The sun., 1904-06-26
!; y Y. no JOB for /, : ~e.llins TAs aA's

,.It was no Job for weaklins The oAss
Of psvsry shows thls.
When Murphy announced his detsrmlna.
ton TO put him out Of the organisation, In
spite Of the fact that he had beeu regularly
chosen leader OF the Ninth district at .
primary election, he came nearer to losing
his hold In Tammany than he ever has
since. The district leaders were on the
verge Of revolt-not that they had any
love for Devery, but because they feared
for their own political lives.
They figured that, II Murphy were allowed
to throw Devery out after he was legally
elected. precedent would be established
which would give him the right to cut Oh
any leaders head whenever 1t suited his
fancy.
In all the storm that ragged about him at
that time Mr.. Murphy never budged an inoh
from the position he had taken. Devery
was responsible for the red lights. Devery
had to 20. And Devery went. This was
the hrst step taken for the reform Of Tam
many Hall.
How does Murphy compare with Richard
Croker as apleader b question that is
frequently asked. The treatment OF Dew
cry by the two men affords an opportunity
for contrast.
Croker, after he began going to England,
depended entirely upon deputies and SUBJ
ordinates for information concerning the
organization. He had no first hand knowl-
edge Of It's affairs and he spent but little
time at Tammany Hall, preferring the
luxury Of the Democratic Club In Fifth
avenue.
Men suddenly came into power who had
no political experience or influence and who
did not control vote save, perhaps, their
own. They found out the weaknesses Of the
leader and played upon them. The con-
sequence was that the information Croker
received was not always accurate.
When he came back for the campaign
OF 1901 the Devery issue was already
burning one The whole city was aroused
over the disclosures concerning the Red
Light district.
saw that this issue would be fatal to the
organization unless some unequivocal step
was taken to show that the organiza-
ton did not oondone the evils disclosed.
They felt that nothing less than tho de-
capitation OF Devery would satisfy the
people.
murphy was one OF tneIn, As ODtrlct
leader, he had steadfastly opposed gambling
houees. disorderly resorts and other sources
Of graft. More than one corrupt police
captain was moved from the Gas House
district upon the demand Of Mr.. Murphy.
He drove the wiretappers out and would
tolerate no skin games in the territory
where his word was law.
At first Croker seemed disposed to yield
to the demand for Devery's head. Those
who got ut him upon his arrival from Europe
had all but convinced him that this step
was inperatively necessary.
Then the men on the other side got in
their work. Croker began to wabble.
Finally he became convinced that Devery,
instead Of being a. black a. he was painted.
was q splendid official and much ma
ligned man, ono who had been made de-
signedly the victim Of a senseless public
clamor. He even went 90 far AZ to pro-
pose that huge posters be stuck up on ele-
waited railway stations and other conspio-
uous places bearing the message:
1Devery Is the best Police Chief New
York ever had"
1t was no easy task to argue Croker out
of this notion. He believed that that