The Alaska daily empire., 1922-05-02
RICHARD CROKER.

Richard Croker, who died in Ireland Saturday,
a remarkable and played notable part in his
time Few people lived more than he did during the
thirty years prior his voluntary retirement the
leader of Tammany Hall, His that
possibly only in this country and in his period
He poor immigrant boy, working with his
hands when he became interested in politics. Wig
oroos brain, capable of accurate and quick decisions
an uncanny understanding of human nature, tire
aggressive energy supported by iron constiu-
ton, and a courage that knew not fear enabled him
to become the dictator of New York City at As and
to retire with large wealth before he was sixty His
life battle after another from the time he
tered politics For dozen years he fought for power
control within Tammany, and then he had to
fight establish the supremacy of that organization
which had suffered its depressed days during the
years before his leadership began. He John
Kellys right hand man in the long and hardfought
contest to the old Tweed gang, after Tweed had
boen-eensieted for stealing, and he loyalty supported
the less unsuccessful Kelly leadership. He
became leader of Tammany in 1885, during the ad-
mnistration of Mayor Franklin Edison who had been
the candidate of the County Democracy, anti-Tam-
many Democratic organization His first act as leader
arrange alliance with Gov. David B. HILL
the upstate Democratic leader and with the County
Democracy in New York City William r. Grace, the
shipping man. and Abram s. Hewitt the iron manu-
and Congressional leader served Mayor of
New York in compromise selections He came
into full power New York Citys dictator when
Sheriff Hugh J. Grant was chosen Mayor in 1889 and
supreme throughout the Grant and the Gilroy
Administrations. David B. Hill twice elected
Governor and then to the Senate with the assist
Croker The Hill-Croker put Governor
Flower in the executive chair Albany to succeed
Hill Croker opposed the third nomination of Cleve-
land in 1892 and New Yorks cast for Hill
in the Democratic National convention. but when
Cleveland was nominated Croker gave him Tammanys
full strength in the election that year.
Governor Flower succeeded by Republican
in January 1895. and exhaustive examination of
the methods Croker followed For fifty days the
investigators "camped Cookers trail" and then ad
ntted quite frankly that not one violation of the
criminal statutes had been disclosed a single
indictment was returned. However. feeling that his
leadership had been impaired, Croker retired from
the head of Tammany turned the organization
over to John c. Sheehan. a brilliant and
tor brother of "Blue-Eyed Billy" Sheehan of Buffalo,
who had been Lieutenant Governor in the first Hill
Administration The first defeat Tammany since
Kely's time occurred the fall of that year when
william L. Strong chosen Mayor by fusion of
Republicans and Independent Democrats. In 1897
Croker returned New York and managed the
cessful campaign Robert Van Wyck The next
year he was almost successful in his effort to make
Mayor Van Wske's brother. Augustus Van Wyck, Gov
ernor He probably would have succeeded had it not
been that the Republicans nominated Col Theodore
Roosevelt just back from his Roughrider campaign
in Cuba and the outstanding Spanish War hero
Shortly after this campaign, Croker. determining that
Tammany ought have leadership that would at
tract the independent element of the Democratic
Party in New York. made Lewis Nixon. naval archi-
teet and thip builder and member of old Virginian
family leader and permanently retired from politics
Since that time he has lived most of the time in
England and Ireland