Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-26
Predictions of Some New
York Politicians.
FAME LIKELY TO GROW
TAMMANY INFLUENCE DECLAR-
ED TO BE ON EVE OF REVIVAL.
It is Thought That the "Big Chief"
Will Become It's Controlling Power
Weakness of Reform Party.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
| NEW YORK, September %, 1902.
| To be a big man in New York is not al
| ways to have national fame. Often VIDE
| spread celebrity exists who Is purely local
| character, but in the case OF Big Ch1ef
| Devery both local notoriety and national
notoriety are combined. On the national side
his fame is likely to grow. The reason for this
| 1 got from group Of local bosses. Iney
are Tammany district leaders. Their rea-
soning winds in and out, but taking short
cut across lots, they think that Devery is
| going to be the big man Of the country be-
| cause he may name a presidential candi-
date and, in their view, the next President
| They not so much at odds with the
| proba blities in naming a candidate as they
seem.
! A Big Man in New York.
| Nobody will deny that Devery, measured
by the public interest he draws, Is a big
man in New York. He may be put In the
| background for a little time by a peculiar
| phase of degeneracy. as shown in the most
| recent case Of human butchery, which by
Its righteousness appeals to all classes OF
| New Workers, but for staying qualities
| Devery will outlast murder mysteries and
| sensational murder trials. The newspapers
have helped to make him the big man that
| he is, but they can honestly plead that the
| fault is not theirs. They had to take notice
| of him.
| Devery is purely the outgrowth Of munich
pal politics and municipal conditions in New
| York. When he forced out of his
police captaincy the knowledge that he was
a millionaire caused only cynical comment.
| The other day another police captain was
| forced to retire, and he, too, confessed to
great wealth without even causing cynical
| comment.
The big chief probably never heard of
| Warwick or of kingmakers, and while he
| is yet only feeling his oats, probably he Is
| too modest to talk Of himself as Presi-
| dent-maker. The men who talked to me OF
him in that role were in the local fight
! against him, but they knew they had been
| beaten. and 1 followed their reasoning with
some interest.
| Tammany to Rise Again.
| The point Of 1t was that the Tammany
influence is on the eve Of a great revival
which will reach it's height about the time
the next democratic national convention Is
| held, and they were sure that by that time
Devery will be the power in Tammany
| This in spite of the fact that he is now at
odds with the wigwam leaders and that he
may be "trun OUT of the democratic state
| convention next week. They seemed to
| think both these things might happen, yet
| they said that Devery had shown his power
not only in his whole assembly district but
| throughout the Tenderloin, and Tammany
| itself never would be able to dislodge him.
| Being unable to dislodge him, the next step
| will be to make treaty Of peace with him.
| l was unable to accept the invitation of
one or the Tammany men who, though he
had been fighting Devery was on good
terms with him and wanted to take me
| over and Introduce me. That pleasure was
put Off for future occasion, but 1 sought
| to gather some points about the big chief
himself and the qualities which are put
| ting him so far to the front.
| Force of Devery's Epigrams.
| 1t is agreed that he owes much Of his
publicity or his notoriety to the lteraness
| with which his savings are reproduced, and
which show that back of them is a force
full personality. So many ward bosses talk
| bad grammar, which the reporters put into
passabe English. that asked in one of the
| newspaper offices why this was not done
with DeVery. I'VE can't do it" said one of
the local political writer's He SAYS things
in his own way, and when you see them In
print everybody knows that's Devery If
we edited his talk, everybody would know
| that we did it, and he'd have a right to say
we were not treating him fairly"
| From this l CLEANED that If the news
papers were to make the big chief talk
English it would be one way of lessening
| his influence, but it wouldn't be fair. and It
| wouldn't entirely squelch the x-polce cap
| tain. A very celebrated thief catcher in
| New York who cannot speak two sentences
dramatically, after his retirement added
| a good deal to his income by the books and
| magazine articles which We're written for
| him by literary hacks. That was fair
| enough. He furnished the experience and
| the hired men whose trade was to handle
pen and ink made his experiences readable.
| But DeVerys case is not similar
| Rebellion of the Police.
| The real meaning Of Devery's success is
| sinister for the future Of New York munich
| pal government. He may or may not be a
| decent enough fellow personally, but he is
the incarnation Of a police rebellion AGAINST
any control by the higher authorities He
won ms poiltical fight by Tammany meth
DDS, and also against Tammany methods
so that on that score there Is no difference
In the color of the kettles. They are both
black. If Tammany comes up, as is indi-
cateo, ne VIII come up with the organiza-
| tlon, Tor ne cannot long be crowded out of
| It's councils. The distressing feature Of all
| this Is that the New York police force Ia
| supporting Devery, so to restore the old
| Gays "hen ponce partnership with crime
was recognized as part Of the system.
| The defenseless citizen might perhaps look
| to 1t for protection from murder and per-
| sonal assault but its right to share in the
pronts OF the dives and the gambling places
and the policy games had to be recognized
| When New York had a spasm Of genuine
| reform year ago and elected Mayor Low
and a fusion city administration this was
!
brought up to higher level. Deyery, as
| one of the most conspicuous beneficiaries
| OF the old system, became the most con-
! spicuous victim of the reform adminstra-
| ton. But he did not become willing vic
tim. He plunged headlong into local
politics.
| l have asked a number of men who know
the inside and hidden affairs of New York
| pretty well, and they all agree in telling
me that Deverys success is really triumph
| for rebellious police force. The captains
| who were sincere and earnest in trying to
| carry out reforms were thwarted by their
| own subordinates. Sometimes the defiance
| has been open, sometimes simply sullen;
| but 1t was met with at every turn.
| No Visible Sign of Reform.
| No one who is in the habit Of visiting
| New York at intervals would know that to-
day the city Is under a reform municipal
administration which was chosen on a nom
partisan platform In the neighborhood of
the Broadway hotels, and also of the more
pretentious and select ones on 5th avenue,
the signs of the old times are manifest II
| New York Is not wide open now as to pub
| lie license for most kinds of vice 1t never
has been wide open. If anything, the limits