The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-13
new YORK TOPICS
THE METROPOLIS is GETTING
READY FOR THE MUNICIPAL
CAMPAIGN.

CAMPAIGN.
One, but There's a WOefuI Lack of
PicturesGueness Among the Men
who Will BE Leading Figures.
Aside from Devery land No One
but Himself Considers Him Any
thing but n joke, the Only Man
on Either Side With "A Lot of Per-
sOnal Snap and Ginger Is District
Attorney JerOme-Guggenhei
and His Famous Dinner to Forty
Friends at $3.50 n PIate-Seth
Lows Gift of a Million Dollar
Library Was Handled Most I'm
DicturesGuely by Him.
New York. Sept. 12.-Ever since last
Wednesday night, when the anti-Tam-
many forces got together to decide upon
plan of action the signs of an I'M
usually lively municipal campaign have
been waxing and multiplying.
There have been indications a.
plenty for months, indeed, that the
coming contest over the city offices
will be one of the most spirited, not
to say the bitterest, that the town
has witnessed in many long year.
For decades the patronage of New
York has been larger than the patron
age of any state in the Union-not ex-
cepting the Empire state-and only ex-
ceeded in the Western Hemisphere by
that of the United States itself. 1t
VIII be larger than ever before dur
ing the coming mayoralty term, exceed
ing by large sums the entire patron
age of more than one European king
dom. Principle aside, and assum-
ing that the winners would not think
Of spending the city's money otherwise
than honestly, the control of it's vast
income is prize that the worlds most
adroit politicians would not be asham-
ed to struggle for.
But while there is sure to be ex-
citement enough to keep a lot of folks
awake O. nights all through the cam
paign, it must be confessed that there
is painful lack of picturesqueness
among the men who are bound to be
the campaigns central figures.
Not to put too fine a point upon
it, there is at present only one i'm
portant picturesque figure in sight at
all. He is William TraVers Jerome,
Democratic in national politics, but
who undoubtedly voted with the Re-
publicans at the two last presidential
campaigns and was elected district
attorney as an anti-Tammany fusion
ist two years ago.
His picturesque qualities would not
suffer by comparison with those of
Theodore Roosevelt, Abram S. Hewitt,
John Kelly, Henry George, w. l..
Strong, or even Richard Croker. all of
whom lent color to divers city cam
paigns in the past. Leaving DeVery
out-and 70 one save DeVery takes him
as anything but joke-the most prom
inent figures of the falls campaign,
aside from Jerome, will be such men
as Seth Low and his shadow and pri-
vate secretary James B. Reynolds, on
the fusion side, and Col. George b. Nc
Clellan and Randolph Guggenheimer on
the Tammany side.
These men and their like are al
we'll enough, no doubt; they represent
fairly the parties that support then
and the principles which they support
hut they are prominent on behalf o.
their parties and their principles onl!
because there is nobody of more fir'
and ginger. more get-up and get, Il
crowd them out of their leadership.
Time was when, with Croker away,
John F. Sheehan, the erstwhile But
falonian and more lately erstwhile
nominal Tamrnany leader, would have
been hailed as the sherman of the
Tammany boat Time was when BIRD
s. Coler would have had little TO
saw. at least, about the course of that
venerable political craft. Time was
when Hugh ]. Grant would have been
hailed as a first-class Tammany pilot.
Time was. and not so very long ago,
when Lewis Nixon, like Sheehan, the
leader of Tammany for brlef space,
would have had his say with the or
ganization. But those times nave long
since become local political history,
and it is doubtful whether any OF
them can possibly ever return.
John f. Sheehan lost his grip when
he bucked up against himself '-mean-
ing Croker. That was when the BOSS
returned from Europe Unexpectedly on
one occasion-after having nominally
LET go-and decided to take hold again
willy nilly. Sheehan confirmed MS
loss of grip two years ago by assist
ing in the election of both Low ana
Jerome, the two men in all Tammahy
whom Ianl1ndIly uOAuS Al
abomination.
Bird S. Coler put himself completely
cont of it, when he infused so mucn
tameness into his run for Governor.
Hugh ]. Grant might step we'll to
the front in Tammany's councils even
now if he wished to, probably, but he
had enough of the POLITICAL game long
ago.
Charles S. Murphy, the present Tam
MANY chief, is well known to the rank
and file of the organization no DOUBT
but the general public knows him not
and has little curiosity about him be-
cause of his apparent lack OF snap
and fire. .4,o,,oa
Randolph Guggenheimer, mentioned
more than once as a possible Tam
many mayoralty candidate, and I'M
derstood to be a close friend OF Crok-
or is almost as little known to the
masses as Murphy, and by them little
snsnected of being capable OF any
thing ont of the ordinary.
Col. George B. Mcclellan, Mr.. Muir
phy's nice young man." got his start
40 Of his rather.