The Reign of the Salt City Shaker: The Early 1900s and James K. McGuire


1898 - Blessings of Silver and a Smoke-Filled Room


The room may have been smokey, but Croker knew exactly who he was talking to. The three shadowy figures that sat at the other ends of the table were Hill, McLaughlin and Murphy, all powerful men in their own right. ‘But none as powerful as me’ Croker thought to himself. Anyway, they weren’t there to compete as per usual, but to compromise. Right now, the candidacy for the Democrats’ New York gubernatorial nominee was split. Hill’s camp and their candidate Elliot Danforth had about ⅓ of the vote, and with the ‘Free Silver’ platform having swung their support behind that boy mayor from Syracuse James K. McGuire, his vote was also about ⅓ [1]; Croker had essentially become kingmaker. His camp’s initial candidate of NYC mayor Robert Van Wyck had been dismissed as his position as mayor was too valuable, but his camp still held that last ⅓ of the vote. Now the four men had met to decide on a compromise candidate. But, Croker had other plans.


That boy mayor had initially been written of as a lieutenant governor at best. Croker had written him off as well, and not to mention the fact he was still slightly insulted by McGuire's support of Sulzer two years earlier. However, after meeting the delegation McGuire had sent, he’d started to change his tune, and during that carriage ride where he actually met the mayor himself, he could see the fire in the young man’s eyes. If anyone had a chance at beating that Republican upstart Roosevelt, it was him. [2]


However, Croker let the other men squabble and compromise first. They all brought up bland names, people who wouldn’t offend, but didn’t satisfy Croker either. One name peaked his interest, Augustus Van Wyck, brother of the mayor Robert, but he eventually shot it down, as McGuire would probably take the nomination as a slight, and the Free Silver’s would definitely bolt.[3]


Finally, he revealed his true plans, “McGuire, we should nominate McGuire”. Almost immediately, he was met with angry cries from the three other men.


“He’s just a candidate of Free Silver” one said.


“He hasn’t made any pledges towards them, and he has sizable Gold Democrat support” rebuffed Croker, “He could represent both factions of the party, a compromise candidate, if you will.”


Still, no one conceded, but their stubborness only hardened Croker’s own resolve. He would get McGuire nominated, goddammit! Finally, he fully threw his support behind McGuire, making it known he would not back down. Hill, seeing no way to win, finally folded and compromised by having his own candidate Elliot Danforth on the ticket as Lieutenant governor.[4] Murphy continued to protest though, rambling on about how a paddy in the governor’s seat would cost him his reelection[5], but the other 3 men bullied him into silence.


Croker breathed a sigh of relief. It was official. The 1898 NY gubernatorial race would be between The ‘Hero of San Juan Hill’ Theodore Roosevelt and the ‘Salt City Shaker’ James K. McGuire.

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1901 - The Papers on the Governor’s Desk

Governor McGuire glanced at the newspaper from a week ago and grumbled.


M’KINLEY SHOT!

Latest Bulletin Says The President Has Rallied and Is Resting Easier - Ground For Hope.

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McGuire had been reelected in quite a landslide[6], so hopefully the opposition wouldn’t be able to paint him as responsible for this whole mess. Nevertheless, he would still have to meet with the newspapers to stop them from publishing any of those mad conspiracies linking him to the President’s assassin or, at the very least, try to. He knew he could rely on Hearst though. He called out to his secretary and asked her to arrange a meeting, then he sat back in his chair and sighed a deep sigh.


McGuire sighing again, reached for that day’s paper and grimaced,


PRESIDENT IS DEAD

JOHN DAVIS LONG

SWORN IN AS 26th PRESIDENT

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it had only been a matter of time.[7]


[1] This is the POD, in OTL Free Silver bolted the convention, making the initial hope for many McGuire supporters of him being a sort of compromise candidate between Gold and Silver out of the question. Here they throw their support almost entirely behind him, and he still has a sizable amount of Gold Democrat support.

