New-York tribune., 1911-12-10
BOROUGH GOSSIP
MCCoOey Shows Fight-PIanS
for BeautifYinq Brooklyn.


last Tuesdays Democratic reorganization
was psychological. For the first time IN
HE nublic career John II. McCooey exhio-
ited fighting disposition In other "oros'
he rose 10 the occasion.
Months ago when Mr.. McCooey had oeen
designated by the powers that be to head
the Brooklyn organization someoouy
named him Little Buttercup.' The name
fitted and stack. To those who dealt WIN
him his leading characteristics seeilieu
good nature. geniality and phaoillty M
NfcCooev.s dealings with Tammany Hall
and its chief were such as 10 spreAo @ @.ne
irnpression that the head of the BROOKLYN
organization was little more than an oin0e
boy for Charles F. Murphy.
The Democratic offceholders Of Kings
County. not 10 mention the Democratic
MAYOR Of New York City. treated Mr. Nc
Cooey with something akin 10 contempt
from the first. Even the underlings took
him as n Joke He was accredited with
having no sting. and a. leader without
sting is an anomaly quite incapable OF Sc
curing the respect Of political heelers.
His blunders in revealing his subservience
70 Tammany Hall-blunders which no wise
Brooklyn politician would ever be guilty OF
were capped by the most absurd mistake
in the political history of the county when
he permitted the judiciary candidates or
the "a Department to bring action against
William Berri for an editorial published IN
..The Brooklyn Standard Union" the Re-
publican organ.
So. nobody was much surprised when
word was passed that a movement had
started TO Dust Mr.. McCooey from the
county leadership Most persons expected
the movement to succeed. many expected
MIR. McCooey to resign rather than Tight
II IS known that persons who represented
themselves as agents Of Tammany Hall and
of Mayor Gaynor worked for the In
surgents. This spread the impression that
Mr.. Murphy was tired of Mr.. McCooey's
blunders and wanted a change. Mr.. Nc
Cooey was much worried.
Last Sunday afternoon he called his
county committee delegates together in the
18th Assembly District and had heart 10
heart talk with them. The report is that
some Of the talk was pretty plain and that
Mr. McCooey learned more about the way
other persons looked at him in the few
hours Of the session than he had learned
in his whole previous life. II is a safe
guess that the county leader did a lot f
thinking between Sunday afternoon and
Tuesday evening.
There were no more surprised persons In
the county Tuesday night than the dele
gates from the 18th District. Their first
words on reaching the outer air were:
''Well. what do you think Of McCooey?"
They are stlll trying 10 answer the ques-
tlon AS a matter OF fact, they do not
know what 10 think Of him. II is not
question for politicians to answer. anyway.
il IS a practical problem for psychologists,
solely.
The snap and vigor Of his conduct at the
session was an unexpected retort TO those
who had expected his placid surrender
q surrender rendered the more placid be-
cause Of the 5000 job he had secured while
heading the organization.
The question Of interest now is; Will Mr.
McCooey maintain his new turn Of mind
or will he slip back into his old ways OF
mental fatigue? Perhaps, if all opposition
to him had been destroyed at the meeting.
the slipping back process would even nov
lie under way, but in the words of the In
surgent chief. "the fight is not over. it has
only just begun
Brooklyn voters may look forward TO
repetition of McCarren history, with the
majority and the minority of Democrats ar
rayed against each other in everlasting and
reasonless internecine strife, while the Re-
pubhcans carry of the political honOrs in
the county and judicial district
The plans Of the borough administration
and many Of the leading spirits OF the bor-
ough for the reception and entertainment
Of Daniel H. Burnham. the designer OF
cities. serve in a rather pitiful way TO show
the helplessness of the aesthetic tendency
IN the face of practical necessity.
At a meeting Of some Of the representa-
tives Of the Brooklyn Chapter Of the Amer
ican Institute Of Architects the other day
one architect said with the unanimous ap-
prOval Of his fellows:
'In the Ions run the city must 20 TO the
architects 20 make up the plans for its de-
yelopment. No other class Of men have the
training. At our schools the development
Of lands about the buildings we design Is
looked upon as quite as important as the
drawing Of the plans Of the buildings them
selves We are called on TO lay out the
grounds for our patrons whenever We de
sign a country house. That is our work
You cannot expect politicians TO be exper
Landscape gardeners
The borough administration avoided plac
ing architects on the Committee Of One
Hundred which was appointed TO look af
ter Mr.. Burnham. The reason may b'
found in the opposition Of the Brooklyn
Chapter of Architects to the acceptance o
the offer Of Lord, Hewlett & Tallant anc
Mckenzie. voorhees, * Gmelin TO cut the
price for planning the Municipal Building
Whatever the reason, the architects fee
that they are entitled TO places on the com