Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-22
NIXON FOR GOVERNOR
Latest Political Gossip From
New York State.
HE HAS HILLS SUPPORT
RESIGNATION AS LEADER OF
TAMMANY STRONG MOVE.
That Will Make Him Popular With
the Upstate Wing of
Party.
HE HAS HILLS SUPPORT
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
NEW YORK May 2I 1902
| Mr. Lewis Nixon. since his resignation as
| chairman of the finance committee. which
| carries with it the leadership of Tammany
| Han, is the only democrat who stands a
| ghost of a show of being elected governor
| of the state of New York this year and IL
Is extremely doubtful. under the conditions
| which obtain, whether Mr.. Nixon could be
| induced to accept the nomination Practical
| 1y the bomb shell which was exploded in Tam
| many Hall headquarters Wednesday after
! noon. when Mr.. Nixon handed in his resig-
| nation with flashing eyes and flushed face,
| alter a ringing speech. in which he de-
nounced the interference of Richard Croker
| through a Kitchen cabinet" gives the
| state to the republicans. unless By some
combination Of circumstances Mr.. Nixon
| should happen to be the nominee of the
/ democratic party.
| The reason for this IS found in the fact
| that nine men out OF every ten republicans
| and democrats alike, believe that Mr. Nixon
| IS absolutely honest, and that he has been
| trying 10 play an absolutely honest game Of
| politics since his assumption of the duties
| of leader of Tammany Hall
Similar Belief AS to Cleveland.
| 1t will be recalled that. rightly or wrongly,
the people obtained similar impression re-
gardng Grover Cleveland when he first
| ran for governor of the state of New York,
and the result was that he was elected by
| an unprecedented majority of 1872 400. And
| this. too, despite the fact that the machine
| forces in the democratic party from the
very beginning of the days of his career at
Buffalo down to his nomination for third
| term for President Of the United States,
repeatedly fought Grover Cleveland
There are some reasons why the nominal
ton of Lewis Nixon is not an impossibility.
In the first place. Tammany Hall and the
democrats from the other horoughs of the
greater city cast so large block in state
conventions that the democratic farmers
are absolutely afraid of them. Though
New York city possesses nearly one-half
| the population Of the state. the delegates
4 from the greater city are somewhat in the
minority. hence it would be possible for
| the delegates from the up state counties to
| unite and force upon Tammany Hall the
nomination OF Lewis Nixon.
| If David Il. Hill will but say the word it
| is fully asserted that Mr.. Nixon can be
nominated by the democracy of the state at
the next convention. Mr.. Hill practically
holds the upstate delegates in the hollow
| of his hand Tammany Hall may be OPP
posed to Mr.. Nixon under the existing re-
gime because of his hasty resignation but
so panic-stricken are the leaders that il is
believed to be questionable whether even
they would dare to put up a hard fight
against him. Mr.. Hill may be conside ring
the nomination of -Ir. Nixon for governor
because of the fact that it was Mr. Nixon's
friendliness for Hill that resulted in Crok-
ers Interfering in the machinery OF Tam
many Hall.
Attitude of Croker.
Mr.. Croker, when he sailed for Wantape
undoubtedly turned over, unconditionally
the leadership of the hall to Mr.. Nixon.
Perhaps Croker was sincere in his state
ment that he intended never to return. and
that he intended 70
thing to do with New DIRK city politics.
Be that it may, he undoubtedly found
his old-time antipathy against ex-senator
Hill returning when he reached the other
side of the water. Mr.. Nixon. who was in
tereSted only in harmoniZing the democratic
party and who cared nothing for ancient
fights or ancient history, invited ex-senator
Hill to make speech at the Democratic
Club. Crokers pet organization Had Mr.
Nixon given Mr.. Hill MIR. Cookers old
rooms at the Democratic Club. or present
ed him with his favorite easy chair he
could not have made Mr. Croker more an
cry. Mr.. Nixon was proceeding in abso-
lutte good faith in this matter. undoubte dly
but he forgot. or apparently forgot, the an
Gent political enr1ities between the house
of Hill and the house of Croker.
From the time of the Democratic Club
meeting up To Mr.. NiXon's resignation last
"Wednesday, Mr.. Croker has been acting
entirely differently to what he did before
the Jefferson day gathering of the Demo-
cratic Club. Before this incident he kent
hands off. Since this incident he has been
pursuing different tactics. He has left no
stone unturned to check and curb Mr.
NiXon's authority with the leaders of the
hall. This harmony meeting OF the Demo-
cratic Club. which, by the way. was the
most successful democratic event that has
occurred in this city for twenty-five years
is undoubtedly the real reason which
caused Lewis Nixon to lay down the reins
of power, completely dashing democratic
hopes. so far as state and municipal elee-
tons are concerned.
Attitude of Upstate Democrats.
1t is one reason why upstate democrats
will undoubtedly favor the nomination or
Mr.. Nixon for governor. New York city
has no candidate, and it has been under
stood that the race would be free-for-aII
and that the best man would be allowed to
win. What upstate democrats have been
saying to Hill and other leaders is pracu-
cally this:
I'VE don't care what Tammany Hall does
long that organizatio ion Will support in
convention one of its own men or some
man from the greater city, but what We
do object to is their coming up here to con-
vention and throwing that tremendous
block of votes In favor of an upstate can
didate. III the democrats of the greater
city will get together and indorse a candi-
date, We will support him. but they shall
not come up here and dictate who shall be
the choice between upstate men. In
they do that, We democrats UP the state
will turn in and defeat any upstate man
that they may pick out
1nasmuch Tammany Hall leaders have
repeatedly said that they have no candi-
date and that TammaBy Hall and the
Greater City organizations would not pre-
sent a name to that convention, ii practi-
cally means that it is the disposition or
Tammany Hall to put the onus and the
burden of the campaign this fall upon the
upstate democrats Against this the up
state men are rebelling. and they may in
Ill
nominate Lewis Nixon for governor.
The Safety Appliance Bill.
Albert w. Sullivan. third vice president OF
the Illinois Central railroad. and Frank s.
I'd LIZA dar,t ~ hx