Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-08
Communicated
THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
THE CONTEST FOR THE HEADS OF
DEPARTMENTS IN ALLEGHENY.

Chief Murphy Has the Call as Old Public
safety-A Councilman Gives His Reasons
Why He Should BE Elected.
The contest for chiefs of the different de-
partments of the new city government OF
| Allegheny will be settled tomorrow. 1t
has been a warm one, and at its close can
virtually be said to be settled in the inter-
est of John R. Murphy for Chief of Public
Safety. In speaking Of the matter last night
prominent member of Allegheny Councils
said: "It is about over, and I am glad of
it. AT the beginning of the contest was
opposed to Chief Murphy. but have every
reason now to change my mind, and am for
him and believe he will be elected. The
publication of that article last week made
him hosts of friends. His manly confess
sion of a youthful indiscretion, and saying
to the people of Allegheny I stand upon
ny record with you for the last 20 years.
If you are not satisfied with that, then do
not elect me. But if you think my services
have been such as to entitle me to your
confidence, then I have every right
to appeal to you for your support.
Take Murphy as he is, and 1 tell you he
deserves great deal of credit for the record
he has made in every public position in
which he has been placed. He was born
and raised in Allegheny, and his mother
and sister are still living here. Called to
fill the position of Chief of Police under
Mayor Wyman, the first time he ran, and
filling it with great deal of ability, and
then under ex-Mayor Pearson, assuming
subordinate position and filling that to the
satisfaction of Mayor Pearson and his chief,
and with so much ability that at the great
Knights Templar gathering at Washington
he was selected by the Allegheny command
cries to accompany them as a guard against
thieves and pickpockets. Three years ago
he was appointed to the position of mercan-
tile appraiser of the county, and filled the
bill to the complete satisfaction OF the COM
missionerS. When Mayor Wyman was re-
elected he reappointed Murphy as Chief,
and he certainly has done his full duty. He
has cleared the city of thieves, so much so
that, excepting petty thieving generally
done by small boys, robbery Of any kind
is rarely heard of. Now, that is his record,
and 1t is known to every citizen of Allie
gheny, and should he be elected Chief of
Public Safety, which 1 believe he will be.
you mark Inc if his administration of the
affairs of the Office will not be of such a
character as to call forth the hearty COM
mendation of even those who now oppose
him. Why don't he come back at the peo-
pie who are yillifying him? Well,
I asked him that, and he de.
clined on the ground that while he
had any amount of ammunition to fire at
them, he did not believe in fighting cam
paign in that way; that if what man did |
when he was boy were to be counted |
against us all now, 1 tell you we would all |
hide our heads. 1 know OF nv own knowl- |
edge that he has information which, if pub |
lshed on some of his opponents, would |
create a decided sensation; but when he |
gave me his reason, 1 was compelled to ad- |
init that it was the manly wav in which to |
be candidate for Office. They have said |
their worst about him, and he admits the
New Years eve frolic, but the charges
against him have fallen so fat that know
myself of at least three votes who have
changed to him on account of it. Do you
the manner in which Hartranft
was villifed wneE he first ran for Gov
ernor, and how he was beaten until the abuse
became worse, when the reaction set in and
be was trium pf antly elected2 So it will be
with Murphy. If the voters O., Allegheny
had their way in making this selection he
would be chosen by vote of ten to one,
Tor Murphy never, when he was able refused
20 do man a favor and those who know
1im best are his closest friends. Allegheny
will make no mistake and
never have occasion to regret it by electing
lin tomorrow night. He has the executive
bility and in addition is we'll known at ali !
he prominent police headquarters in the
ountry, and it will be great benefit to the
lty to have him in the position. I am for
linn and will do all can"