Boss Rule Rejected

New York, 1895

THE SUPERVISORS EMPHATICALLY CONDEMN POLITICAL INTERFERENCE.

The Nice Little Job That Was Put Up to Defeat Martin V. Wood for Chairman and How it was Defeated — Supervisor Koehler Too Great a General in Strategy for Boss Youngs — The Board Fully Organized.

Boss Rule received its death blow in the board of Supervisors on Tuesday and Boss Youngs has gone into hiding to repent his folly. He convened the Republican members of the board in caucus at the Hardware Club in New York on Monday to fix up his program for them to carry out on Tuesday. It was intended to keep the caucus a profound secret, but news of it got out, and besides Boss Youngs and the Supervisors, there were present Mr. Phipps, Harrison S. Moore, Dr. F. A. Wright, Clinton B. Smith, Mr. Cleary of Newtown, and one or two others. Mr. Moore was in court and merely stopped in out of curiosity. Mr. Smith and Dr. Wright were there to look after their interests as candidates for clerk of the board. Supervisor Pople championed Mr. Smith, and Dr. Wright was championed by Boss Youngs and Supervisor Underhill. The other Supervisors had candidates, too. Supervisor Pople argued that Flushing's claim to the office was paramount because the Republican County Committee had directed that some Flushing Republican be chosen clerk, that town having no county office filled by a Republican, while all the other towns have. It was not denied that this was the position of the county committee, but not a single Supervisor outside of Mr. Pople was willing to ratify the wish of the committee, and why should they, when the chairman of the committee was running counter to it by pressing Dr. Wright for the clerkship. Mr. Pople quickly broke over the traces when the desire was expressed that he should abandon Mr. Smith. "No, sir," he said. "I will wear no man's collar." Supervisors Wood and Denton were equally determined not to be driven into line for Dr. Wright, and Mr. Underhill felt the same independence, but had no reason to express it, as he was supporting Dr. Wright because he is a fellow townsman. Supervisor Wood was particularly indifferent to Boss Youngs' wishes, because he had heard of an attempted deal to prevent his re-election as chairman, and he knew that he could win in spite of Boss Youngs and Dr. Wright. So the caucus accomplished nothing.

This story of the plot to chisel Mr. Wood out of the chairmanship will interest the public not a little, because it shows that Boss Youngs is trying to work out his own schemes without any regard to the county committee or the effect on the Republican party. Mr. Pople had announced himself as opposed to Mr. Wood having the chairmanship twice in succession, and it was known that Messrs. Koehler, Everitt and Siebs would vote for Mr. Koehler, so that Mr. Wood could not be elected if the lines were drawn in that way, as there were but his own vote and those of Messrs. Denton and Underhill on which he could rely. Mr. Koehler was approached in the interest of Dr. Wright for clerk. He was told that if he would deliver three votes to the doctor for clerk, the vote of Mr. Underhill would be delivered to him for chairman, and both of them would be elected, and the chairman would be a Democrat and the clerk a Republican. Mr. Koehler says he saw Mr. Youngs about it, as he wanted some confirmation of Dr. Wright's authority to make the proposition, and Mr. Youngs, he says, assured him that it had all been arranged. Mr. Koehler seems to have been a little skeptical, even after receiving this assurance, for he arranged with Dr. Wright to go back to Oyster Bay and send him (Koehler) a telegram at Long Island City if it was an absolutely sure thing. Dr. Wright sent Mr. Koehler a telegram which read, "IT'S ALL RIGHT," and putting this and Mr. Youngs' assurance together, Mr. Koehler had a revelation in political legerdemain which he will never forget. If this deal could have been carried out, Mr. Koehler could have been made chairman in place of Mr. Wood, and Mr. Wright would have been made clerk in place of Mr. Seabury — a mere swapping of positions with the advantage against the Republican party, but with a great deal of glory for Boss Youngs, who could then have said that he got the clerkship for a Republican and punished Mr. Wood for kicking against his rule as boss last year and this. There was but one thing lacking to hoist the colors of the Boss, and that was the vote of Supervisor Underhill. He rose up as big as the Alps in the way of Mr. Youngs and Dr. Wright, and refused to lend himself to the deal. That put on end to it. In the meantime Messrs. Koehler, Everitt and Siebs had had their heads together, and Martin Wood was advised of what had taken place. The old war horse decided at once to face the music and attend the caucus, which he had previously decided not to attend. He had the assurance of Messrs. Koehler, Everitt and Siebs that they would stand by him for chairman, and it needed but his own vote to insure his election. He went to the caucus, therefore, with the determination not to be bound by anything that it might do, and with his mind unalterably made up to turn the tables on Boss Youngs and Dr. Wright by casting his vote for Mr. Seabury for clerk along with Supervisors Koehler, Everitt and Siebs. Mr. Wood succeeded beautifully. The trap into which Mr. Koehler is seen to have led Mr. Youngs and Dr. Wright was never surpassed in skillful construction. The result teaches several lessons, the most important of which is that the board of Supervisors will not be bossed by Mr. Youngs.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, May 3, 1895, p. 1.