New-York tribune., 1905-11-04
THE DIVIDED FOE


Van Wyck in 1897 the people Of this city have
before them the task of selecting a government
which they are to live under for not two but
four years The intervening elections were ia
I'LL comparatively short terms The pendine
contest is comparable in seriousness only with
that of 1897, and it is strkingy like that In be-
ing three sided fight, with the difference that
this year the Tammany instead of the anti-Tam-
many forces are divided.
Eight years ago solid anu hungry Tammanv
was confronted by divided opposition. and as
a result Mayor Van Wyck was chosen, though
the aggregate vote cast for Mr.. Low and Cen
eral Tracy was greatly In excess of that polled
by Tammany. This year the tables are turned.
Against Mr.. WINS. representing the old anti
Tammany sentiment which defeated Hugh J.
Grant, Intellectually opposed Robert A Van
Wyck and defeated Edward NJ Shepard. are
two Tammany candidates, George B. Mcclellan
and William r. Hearst. Mr.. Mcclellan is the
present Tammany Mayor Mr.. Hearst is the
present Tammany Congressman. As an advo-
cate of radical opinions he has attracted a GER
tain outside following, but the bulk of his sup
porters are Tammany men in revolt against
the domination Of the party by Mr.. Murphy
through Mr.. Mcclellan. The two factions are
rivals for the control of the Democratic party
of this city. That is their only real point of diff
ference. Mr.. Murphy and Mr. Mcclellan, how
ever much they may pretend for electioneering
purposes fear of anarchy" have no horror of
Mr.. Hearst's principles. Twice they elected him
TO Congress. They have worked in perfect har-
mony with him while ne has been reaching his
demagogc doctrines and printing the cartoons
which they now so suddenly find were an incite
ment TO murder. Tammany is split by nothing
earth but rival ambitions, and each frag-
ment assumes for campaign purposes a yirtuous
10 yyh oil la1 cbo-t
time ago to tolerate. The Hearst faction had
no objection to honest graft when Van Wyclz
was Mayor or when LII. Hearst was being run
for Congress by Tammany, and Mr.. Mcclellan
had no fear of anarchy" in those same happy
days of fellowship with the preacher Of class
hatred.
But now the demagogues and the ''grefters'
of Tammany have fallen out and for the first
time the anti-Tammany army goes into battle
with the great initial advantage OF a compact
force arrayed against a divided foe. Divide
and conquer" is a sound maxim Of political war
fare, and it only remains now for that army to
stand firm and conquer. IL need make no terms
with either wing of the beaten foe Both are
weak and each would prefer to see Mr.. WINS
win than see victory perch on the standard Of
the rival in its own household. Each will, of
course seek TO win deserters from the Repub-
iican ranks, but with the Republicans continu-
ing to gain strength daily as they are now, be-
fore election day recruits will be coming in
squads from both of the other camps. The
Hearst people are making great noise and un-
doubtedly have what Derery calls the zephyr
vote" but as Devery notes. he had that himself
once. Such movements always loom larger be-
fore than on election day. The Mcclellan peo-
pie are in an evident panic Nothing but des-
peration could induce such q confession of
weakness as was involved in the appeal for Re
publican votes If Mr.. Mcclellan has lost
enough OF the Tammany vote TO need Repub-
lican aid against faction of his own party, he
is too weak to win through any possible acces-
sions from Republicanism. and every vote given
him would be half vote for Mr.. Hearst. Mr.
Murphy with his red flags has been retired from
the management Of the campaign and Mr. Nc
CIellan has taken as his guide, philosopher and
friend that old expert in red lights" Mr.. James
J. Martin, once one of Crokers right hand men
Whether or not a large part of the Hearst
vote will be cast in New-Jersey and by office
boys cannot yet be told but of the two Tam
many wings his certainly shows the most out
ward confidence, while the Mcclellan faction Is