My opponent was a respectable man, a judge, behind whom stood Mr.Croker, the boss of Tammany Hall.

My object was to make the people understand that it was Croker, and not the nominal candidate, who was my real opponent; that the choice lay between Crokerism and myself.

Croker was a powerful and truculent man, the autocrat of his organization, and of a domineering nature.

For his own reasons he insisted upon Tammany's turning down an excellent Democratic judge who was a candidate for reelection.

This gave me my chance.