Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-07
Queer is the Epithet Applied to
Tammany's Nominee.
Ills ERRAfIC POLITICAL CAREER
Once Opposed and Then Sup
p Il
ported W. J. Bryan
VOTED FOR SETH Low
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star


NEW YORK. October 6. 1901.
Though the municipal campaign is not
yet in full swing. it will commence with the
return of Edward NJ. Shepard, the demo
cratic nominee, from the north woods this
week Shepard did unique thing on the
very day he was nominated knowing that
ne would be asked all sorts of leading
questions by the newspaper men of the
city, he took the first train for Saratoga
as soon as he had been assured Of the
downfall of Controller Coler as a factor in
democratic circles. Since then he has been
lodging around the Adirondack, Lake
George country, at a lively rate, proving a
hard man to catch so far as reporters
are concerned. And when once he Is cor
nered he declines to talk upon the ground
that ne is away on a vacation. The news
paper men all agree that it was a queer
Tune to take a vacation when a Greater
New York city convention was about to
nominate a man for mayor. Nevertheless
the vacation will undoubtedly prevent Shep-
ara from making any breaks at the outset
OF the campaign, and give him the oppor-
tunity to prepare to meet questions which
Will inevitably confront him later on in the
struggle.
Something About Mr.. Shepard.
This latest find of the Croker Mclaughlin
machine is queer, not only in the method
of taking his vacation, but he has been
queer throughout his entire life
Perhaps the mans record can best be
summed up by the expression of a promi-
nent Tammany Hall politician on the morn
ing, after the democratic convention at
Grand Central Palace:
Edward M Shepard indeed" shouted
the Tammanyite. why, | know a man
who was arrested for intoxication once
simply because he tried to follow in Shep-
ards political footsteps"
Edward NJ. Shepard undoubtedly heads
the list Of the dexterous political jugglers
VINO occasionally come to the surface in
great cities like New York and Chicago.
AS a general thing men of his type are sup
pressed by the power of the machinery of
political organizations. He has Zig-zagged
SO rapidly that the machine men have never
known where to find him. He del
egate to the gold standard democratic con-
Vent1on In 1885, the head and front of
the Brooklyn democratic opposition to Bry-
an in his own party that year, less than
four years later presiding at the greatest
meeting held during the 1900 campaign
the Madison Square Garden celebration In
honor of Bryan-and swallowing free sill
yer, 16 to 1 and ALL. And if there could be
a stranger political contrast than this 1t
Is found in the Edward NJ. Shepard of four
years ago on the stump inviting the people
of New York to vote against Van Wyck,
the regular organization candidate for
Union and Independent candidate.
His Vote for Low
If Shepard is beaten In this campaign it
is the record of this year that will beat
him, not the record of 1896 or 1900 For
the Bryan men in the city who angry
at the conduct of Shepard and the Brook
Ign gold standard democrats in 1896 are
nevertheless consoled by the fact that
Shepard was after all an eleventh hour con-
vert to Organism. Hence they will make
no effort to an Independent democrat
as they did in 1897, when Henry George
was nominated by the democracy of
Thomas Jefferson as a sort of protest
against the selection of a judge from the
bench who had straddled in the 1895 cam
paign and the absolute omission of any ref
erence to Bryan in the municipal platform
of that year
This is only partial list of E. NJ. shep-
ards political eccentricities. To give a
mere outline of them would require more
space than could be devoted to one man
in a single newspaper article, even though
that man should happen to be the demo
cratic candidate for mayor of Greater New
York. 1t Is interesting to know that the
most vigorous picturesque and bitter dc
nuncations of Richard Croker and Tam
many Hall on record are those credited to
Edward NJ. Shepard during the campaign
of 1897, when Shepard stumped for Seth
Low for mayor. From elevated roads, from
transparencies, from blank walls these
front Shepard a thousand times during
the present campaign. For all of the rea-
sons why Low should be supported against
Van Wyck remain today as reasons why
Low should be supported against Shepard.
This Will Not Worry Shepard.
But friends Of Shepard say these things
will not worry him In the least. The man
is regarded as a political juggler with the
rare art of believing in his own legerder-
I,a cir ", hi
ton to Low this year as he was sincere
in his support of Low four years ago. And
he will convince his audiences of his sin
cerity. He believes what he says at the
time that he says it, but 1t is asserted, he
never thinks twice alike. Though pyrotech-
nicai In his methods he possesses a clear
analytical brain and he will give the repub-
lican reform elements a lot of trouble be-
fore the present campaign is ended.
What can one predict of the political
future of man like Shepard, who, the son
of a grand sachem of Tammany Hall, en-
ters politics through the ranks Of the re-
formers, and who, to paraphrase, has al
ways preferred to be a doorkeeper In the
house of reform than to dwell in the tents
of Tammany wickedness? How can one
even venture prediction as to what will
happen to Devery If the man nominated by
the so-called corruptionists of Tammany
Hall and who for score Of years fought
every lob and steal on the other side of
the bridge is elected? An Independent can
dtdate for mayor of Brooklyn against Grout,
the regular democrat, he was defeated
INDEPENDENT candidates always are here in
this section. His revenge upon the Will
Ioughby street machine has been terrific.
Jobs. steals the best laid plans, have gone
to smash because Shepard has been camp
ing on their trail. John Y. McKane and
the corrupt Coney Island branch of the
Wtlloughby street machine owe their down.
fall to E. NJ Shepard more than to any
other man. Now he is the nominee of the
very men he has fought with such bitter
ness. 1t seems theirony of fate, the acme
of the ridiculous in politics
Reform Elements Chances.
The republican and reform elements who
are counting spon~ an easy triumph over
Shepard are undoubtedly counting without
their host Beaten, Shepard may be; but
If he is beaten he will go down with col
ors flying; his face to the foe-his support
ers his old-time enemies. his antagonists
his old-time friends. And the fun will be
fast and furious up. to the time that the
ballots are counted. Wherever Shepard
goes there the, fur, will fly 1t will be no
tame campaign after the fashion of four
wears ago, or even after the fashion Of the
two aif-hearted, hopeless Bryan cam