The Washington herald., 1914-05-29
VI ESTATE TREND
AGAINST BOSS|SM
Cotham's Delegates Do Not
Come Up to the Old
Standard.
SENATE SEAT BIG ISSUE
JEFF" Lsvys Ambition May Be Shat
tered By Growing Tendency of
"Away from City,"
SENATE SEAT BIG ISSUE

teseo ~ otoWlne ienoency or
away from City,"
ny FRANCIS .. GEssNER.
Special b Tns WaGhinstoa Haald
| New York. May A-The political OBJ
server. be he statesman or correspond
ent. who takes . look at things In New
York, keeping In mind the members sent
to Congress from the splendid area of
congested population. may wonder some
that Manhattan has not maintained its
old standard In sending men to Congress.
Without any tendency to overdo the
good old days" sentiment, II IL appar-
ent that recent city delegations have not
measured up to those OF other years,
especially as regards actual prominence
and q getting into the Congressional
Record.
A going back only ten years recalls
the names like Bourke Cochran, William
r. Hearst. Charles A. Towne, who had
been Senator from Minnesota, had fig-
ured on the list from Manhattan Island
Asoing back fifteen years discloses the
names Of Amos Cummings. Mcclellan.
Jefferson. Levy. Sulzer and Chanler Fur
ther back the metropolitan list includes
John r. Fellows, Tim Campbell, Cum
mings. Gen. Spinola, Roosevelt p. Flower,
and Ashbei-Fitch. all eminent In Demo-
cratic councils and Flowers. later the
governor.
Attended 10 Home Politics.
Those mentioned figured prominently
In the Fifty-second Congress. and really
gave attention to Congressional duties
without overlooking the political organi-
zation at home.
The Fifty-second Congress preceded the
Presidential election of 1892. and for once
Democratic majority did not bring woe
to the party organization in a national
campaign so that Cleveland came In
with a Democratic Congress ION his
hands" and trouble enough besides. as
Is well recalled.
The Fifty-third Congress fixed things
easily enough for the overwhelming re-
turn Of Republicans to power, but the
Ftfty-second had some fairly conserva-
tive Democrats in control. and besides an
able Republican. Benjamin Harrison was
in the White House. intent on being
President rather than a political COM
There were no great Republican leaders
In the House from New York in those
days. but good. solid upstate members
watchful OF their districts and the an
nual seed distribution. The average Con-
gresham from a New York City district
has no close personal touch with the
voters like a member from an upstate |
or rural district In any State, and nom
nations are dictated too often by the |
machine rather than won by |
the personal appeal and political peril |
nacity Of the candidate.
The old method, not yet out of fashion, |
vas to make up a list Of Democratic
candidates at Tammany Hall and vulgar \
'olks not favored In the makeup might \
refer to the list AZ a slate This did 4
rot worry Tammany and the candidates
.hus designated by the inner council
'layed perfunctory part in possibly 60
ng through the district with a select
'oterfe Of ward workers and then waited
or the Inevitable victory in November.
Checked by Tannany.
Occasionally an ambitions member
Tould seek a building-up Of a personal
but II was not looked on with
avor at Tammany headquarters, and
oft pedal intimation would issue with
threat to name some one else the next
rip. The modern methods Of nomina-
lon and election. and the sure-thing
art Of II, are indicated by the indifferent
egard for actually representative voting
eturns in almost every East Side and
ammany controlled Congressional divi-
ion- In fact the votes cast are so few
hat many Tammany' approved members
re careful to lose the figures
Out Of their Official biographies Riordan
nd Goldfogle from the Southernmost and
'opulous districts Of Manhattan. are care
ll or modest about giving figures. Yet
ne Riordan district. once represented by
i'm Campbell. has a population of 215, 900. {
nd Goldfogle's district has several thou q
and more. Loft Of the Avenue c neigh !
nrhnnd hoa
new member, unused to the willy meth 9
ds Of Riordan and other veterans. gives y
he vote indicating a total OF 1000. with '
lmself receiving 4.595 Of them. IL
Compare this with an up State like that e
the Hon. George Winthrop Fairchild. 7
here the total vote two years ago. out
a eT.000 population. counted up 5000
ith Fairchild receiving 2072 plurality c
.fferson Levy. who. as a veteran in the
ame.- was careful to leave out the dis
essing total vote paragraph In his biog-l
lphical contribution, took palms. how
'er. to tell how he reached the Fifty
xth Congress by $500 majority in a dis
let normally Republican. by 1000. l.
As to New Members. Z
Dooling. Of the upper residence section, k
I'd fairly good figures and also as a \
w member, gives them indicating a
tai Of 1000 and Dooling 1000 to the
,od. Cantor, a veteran politician but T
w in Congress, came in with 10000 total
ties cast and himself glad Of 2.50O plu-
lity in a district like all the others
uniting over 100000 population. Bruck- =
n, also new in the game. had respect y
lie figures up Bronx way totaling over p
900. and, in fact, has a right to be - -
opd of the largest vote cast in any q
ahhattan district.
Reference to the Hon. Jefferson NJ :,
wy and his district. once represented :,
the once eminent Sulzer, reminds
at the Hon. Jefferson L. has serious
signs upon the Democratic Senatorial hi
in New York State. No one fo
estions the qualifications of Levy for N
y high public station. but the ques- N
ming occurs as to his ability in N,
ching Tammany and the regular or m
nixation to view the Levy ambition
tn favor or even accord II the COM 4
ment Of being political wisdom in
npaign such as this years operations
New York politics will present.
L is all very well for the Hon. JEFF rit
insist that he seeks nomination from ga
tho Democrats Of New York, up b
lte as well rs in territory controlled re
led to credit for really paying atten- pr
n to his Congressional duties mora q
IN Is fashionable with other city
mbers, but this hardly appeals
practical Tammany chiefs.
Depends ON Senate.
nless Levy can reach out In the State
stir up demand for his industrious
thods on the Senate SIDE of the big
ding at Washington. he can hardly
a approval from his home county die
orn or for that matter even perrnis- | |