[2] All is the same as IOTL, except Croker never actually supported McGuire for Governor. With McGuire having an actually strong backing and position, he seriously considers McGuire.

[3] IOTL Augustus was the actual nominee.

[4] Same compromise as IOTL, but with McGuire on the Governor’s ticket.

[5] He had these same concerns IOTL.

[6] With the support of Free Silver and overall being a more energetic campaigner, McGuire is able to win the election that Augustus Van Wyck narrowly lost, and runs for reelection successfully.

[7] Without Roosevelt in the picture, McKinley was able to secure his friend and first choice John Davis Long as his VP.
 
An Aside: The Legacy of the Great Explorer Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt had all the makings of a star politician. He was witty, tough, and an unabashed progressive. Unfortunately, he cast his die at the wrong time. His narrow defeat in the 1898 NY governor's race should not have been the end of his career, as other divisive characters had lost elections, but emerged like a phoenix when the time was right. It was just bad luck than to have to run against McGuire, the perfect candidate to unify what was, until then, a split NY Democratic party. However, no one could've predicted the assassination of William McKinley, and less could've predicted the presidency of John Davis Long, nor been as appaled as Roosevelt was to see his old boss assume the highest office in the land.[1] The Long presidency would be the political death of Roosevelt, as he found himself shut out of the administration by his old rival, and without political backing. Though he kept his progressive tendencies and detested Long's domestic policies, he agreed wholeheartedly with the course of foreign policy taken with President Long. As a matter of principle, he shied away from denouncing the President who had constructed the Great White Fleet and the Panama Canal, initiatives Roosevelt sought as imperative to America.[2] So the great lion that was Roosevelt kept his jaws shut for the time being.

Instead, he threw himself fully into a pursuit he had acquired on vacation in Maine, hunting. In early 1902, desiring something bigger, he went on his first of many hunting trips in Africa.[3] His expedition would bring him fame not attained since his days as the Rough Rider, and Roosevelt would go on multiple other expeditions throughout Africa and South America in the coming decade. He would be a founding member of the New York Explorer's Club in 1904[4] and would raise the organization to such extraordinary fame, it would rival the London based Royal Geographic Society, and spur a new generation of American exploration.

[1]Roosevelt had served under Long as Assistant Secretary of Navy, before resigning to lead the Rough Riders in Cuba

[2]Roosevelt's and Long's rivalry was more of a personal rivalry than a conflict of ideas. They both sought to expand the navy, and it was Long who laid the groundwork for Roosevelt's 'New American Navy'. In this TL he pursues the same foreign policy decisions Roosevelt did, such as intervening in Panama, but will differ significantly in domestic policy

[3]Roosevelt has the big game hunting trip he had post-presidency earlier, spurring a career as a world-renowned explorer.

[4]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Explorers_Club
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One of the first meetings of the New York Explorer's Club, Roosevelt has brought a water snake from his recent expedition to Sao Paulo (Circa 1904)
 
