New-York tribune., 1901-10-09
TWAS CRUEL OF SHEPARD.
NEEDN'T HAVE STOOD BY HIS REMARKS
ABOUT TAMMANY IN HIS SPEECH.
SAYS CROKER

When Edward NJ Shepard's speech of accept
ance of the nomination for Mayor was read at
the Democratic Club yesterday. there was an
omlnous slice Ric,2-d Croker declined to
make any comment whatever upon Mr. Shep-
ards remarks 1t was learned however that
croker IN private criticised Shepard. To one
leader he is reported TO have said:
There was no need for Shepard to say in his
speech that he stood by all that he ever said
about Tammany. He could have omitted that
gracefully and said something like it in a news
paper interview that didn't carry so much
weight"
The Tammany men tried to get some comfort
out of the fact that Shepard was reticent about
Devery and what he would do relative to the
Police Department. They labored tc construe
his remarks about the police as political make
shift, and to infer that he would be all right in
the end if elected. The burning question on
every tongue, now that Shepard has made known
his position, is Why did the old man. take
hin?'
The reason that Croker took Shepard was
given out by a leader yesterday who is in a
position to know all the facts. He said that
when Croker came home from Europe he found
that Senator Sullivan. the Kings County leaders
and others had formed a combination to nomi-
nate Coler even if Croker protested. Sullivan
did not show his hand. He urged Croker TO
take Coler. but said nothing of what he had
done, and left Kings to make the formal de-
mand The day Senator McCarren and Croker
went to the races together McCarren told Croker
bluntly that Sullivan had all but twelve of the
Tanimany leaders pledged to Coler: that Kings
solid in the combination and that if
Croker did not do something quickly Coler
would he named McCarren personally is an
enemy OF Coler. Croker asked what could be
done. McCarren said that if Croker would
leave il to Kings to name the man. other than
Coler, he felt that Kings would cut loose from
the Controller. Croker agreed to this, and
Mclaughlin named Shepard Sullivan, seeing
Kings breaking away from him. and realizing
that he could not win with his handful of Tam
many leaders, assented to Shepard but not until
Kings County gave pledges that Shepard would
treat Devery all right. Whether not Kings
was authorized to make these promises for
Shepard the fact remains that they were made,
and Sullivan accepted them in good faith.
Shepards stiffness about Devery and his
evasion of direct query to what he would
do with Devery if elected are taken by many to
mean that the pledge given to Sullivan was
authorized.
The Tammany leaders. including Croker.
blue over the situation. 1t is impossible to stir
up any enthusiasm for the ticket. All of the
leaders talk in perfunctory way. and predict
believe that Shepard will win. They get
solace out of the fact that if the ticket is be
defeated they would rather have Shepard the
head of il than any other man they could name
While George Foster Peabody is about the
only Independent Democrat who has out
for Shepard, the Tammany men assert that there
will be big defections from Low to Shepard
They are working hard to get independents to
come John ], Delany is one of those won
take up the Shepard cause by the suggestion
that he might he named for District Attor-
ney if he did Controller Coler yesterday
gave out an interview in favor of Shepard i'll
which he said:
Mr.. Shepards speech strong and able.
II was very strong and able" Then, after think
ing a while. he added; Tt was all that could
be expected" Mr.. Coler said that he was going
to speak for Shepard at the Brooklyn Academy
the city for him in the next three weeks.
Mr. Croker has not yet begun to spend his
days at Tammany Hall. When the full county
and borough tickets are in the field he will be az
the hall each day There are not many leaders
or others in the organization around the club
these days. The leaders have all been sent into
their districts TO hustle" At Tammany Hall
the campaign is under way. Huge banners
bearing Tammany notices, and thousands of
dodgers and badges and buttons. are being put
out The Tammany executive committee VIII
meet on Thursday afternoon Just before the
county and borough conventions. AT this meet
ing the final slate will be indorsed.
The slate in an uncertain state yesterday was
being discussed by the leaders II was said by
some that the following ticket was likely to go
through:
r,stices Of the Supreme Court-MORGAN ]. OBRIEN.
ROBERT A. VAN WICK. SAMUEL UNTERMYER
and EDWARD C. WHITAKER
D;strict Attorney-CHARLES W. DAYTON
president of the Borough-CHARLES +. MURPHY.
County Clerk-GEoRGE II. FAHRBAcH
Shern-JoHN T. OAKLEY
r,oroners-E w HART. ANTONIO YUCCA. EDWARD t.
FITZPATRICK and JACOB f. BAUSCH 9enomi-
nated).
This slate regarded as extremely fragile
however and likely to be broken at any time
The president of the borough is uncertain, with /
Jacob Rupert, jr., George B. Mcclellan, Amos /
7 Cummings and others mentioned Thomas j. !
Dunn ia making a rousing fight for the nomina |
tion for Sheriff. but Oakley SENS to have the In
side track.