Evening journal., 1913-05-13
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Lost Opportunity Which
Did Not Return

By Holland


shortly after the second election Of
Grover Cleveland to the presidency
IN 1892. l. heard from William r.
Grace. who was twice mayor OF New
York. and whose candidacy for mayor
In 1884 unQuestionably made 1t pos
siblc for Grover Cleveland TO carry the
State By the small plurality Of l,1O0,
The story of the fatal blunder com
mttcd hN the county Democracy Of
New York at a time when IL had op-
portunity practically. if not completely.
10 wipe out of existence the Tammany
Hall Democratic organization.
Mayor Grace asked me to accom-
pany nim on a stroll through East
Twenty-third street. New York city
when we reached a point near the
corner OF Lexington avenue and
Twenty-third street two blocks cast
Of Fifth avenue. Mayor Grace stopped
and pointed to an old building that
stood upon that corner.
THAT building, understand, %
Mayor Grace said, "has been sold or
Is about 10 be- To me there is real
tragedy associated with this building.
There was time a few years ago
when tho county Democracy could
have bought that building and torn
II down and built upon the site a
commodious and attractive home for
the organization.
"Tho county Democracy was organ
lied originally about fifteen years ago
fer the purpose Of destroying Tam
many Hall We had some very able
Democratic politicians in the organi-
xation. There was Edward Cooper,
a son Of Peter Cooper, who was elect
ed mayor OF New York for the term
that Just preceded my own first one.
There was William c. Whitney, then
gaining rapidly in influence as a
Democratic politician. He had been
very thoroughly trained by Samuel J..
Tildcn. There was Hubert o. Thomp-
son. who before he failed physically
and mentally was as astute a politi-
clan as could be found in New York
State. There was Maurice j. Powers,
who had immense influence with the
lrish-American voters, and who, in
addition 70 being an able politician,
WAS a scholarly man.
THE County Democracy was splen-
didly organized. It's leaders were
men who knew exactly how and
where to meet and overcome the tao
tics of Tammany Hall II was due to
the County Democracy that Grover
Cleveland was nominated in 1884, or
due in part at least TO the influence
of this organization The County
Democracy unQestionahly saved for
Cleveland the STATE of New York.
Every one of these leaders knew
that. fundamentally, the strength oi
Tammany Hall as a political organ.
ization lay In the fact that behind II
stood the Columbian order, which was
the incorporated name Of the cor
poration which owned the Tamman,
Hall building.
"The ownership OF this building
and the fact that the building furnish
cd adequate headquarters for th'
Tammany political organization wer'
to great degree the strength of tina
organization.
81 felt. and several others wer
also convinced. that all that remaine
for the County Democracy In order {
gain the full benefit OF its triumph
over Tammany was 10 buy a plec
OF land and erect upon It thorough
~ modern, well-equipped building. L
serve as a home of the organization
We had no good abiding place.
with one or two others | looke
around for some weeks and at las
discovered that we could buy IN
very property that you and l ar
looking at It's location was admir-
able for political headquarters.
For some reason, which I wa
never able to understand. we founl
some opposition in the organization
10 the purchase OF a piece of lam
and the erection of home for tn
County Democracy. ] offered to bu
the building and site myself. and turi
it over to the County Democrac
whenever the organization saw nc d
take it from me.
Il have always thought that
President Cleveland had appointed
strong County Democracy man a
collector OF the port OF New York, tn
Organization would have purchase
the property and put a new buildin
upon IL. II that had been done and
the County Democracy had been
little more generously treated i
Washington, there is not the slight
est doubt in my mind that we woul
have, in the course of few year.
extermiDated Tammany Hall Their
was time, I think in the year 1885,
while / was still mayor, when tn
County Democracy was ready to bu
this site, but. after inquiry was mad
Il was found to be too late. Tn
property had been sold to a pun
chaser who was not willing to pal
with it. From that time the Count
Democracy began to decline, and. Z
last passed out of existence"
Copyright. 1913. by Z. J. Edward
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell
fsrrho oct Corr,o, &c 4, u,.,cI,,t;,. q, .