Lewis Nixon was the convenient and perhaps unconscious “Gentile front.” The real ruler of Tammany in Croker’s stead was Andrew Freedman, mentioned in the former article as Croker’s friend and house mate.
(Judging from the habit of individual Jews to room with baseball players before the baseball scandal, and the result of another Jew’s living with Croker, it might be just as well to keep an eye on those other men who are in positions to do favors or influence legislation, whose close cronies happen to be Jews. Some of these friendships may indeed be perfectly conceived; but there are numerous instances where the plans of the “Jewish friend” are very completely matured through the agency of the “Gentile chum.”)
So, upon the departure of Croker from these shores, we find Tammany under the dictatorship of a Jew who was Croker’s chief influence, if not his absolute master.
But by the time this occurred, it was useless for Tammany to rebel. Tammany men who had noticed the infiltration of Jews and were alarmed by it had consoled themselves with the thought that, at least, the higher offices were immune from Jewish occupation. This consolation served only to permit the filling of the lower offices by Jews, with less protest from the membership. By the time the Jews were ready to permit Croker to “abdicate,” they had permeated every part of the Wigwam and the assumption of supreme control was thus made a simple matter. Croker stepped aside; instantly into his place stepped the Jew, Freedman, operating through Nixon.
It was too late for Tammany to remonstrate. Tammany could not protest against the Wigwam becoming Jewish, because the Wigwam already was Jewish. To remonstrate then was to ruin Tammany. Becoming reconciled to what seemed to be inevitable, Tammany leaders saw that their only hope of survival came through preserving Jewish support.