Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-23
BIC STAKES PLAYED
FOR IN NEW YORK
INSIDE WORKINGS OF MAYOR
Atty CANVASS
Hearst's Aim to Gain Recognition and
Mako TroubIe-Old Bosses Threat
ened With Extinction by
Younger Element
Special to The Herald.


Special to The Herald
NEW YORK, Oct 22.--Anticipating
the reelection Of Mayor George B.
Mcclellan, possibly by an increased
majority, as mayor of New York city
next month, political leaders in New
York state are giving him much promi-
nence In their calculations with re-
spect to national politics.
Tammany Hall politicians make no
secret of their intention to force the
nomination of Mcclellan for governor
of New York state in 1906, and to
establish Charles F. Murphy, the pres
ent leader of that organization, as
leader of the state Democracy, to fill
the place long held by ex-senator
David B. Hill, and only relinquishod
| by Mr.. Hill to give precedence to Judge
Alton B. Parker for the personal direc-
! tion Of his own presidential campaign.
A curious situation is thus developed
| in the Democratic party. McClellan's g
nomination for governor can only be
achieved through the ascendancy Of
Mr.. Murphy, and Mr.. Murphy's as
cendancy would mean the political
downfall Of Mr.. Hill and the reduction
to the ranks Of Senator P. H. McCarren
and Judge B. Cady Herrick. These
combined events would signalize con-
quest of the New York state Democ-
racy resembling very much the con-
quest of 1898, when Richard Croker,
then the leader of Tanmany Hall,
forced the nomination for governor of
Augustus Van Wyck, brother of Robert
A. Van Wyck, who was then the mayor
of New York city. Metropolitan con-
troll of New York state politics has
been rare, and always temporary.
Two Reasons for 1t
Two very good reasons exist why the
conquest of the state Democracy now
| projected by Tammany may be made
to last, if accomplished, until the next
Democratic national convention. Mayor
McClellan's election to the office of
| governor would, if accidents of his
administration as governor do not
create insurmountable obstacles render
him the logical candidate Of the state
for the presidential nomination in 1908
| and probably attract to his support
many of the strongest conservative
| Democratic leaders Of the east. His
election as governor would inevitably
extend the spoils system of Tammany
hall to the state government, which,
having new legal authority to eXpend
$101, 100000 for the widening of the Erie
canal, affords extraordinary oppor-
tunities for political organization along
the lines of the patronage system.
Looking forward to 1908, friends of
Mayor Mcclellan anticipate that his
candidacy for president may cure fac
tionalism in the party, and become
popular with the masses without alien
ating the conservatives whose votes
are necessary to carry doubtful north
ern states. They confidently rely upon
the development of party sentiment
favorable to the nomination of a Wig
orous man who has not been identified
with factiona! troubles which have
rent the party asunder since 1896.
Wherein Mcclellan Is now stronger
as a presidential possibility than he
was last year, when abortive attempts
were made by Tammany to swing the
Cleveland strength for him, does not
appear. His course as mayor has
run smoothly. There have been no
scandals of Importance in his admins
tration, except those which attend the
operation of Tammany contracting con-
Germs organized for graft under every
Tammany administration. But If a
Democratic convention for the nomina-
ton of governor were to be held today,
there would doubtless be very active
and perhaps successful opposition. Ac-
cidents of the present situation have,
however, made McClellan's future Look
brighter than it did a year ago.
No Organized Opposition
City opposition to Tammany Hall has
ceased to be an organized opposition
since Mayor Mcclellan was inducted
into office. There Is a very widespread
jealousy among Tammany contractors
and business men over the monopoly
of city faVors granted by the McClel-
Ian administration to Mr.. Murphy and
80 I, ,fr nI~a F,sa, Is
affected content themselves with growl-
ing, knowing that the present is not a
good time to apply the only possible
remedy, namely, the defeat of Tam
many Hall.
The Citizens union, the organization
which cast $50, 900 independent votes for
Seth Low in 1897 and which, in conjunc-
ton with the Republicans, elected him
Mayor in 1901, is moribund. The Repub-
licans have been unable to work out a
successful fusion with other anti-Tam-
many bodies Mcclellan is opposed
therefore only by the straight Republi-
can organization, which cannot hope to
cast more than one-third of the city's
whole vote, and by w. r. Hearst, rum
ming independently as the candidate of
the Municipal Ownership league. From
the Republicans Mcclellan has little to
fear. The only uncertainty which con-
fronts him in his candidacy is the
Hearst movement.
But little effort has been made by
Mcclellan and his colleagues in the
Tammany Democracy to neutralize the
sentiment of the Democratic party fa-
vorable to municipal ownership. The
Democratic platform contains it's usual
declaration in favor of municipal own
ership. The mayor qualified the plat
form declaration of his party some
what by saying in his speech accepting
denomination:
"As a Democrat 1 believe that that
community is best governed which is
least governed, and that where indi-
vidual effort and private enterprise has
accomplished the same result as gov
ernment, government has no right to
interfere. Where, however, public util-
tiles conducted by private enterprise