The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-10
PRIMARY FIGHTS ARE LIVELY.
NUMBER NOT so GREAT As IN
SOME RECENT YEARS.

But There's Much III FefUnB-yhc Three
COrnetAd Contest in. CIV k1teentn INC
Most ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fight
IN j. J. Martin. The hepsibit lean Rows
The l,hts for district leadership at this
years primaries are not numerous, but are
marked by unusual bitterness. In one
instance an action for slander has been
begun by one of the contestants; In another
case a candidate for district leadership
has declared that he was marked for murder
BY the followers OF his opponent. The
amount Of money which is being wagered
on the results Ia unusually large. II NJ
said that in the Fifteenth district one saloon
proprietor is acting as stakeholder for
more than 800 bets. 'j
On the Tammany side particularly Is
I'll feeling being displayed. At the begin
ming of the year Charles F. Murphy. leader
OF Tau,many Hall, let 1t be known that he
was anxious that district fights should be
avoided this year.
"Next year there won't be Mayor TO be
elected" he explained. 'and then you can
make all the trouble you want among your
selves" An effort was made, which has
succeeded in several districts, to follow Mr..
Murphy's advice, but In others feeling was
so strong that 1t could not be kept under.
But while Mr.. Murphy Is disappointed,
he Ia keeping out of the district contests.
An illustration Of this was shown at the
meeting in the early part Of last month OF
the Tammany general committee, which
was called together to appoint the city
committee. In the Fifteenth district the
report got around among the supporters
OF The McManus, who is fighting Plunkitt
for the leadership, that Mr.. Murphy was for
McManus.
In their exuberance the McManus men
on the night Of the meeting marched down
to Tammany Hall with flying banners and
decorated the front Of the Wigwam with
pictures Of McManus, marked, @Our new
leader Mr.. Murphy's answer was to
name Plunkitt as one Of the five Manhattan
members OF the city committee. Within
five minutes afterward every McManus
picture and banner had disappeared.
In the Fifteenth Assembly district there
Is q struggle for the Tammany leadership,
which is more picturesque and interesting
than bitter. George Washington Plunkitt.
the father OF Tammany leaders. who for
nearly thirty years has been the head OF the
district, will have to battle hard to retain
his place. There are two opponents in the
field against him, Thomas j. McManus,
sTheMcManus," descendant Of Irish kings,
as his friends call him, and John F.. Borden.
At one time there was fourth candidate,
Alderman Richter, but Richter has now
Joined hands with McManus. The three
cornered fight will undoubtedly be close.
Until last year Plunkitt had for more than
Q quarter Of century ruled the Fifteenth
with the power Of despot. He had gov
erned it for 80 long that he got careless In
recent years. He refused to trouble him
self with the duties which are expected
from q district leader. After 0 o'clock
at night wo betide the venturesome indi-
vidual who tried to rouse him from his
bed It was said that after that hour he
would let constituent stay IN jail all night
rather than move himself to provide bail.
But not until last year was any effort ever
made to kick over the traces because the
idea remained that @Plunk's' sway could
not be undermined.
Last year the Hon. George Washington
Plunkitt renominated himself for the state
Senate. He looked upon the voting part
Of the procedure AZ perfunctory, and when
young Martin SAKE, his opponent, set out
to carry the district, II hard work and Wig
orous campaigning could do it, Plunkitt
didn't bother his head.
went to bed as usual at Q o'clock, never
doubling that he would be sent back to
Albany. Next morning he found that he
had been defeated. The younger voters
Of the district at once began to plot against
him, and the candidates. OF Me a! and and
week or 80 Plunkitt paid little attention to
either. He let them decorate the district
with banners and posters. illuminate It
with fireworks and transparencies and
awake with nightly, meetings on the street
corners. 1Plunk will win out on his merits.
was what he told his friends In the last
few days however, he has 80 far given
way to his friends as to speak at meetings
in the district and has placed on the gloomy
front Of Washington Hall, his headquar-
lights. George Washington Plunkitt. the
Peoples Choice Confident as Plunkitt
is of his ability to retain the leadership.
many even Of his best friends doubt IL.
For personal bitterness on the part Of
the ,adyersariee. the Tammany conflict
easily leads. The verbal onslaughts which
are made on one another by Plunkitt,
,MoManus and Dordan are mild, indeed,
in comparison with what Thomas l.. Rey-
nolds and James j. Martin are saying OF
ieader Of the Twenty-seventh for more than
twenty years. Reynolds Is a newcomer
in the district. Two years ago he lived
In the Twenty third district and tried,
without success, to GUST Deputy Police
Commissioner Thomas F. McAvoy. Rey-
nolds last winter moved into the Twenty
seventh district and opened a club. So
hot has become the fight that Martin
got Commissioner McAvoy to tell the
regulars ~ the Twenty seventh at a
meeting held last Monday what he thought
of Reynolds. The upshot Of what was said
at that meeting is that Reynolds has begun
/. q $4,000 snit for SANDER against McAvoy.
At a meeting held on the following night
Reynolds, on his part, made q speech In
which he replied vigorously to McAvoy
Tho indications are that Reynolds has
very little chance Of beating Martin
Joseph F. Prendergast, to whom Barney
Martin turned over the Tammany leader
ship Of the Fifth, has stir fight on his
hands. George s. ONeil, q Sixth avenue
saloon keeper, is opposing him and Mr.
ONeil has at his back William Aston Cham
Ter and other moneyed residents of the dis
tTiot.
Prendergast is working hard 20 keep
the old Martin legion faithful to him, but
the number Of deserters Is very large and
1t Is thought in the district that O'Neil's
prospects, Of victory are bright.
There IL a revolt against Julius Har-
burger, the Tammany leader of the Tenth.
The Democrats of the district who are seek
ing to down him complain that Hamburger
has always been too busy looking after
his own family. Hamburger has been
leader Of the district for seven years.
D,,, M mat He rhNruor 4,