New-York tribune., 1902-02-14

LEWIS NlAOn suggested ana rushed through
the meeting Of the Tammany General Commit
tee last night resolution which appears inno-
cent IN itself. but which strikes vitally at Gro
ker's control OF the executive committee The res
oution explicitly disobeys orders left In the hands
Of friends by Croker before he sailed away, vir-
tually cuts in half the number of the execu-
tive committee. centralizes TO an even greater
extent control OF the organization in that com
mittee. and wipes out from any voice in the
management Of the affairs of the organization
what promised to be a majority OF Croker men
on the committee.
The resolution read follows:
No ~ ofiicio member OF the executive com
mittee other than the treasurer and chairman
OF the general committee and the chairman Of
the finance committee shall be entitled TO a vote
in the executive committee.
In order to explain the significance of this
resolution 1t IS necessary to outline to certain
extent The Organization and direction Of Tam
many Han. The executive committee in recent
years has been made up OF district leaders. the
Chairmen OF the various committees of the
organization and members OF the committee
municipal affairs There are thirty seven dis
trct leaders. seven chairmen OF committees and
twenty four members Of the committee mu-
ncipal affairs. That made sixty-eght In all, and
each member Of the committee was entitled To
vote.
me lAlTIN IN-Ses"H ulStIltl ledutiS are t!FtttN
by the districts and owe nothing 10 Croker.
The seven chalrmen Of committees have been
absolutely dominated 10y Croker. because he con-
trolled their appointment: and the twenty-four
members Of the committee municipal affairs
are also retainers of Croker. because they We're
appointed by his close friend. George Nj. Van
HOeseu chairman Of the general committe who
is also a member of the executive committee by
virtue Of his place az head OF the general COM
Imittee.
1t is no secret in Tammany that a majority of
the district leaders disgusted with Croker
rule and ready to break away from him BY
combr ing the tventy-four votes of the munich
pal affairs committee and the seven chairmen OF
&C mmttees and the handful of leaders at his
back Croker has been able to dominate the
executive committee. and right here it may he
stated that this executive committe" is all pow
erful In the organization. and it's cGict is never
questioned.
The Tammany Hall executive committee at
a meeting held the first week in January made
plans for reorganization for the year. Croker
prepared all these plans himself. At that time
he suggested that the executive committee
be enlarged He advised that the committee
on law. composed Of twenty-one members. be
added to the executive committee. with the
power to vote This would add twenty-one
more to the committee of sXty-eght already
cited, giving committee of eiShty-nine. cut
ting out from this committee the thirty-seven
district leaders and the seven chairmen Of com
mttees or orty-four in ALL there are still
left forty-hve members of the committee with
mower to vote, or a clean majority. These forty
five members are all appointed by George NJ Van
Hoescn one of Croker's right hand men. and
no man has been eligible to appointment unless
he Is -eady to stand by Croker in whatever he
NAV saw George NJ. Van Hoesen and Croker
arranged the makeup of the executive and law
committees at the Democratic Club before Gro
ker went to Europe. II was arranged at the
same time that the executive committee should
be enlarged to comprise the members of the
law committee. already referred to- Croker
went before the executive committee and made
his plans known It was understood at the time
they would be adopted. and Croker sailed away.
leaving Nixon in charge, but comfortab BILE in the
belief that the executive committee, which
makes and breaks leaders and dominates the
policy OF the organization safely in his
hands
DOW erful leaders in the organization who
realized the trick played by Croker TO leave an
open door behind HIM. began TO lay plans TO
cIrcumvent IL. The executive committee is all
powerful and the fight had TO be made to get
cor tro! of that. With forty-hve members .a
clean majority. subject to appointment by George /
NJ Van Hoesen, chance to get control of this /
committee appeared. The plan OF cutting down
n