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Who Croaked Croker?
"I did!" roared McGuire
He hadn't been this passionate in such a long, perhaps not since 1898, but having been invited to speak at a Tammany event, he couldn't help but be whipped up into a fury by his countrymen.
"I did these things, and I will do more!"
The people who had gathered to listen cheered him on. He was a mouthpiece for the people! A Bryanite, A Reformer! He stood against Long and his imperialism, his disregard for the common man!
"New York City may not have voted Democrat last election," He cast a glance at a rather pale looking Croker, "But I will make sure it come the next!"
This was met with an even greater roar. McGuire saw the fire in the crowd, his words fueling it.
This was his chance, use the fire as the Indians did; burn away the old, make way for the new.
"Tammany needs change!"
The crowd seemed momentarily confused, McGuire continued
"Isn't it a shame, our mayoral candidates defeated, while I am reelected in a landslide?"
A wave of Ayes and Yessirs crossed the crowd, He had them now
"Surely someone is to blame!" He stole another glance at Croker, who had turned positively green.
"We need new leadership! A rejection of corruption that still plagues our name. We are the Irish block, but we should not be pawns"
"Some Protestants are all too willing to use us, play us on one another, for their own gain" Croker seemed to be woozy.
"Why has our organization rejected those men who are so integral to our community?"
"Why do we fight with the newspapers? Why do we reject the reformers?"
The crowd knew the newspapers were Hearst, who Tammany had frequently squabbled but who was a close friend of the Governors, but who was the reformer?
"We are on the heels of the next governor's election, a race for which I will not stand," McGuire languished, "But I can not in good conscience recommend the nomination of Mr. Danforth!"
"He represents the old structure, he is a pawn of Hill, and he will make you a pawn of his too!" Hill looked furious, but slunk back in his seat, defeated, as the roars of the crowd grew louder.
"That is why I support Bird Sim Coler for the Governorship! Besides what some might tell you, he is not our enemy, he is our ally in the fight against Long and his cronies, and for that matter cronyism here in the state of New York itself!"
The crowd cheered even louder, to which McGuire smiled. He had won.
"Tammany shall change, friends. No Tammany will change! IF MY NAME ISN'T JAMES KENNEDY MCGUIRE!"

By the end of the year, Tammany was now no more than McGuire's plaything.
He had been named Grand Sachem and Croker had been put out to pasture.
This was a new Tammany,
His Tammany would be a Tammany of reform!
"Frances dear, get the champagne, oh and put Hearst on the line!"
"Whatever for?"
"I have big plans for us, big plans indeed"
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What's Happened so far:

The OTL New York Gubernatorial election of 1898, despite Roosevelt being a popular candidate, was extremely close. Both candidates were divisive, with Augustus Van Wyck alienating the Silverites of the Democratic Party and Roosevelt having had to run a third party campaign before he was accepted as the established Republican parties candidate. He was also running in the shadow of Governor Frank S. Black's corruption.

ITTL a minor candidate, James K. McGuire, who was a real candidate OTL and an interesting man, made overtures for the nomination but was ultimately rebuffed. The Silverites bolting the convention instead of remaining to support him killed what could've been a promising compromise candidate for the Hill and Tammany forces, and the lacklustre Van Wyck was nominated. I think that McGuire as a unifier would have the best chance of beating the decisive Roosevelt.
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McGuire and Danforth are reelected by a large margin in 1900 as incumbents usually are without any major administration blunders. However, at this point, McGuire is beginning to become estranged from Croker. He already aligns himself with the reformers and silverites, as opposed to Hill and Croker, and becomes friends with Hearst, who has political aspirations himself, and who helps McGuire with positive coverage.

In 1900, the presidential elections also happen almost identical to OTL, with McGuire really unable to make his mark just yet. Republicans nominate the rather lacklustre John Davis Long, Secretary of the Navy and personal friend of McKinley to the vice presidency. He was the first choice of the administration and was the presumed nominee until NY Republican boss secured Roosevelt the nomination to get rid of him from NY politics. Long succeeds McKinley after his same-as-OTL assassination. His foreign policies echo that of Roosevelt, but his domestic policies are greatly influenced by the conservatives in his administration.

By 1902, Croker’s position within Tammany Hall is critically weakened due to the defeat of his mayoral candidate and his failure to carry New York city for the Democrats in 1900, giving McGuire the perfect opportunity to sweep in and become the next Grand Sachem. However, McGuire is a reformer, and casts aside the old system of Tammany, using it instead as his own personal vehicle to get his candidates nominated, seen in how he denies his lieutenant governor the nomination in 1902 and instead supports popular outside and reformer Bird Sim Coler. This echoes the OTL governorship of Benjamin Barker Odell, who Platt hoped to control once he succeeded Roosevelt, but who instead ousted Platt and became leader himself.

Any other questions please ask! I want to improve this timeline and explain anything that's not clear.
 
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