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and Croker soon retired from politics. Tammany was getting disgusted with its leader who, because of his wealth, his aping of culture and his interest in things foreign, was more a hindrance than help to the organization. Croker was being hailed by the public as the outstanding exponent of graft and no one regretted his retirement.

But Croker had not retired without following the custom established by "Honest" John Kelly, his predecessor. He also had knifed Democratic presidential candidates. Tammany had opposed Grover Cleveland in 1892 and when Bryan was candidate the first time the Tammany tomahawk was used on him. When Bryan was nominated, George Washington Plunkett, the bootblack stand sage of Tammany, was asked what Tammany would do toward supporting the Democratic ticket.

"Free silver or free gold or free anything else may be all right but that ain't the point. We want to know what we are going to get from these people. We don't care anything about this currency question. We just want to know what Bryan and Sewell will do for the New York Democrats if we support the ticket. We don't give a damn for the money question but we must know what we are going to get out of an indorsement of the ticket."

And that was Tammany's attitude toward its party candidates always. "What are we going to

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