely to Be Close.
| Z jill S1lcSS u& II WILL pS SSSu tAdt the
/ result Is likely to be close. Tammany Hall
Is straining every nerve to win this year,
| since 1t is felt that the future Of Croker
/ and the organization is at stake. Large
sums Of money have been raised from the
| $1,000 persons interestedo in the city hall
| patronage The saioonkeepers and gam
| blers are contributing In q fashion unheard
| Of in New York city politics, and when one
| says that 1t Is saying great deal, as COM
/ pared with contributions for political pur-
poses in other American cities. Every dive
| keeper, every policy king, every pool room
\ proprietor is being assessed during these
latter days. Whether this immense cor
| ruption fund running up into the millions
| can be utilized In defeating the forces OF
law and order. az represented by Seth Low.
remains to be seen. Unless organizations
| like the chamber OF commerce, the Mer-
| chants Association and other kindred or
| ganizations unite and work early and late,
| as they did during the campaign which re-
| suited In the election, of William L. Strong,
| 1t Ia to be feared that the Tammany ticket
| viii triumph on Manhattan Island at least.
Tho Borough Presidents.
II Seth Low II elected mayor and II he Il
handicapped by the election Of unfriendly
H>rNn v03S H,. i~