The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-28
WHAT HAS CROKER GOT TO DO
WITH ITs


According to the dispatches ex-Mayor
vanWyck of New York and John F.
Carroll, Tammany politicians, are in
England for the purpose of consulting.
Mr.. Croker about the action to be
taken by the Democratic National
Convention, and TO urge him to use
his influence in favor of the nomina-
tion of Mr.. Cleveland. In view of the
fact that the leaders of Tammany, or
at least the most prominent of them,
are in favor of the nomination of Mr.,
Cleveland, or pretend to be, 1t is diff
cult to see what influence Mr.. Croker
could have with the convention. When
he was at the head of Tammany his
influence didn't extend beyond the linn
it's of the Tammany Society, and now
that he is no longer a resident of this
country his influence is less now than
it was then.
Mr. Croker is as much out of pol
tics as it is possible for him to be,
| and it is doubtful If anybody, except
few Tammany politicians, would pay
dtlEullbIl W all lItitS ilC iliibhh 3oy 90
to what the st. Louis convention should
do. And it is hardly probable that Mr..
| Croker will attempt to influence the
convention one way or the other. It
may be that Mr.. Murphy, the present
head of Tammany Society, wants the
| moral support of Mr.. Croker in the
course he is pursuing for the reason
that 1t may strengthen him with the
members of Tammany, the majority of
whom are alleged to be in sympathy
with the movement to nominate Judge
Parker The effort to enlist Mr.. Crok-
ers influence Is not for the purpose Of
| bringing about the nomination of Mr..
| Cleveland, but to prevent Mr.. Murphy
from losing popularity in Tammany by
| his opposition to Judge Parker.
1t looks very much as If there were
an understood scheme on the part
of the opponents of Judge Parker to
prevent his nomination by bringing Mr..
| Cleveland TO the front again, the pur-
| pose being not to nominate Mr.. Cleve-
| land. but some other candidate whose
| name has not yet appeared There rs
undoubtedly a strong Cleveland sentl-
ment throughout the entire country and
the schemers are seeking to make use
of it for their own purposes, In the
South as we'll as in the North many
able politicians firmly believe that Mr..
Cleveland could beat Mr.. Roosevelt.
They do not take into account the
fact that in none of the states, par
tiouarly the states of the East and
West. would the Bryan element vote
for Mr.. Cleveland. There might be
enough Bryan followers in each of the
doubtful states, states which Mr.
Cleveland would have to carry in or
der to be elected, to defeat him.
The Philadelphia Ledger is one of
the papers that seems to think Mr.
Cleveland could be elected, and in its
Sunday issue it had an interview with
him on various topics of a political
character. It pointedly put the ques-
ton to him as to whether or not he
would accept the nomination of his
party for President if it were offered
to him. He answered the question by
vigorous shaking of his head, say
ing that will not happen, so there is
no use of talking about it. I am out
of political affairs. I have said il Of
ten, so that il ought to be well I'M
derstood." The inference which the
Ledger draws Is that Mr.. Cleveland
would accept the nomination if it were
offered to him with anything like
unanimity. AS there is little, If any
probability, that it will be offered to
him, there is no use. as Mr.. Cleveland
says, talking about it. And Mr.. Muir
ply and other Tammany leaders know
that Mr.. Cleveland's nomination isn't
among the probabilities.