Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-24

confidence say that he feels that he has
given the party the best years of his life:
States senator. and that the future holds
for him no political temptations which can
wean him away from the practice of law.
Control of the Party.
The practical retirement Of this man, for
so many years the state leader. left the
control of the party in the state at the
present time in the hands of the state COM
mittee. And the state committee itself is
controlled by group of men extremely
friendly to Judge Parker, men who were
prominent in bringing about his indorse-
ment at the Albany state convention one.
year ago. and his nomination at st. Louis
last July. Naturally they were delighted
when 1t was announced that Judge Parker
would take part in the Democratic Club
Jenersonian celebra ton.
OF the men in New York who opposed
Judge Parkers nomination, Leader Charles
f. Murphy of Tammany Hall was the most
powerful. and he has always said that he
mad nothing against Judge Parker person.
ally, that he did not regard him as the
strongest candidate who could be named.
But Mr. Murphy's interests in state poll
tics, like his interests in national politics,
are comparatively small.
Iammany Hall Is, of course bound to
SEND delegates to state conventions, just as
1t sends delegates to national conventions.
and these delegates cannot sit like bumps
on log-they must vote and register their
opinions. When it comes right down to
practical politics, however there is little
doubt but that Mr.. Murphy would be better
pleased If New York Were a free city like
some of the Old-time European ports-if
the state of Manhattan, for instance could
De created and a rule made which did not
require the democrats of the met Jpois to
send delegates to conventions, either state
or national. AS matters stand at the pres
ent time, however, it is necessary to send
delegates and Tammany thinks that it is
th6a hast bat
the circumstances that exist. When it
comes to questions involving state or ma
tional leadership Mr.. Murphy is willing to
let matters drift, glad to get along without
arOusing any serious antagonisms which
might tend TO affect his control In Greater
New York
This condition of affairs has created a
situation where the democrats of New
York would probably be willing to let al
most any man or set of men anxious to pay
the running expenses OF the state machin-
cry, take control. The situation is some
what analogous to what it was when Rich
ard Croker departed for Europe-leaving
Iammany Hall to practically run itself I'm
III Mr. Murphy came into the field. and
Representative Mcclellan was elected MAYOR
the game was hardly worth the candle
so with the state and the nation in the
hands of the republicans. with Tammany
Han caring little or nothing about any
thing except municipal politics, the demo-
cratic state machinery has been in a posi-
tlon where almost any of the party lead
ers might have had it for the asking.
The Court of Last Resort.
The Importance of this control does not
become apparent until convention time rolls
around. AT st. Louis the national conyen-
ton after the finish of the great Harrison
Hopkins fight, practically decided that the
state committee rather than the state con-
vention is the court of last resort. Here in
Inc east for many years the state commit
zee, not the state convention, has been
the court of last resort, and by placing the
seal of approval upon the action of the DEM
ocratc convention in the state of Illinois
in the Harrison-Hopkns contests the ma
uonai convention merely ratified the action
taken by many state conventions here in
the east.
1t was at the dictation of the state COM
mittee that William S. Devery was thrown
out of the Saratoga convention three years
ago, though Devery carried his district in
this city on a twO-to-one basis. This same
convention ratified the action of the state
committee in throwing out the Smith NJ
Weed delegates from Plattsburg and the
D. Cady Herrck delegates from Albany
county The result was that enough votes
We're lost in Albany and Plattsburg to have
elected Bird s. Coler the democratic can
didate for governor that year.
The game of politics as played in New
York state is Kaleidoscope, and this year
d. Cady Herrick was the democratic nomi-
nee for Governor against Frank Higgins
nee for United States senator against
Chauncey NJ. Depew. AS a general thing
the paramount issue in New York politics
both republican and democratic IS the con-
troll of state committees, the winning of
victories being considered of less importance
than the retaining control of party organ
iZations.
BY many democrats d. Cady Herrick, the
recent democratic nominee for governor. is
regarded the state leader. He ran tens
of thousands of votes ahead of his ticket
and it was generally believed that he would
win even though Judge Parker might not
carry the state. He was carried down in
the Roosevelt landslide, but had the salts
faction of knowing that he had made
good showing. Like Judge Parker after
leaving the bench to become a candidate
he has removed to this city and has opened
a law office. Judge Herrick is more of a
practical politician than Judge Parker
AS matters stand today 1t begins to ap-
pear as though the powers that be of the
democratic state committee We're looking to
Judge Parker for theory and to Judge Her
rick for practice. Certainly around these
men are centered the leaders of the party
who figured so prominently in the last pres
idental campaign-Cord Meyer the finan-
committee; w. S. Rode. the Ulster county
coal dealer. who held the position of vice
chairman of the state committee and Judge
Parkers personal representative on the
state committee; Senator p. II. McCarren,
the Kings county leader, and all that group
of men who made the Hoffman House their
headquarters during the recent campaign.
All these men are greatly interested in the
temperance of Judge Parker in state and
national politics. S.