The sun., 1903-09-23
COLER Is BACK ON The SLATE
AND KINGS ISN'T KICKING so
HARD OVER MCCLELLAN.
When II Came to Exchanging Language
Over the East River the Eloquent
Men OF Willoughby Street Found Tam.
many Was Up In Words and Their Uses.

When ID Came to Exchanging Language
Over the East River the Eloquent
Men OF Willoughby Street Found Tam.
many Was Up In Words and Their Uses.
Bird s. Coler OF Brooklyn was back on
the Democratic slate yesterday for Comp
troller. 1t was declared for Hugh McLaugh-
lin and his friends that the Willoughby street
Democracy, as headed by Mr.. Mclaughlin,
would certainly insist upon the nomination
of Mr. Coler for this place.
Immediately after Mr. Coler was put
back on the slate for Comptroller some Of
Mr.. McLaughlin's friends practically con-
ceded the nomination of Representative
George B. Mcclellan for Mayor by the Demo-
cratic City Convention, and yet the BOOM
ers for Lewis Nixon up in the Hoffman House
are positive that something is to happen
which eventually will bring in their man
as the candidate.
Leader Murphy, speaking personally
especially after it became known that Coler
had been put back on the slate, said: AThere
is no trouble bet Tammany and Will
loughby Street (meaning the Mclaughlin
machine in Brooklyn), and there will not be
any"
Nevertheless, Tammany men continued
to resent the attacks Of Hugh Mclaughlin q
friends on Mcclellan. 1t turned out, ac-
cording to these Tammany men. that Mr..
McLaughlin's friends did not relish very
much yesterday kind OF medicine OF
which they had given Mcclellan such liberal
doses. For instance, they have been
smashing into Mcclellan and saying that
he was a weak candidate saying that he
was not a big enough man for the nomina-
ton. and saying that he was Croker's man
and Murphy's man; and then when the
Tammanyites shot back at Mr.. Mclaughlin
the bossiest kind Of bosses and that they
were very wealthy, even though neither had
any visible means of livelihood. except
politics. for a good many years-it didn't
taste good.
AS matter Of fact, clique Of Tammany
leaders which is not disposed to submit
further to Mr.. McLaughlin's criticisms
of Mr.. Mcclellan, handed out another at
tack on Mr.. Mclaughlin as follows;
THE attitude of Hugh Mclaughlin in
the preliminary skirmishing for political
control Of this imperial municipal lity has
doub, less been subject OF amusement
TO his cabinet officers in the management
of the Democratic machine in the borough
of Brooklyn, Of which he has been the
chief and despotic manipulator for forty
years. The men, numbering not more
than four or five who are acquainted with
the real motive behind the antagonisnl
Of Mr.. Mclaughlin to George B. Mcclellan
must chuckle to themselves in the inner
sanctum OF the auc ion room in Willoughby
street, while the a ged statesman is engaged
in, he vorarol onIiapCo rha n,har hnrlipo
parabolic diatribes at Tammany and be-
wailing the seishness of its leader.
These trusted lieutenants are well aware
that in his long career as political boss
Mr.. Mclaughlin has almost invariably
been swayed by personal considerations
regardless of the interests and integrity
of the Democratic party OF Kings county
defeat in spite Of its overwhelming normal
plurality. In this cIisis in the political
game impartial observers are contrasting
Mr.. McLaughlin's present stand with his
past management Of the organization over
which he has SO lorg held absolute control.
1t is recalled that year after year he dictated
the nominations, high and low. and that the
Brooklyn conventions merely met to in
dorse his stubborn will. Once In q long
while bold ward leader would kick In the
traces and defy Mr. McLaughlin's mandate
capturing even one Of the rich county
offices, with which it was his custom to
reward his personal favorites. Such in
stances, however, have been OF very rare
occurrence in the history OF the Democratic
organization in Kings county.
Looking back over the field for more
than a quarter Of a century the political
observer must assign the sole RESPONSE
bility for almost all the factional revolts
in the organization and its numerous dis
asters at the polls to the fixed determine
r. 81 liz rw<l hta
sonal friends and punish his enemies re-
eardlees OF the consequences 30 far as the
party AS a whole was concerned. In the
old days such men as the late Gen. Henry w
Slocum, William Marshall and Thomas
Kinsella were driven to organized oppo.
sition to this personal control Of the Demo
cratic machine, and only few years age
Edward NJ Shepard thundered denuncia.
tions Of Mclaughlin and his methods from
| platforms all over Kings county, and al
| though the chief reformer himself returnee
| to the regular fold, hundreds OF his fol
| lowers are still in active opposition to vii
| loughby Street.
J AThe present disrupted condition Of thu
Democratic forces in Brooklyn is the direc
result Of Mr.. McLaughin's dictation o
| t'e nomination of John Morr'ssey Gray TO
|, f,ister few years ago. Gray was no
onlv repudated by Democrats all owe
| BROOKLYN, but came near carrying tn
whole ticket with him to defeat. As
| SEQUEL to that memorable campaign tn
| Brooklyn Democracy, with Senator Michae
j. Coffey at it's head, came into existence
and now forms one OF the strongest branche
of the fusion forces. The Kings Count
Democracy, the German American Leagi
| and. in fact, all the minor bodies that ar
in line against the Wiiloughby street organ
zation would never have been heard G
II Mr.. Mclaughlin had not continued t
regard the Democracy OF Kings count
as his own personal asset and TO dispos
of its honors and prizes among the sycc
plants of the auction room,
What a fine display of cheek that was
few days ago when Mr.. Mclaughlin ser
Shevlin and York over here to the Demo
cratic Club to give the leader of Tan
many lesson in pure and uEselfish politi
Why, both Of those statesmen are livi1.
evidences Of the personal dictatorship {
Mclaughlin. Neither Of them had to figt
his way to his present high standir g III h
Kings county organization and even tt
day neither would probably be able t
control an election district if dependin
on his personal strength with the Demo
cratic voters. Is II any surprise that tn
ranks of independent Democrats in Brool
lyn are steadily increasil and the detel
mination to smash the Willoughby stree
machine is becomiI & more fixed as each ele'
tion comes around?
"Is il unfair TO suggest that Mclaughlin
Shevlin, McCarty and he two or three oth'
Willoughby rect favorites. who are rollir
in wealth, should gracefully retire fro
the polit ical arena and devote their tin
and talents to the administration OF the
vast possessions, leaving public cares to
younger generation of statesmen? Ho
ridiculous must the whole situation appes
IL