The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-25

BILE ating lambs as soon a he returned .
Some of them, indeed, became mutton.
But the present, rebels are not of that
order They viii stand by what they
have said; or at least one of them may
be depended upon 70 do so. That one
is John f. Carroll.
Just now Johnnie Carroll is the most
interesting figure in Tammany. 1t
was he that led the opposition to
Nixon. 1t is he that has formulated
the newest Tammany doctrine: mo
leader. the authority to be vested in
a council of the district leaders" OF
course therefore it is he whom the
public expects to see fighting for the
leadership. Carol is a peculiar man.
He is a broad, fat, fresh-f faced man OF
forty-five, extremely bald. and with
merry eye. You expect to find him
a jovial fellow, teller of good stories,
lover of good cheer; but one-six-
teenth of an inch under his skin you
come upon an inner cuticle of impen-
etrable reserve. Sleek, slow, silent,
Carroll gains his ends by patience and
determination. He inspires respect
because he is Square" he inspires
fear because he is steadfast in his
purposes. He is a man of higher at
tainments than most of his colleagues:
a college man, and, withal, something
of a thinker. This is against him III
Tammany: there's a suspicion among
a certain powerful set that he looks
down upon them. There is no ground
for it, but it's none the less ineradic-
able for that reason, and while this
set are ostensibly friendly, in sharp
division they would be found on the
opposite side from Carroll. 1t is large
ly due to them that he, though now
the foremost, is not the most powerful
figure in the organization.
The most powerful individual men,
Der of Tammany is probably James
j. Martin, with Charlie" Murphy a
good second. Martin is the shrewd-
est politician of them all, and one of
the most honest. So thoroughly has
he always had his district in hand
that he has been able to do what he
wishes, irrespective of the wishes of
Richard Croker, and the Boss, even at
the height of his autocracy, has never
undertaken to interfere with Jim
ME" Martin. Mr.. Murphy is backed
by almost as solid power, but he is
rot SO independent as Martin. Neither
of these men, however, has shown any
signs of wishing to become leader. An
element to be reckoned with is the
Sullivan organization. So many as
embly districts are controlled by
their clique that, while they could
hardly make a leader, their influence
could thwart the ambition of any cam
didate to whom they were opposed.
big Tim" Sullivan's bid for the lead
ership at this early day is hardly
taken seriously. So, at present the
matter of leadership is blind. Prob
ably the matter will not be settled I'M
til the fall primaries. In the interim,
Mr.. CAROLS plan of guidance by the
district leaders will be followed.
One more point suggests itself on
the subject which is causing so much
speculation here, Racial feeling IS
likely to assert itself in the final re-
adjustment. Tammany has always
been dominated by the Irish, in it's
best as we'll as in its worst days. Not
only a great proportion of its voting
strength. but a large majority of its
leaders are of Irish extraction. The
two men whom Mr. Croker las allied
most closely TO himself. one a business
partner the other as personal repre-
sentative, are Hebrews, Peter f. Mey-
err and Andrew Freedman. This has
been sore point with many OF the
old line. Unless MIR. Croker comes
back 10 their aid and succeeds In re-
establishing himself, | shall expect to
hear pair OF duh thuds next fan In
the vicinity OF the pedestals formerly
occupied by these gentlemen.
II Is a good JOKE. no doubt TO have
the Mayor caught and hned FOR Nlo-