The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-03

CalkeT, a car driver, saloon keeper,
an amateur baseball captain and the
most successful district leader in the
history of Tammany Hall before ne
succeeded to the place held in other
days by John Kelly and Richard CrCk-
er- he has come TO his own by work
ing reIentlessly for himself and for his
friends and by keeping a close rein
on his tongue. He does not relish Op-
position within his own household and
there are those who say that he Is N
obstinate and stubborn, rather tLan
morally coura geous man. Be this as II
may, it does not affect his power ana
prestige; so long as he wins the local
elections in New York city he viii re-
main the leader Of Tammany Hail.
Just now his sway is more autOcTatic
than any by which it has ever before
been ruled.
If AIurphy's a man Of eloquent silence
Bourke Cochran owes his power IN
Tammany Hall to his gift Of persuad-
ing speech. a man of staiwart build
having an uncommon big head,
crowned with thick black hair, now fast
turning gray, Cochran is gifted with
resOurcefuI lungs a richly mOdulated
voice and a well-nigh marvellous com
mand OF language Alert and forceful-
alternately pleading and persuasive, he
is able to readily sway an audience and
casiOn. This makes him a most use
full man to Tammany Hail. and he is
pretty sure 10 be retained on one side
or the other of every suit that stands
in need of political influence in the
New York courts. Cochran deserves
great credit for the success that has
come to him. When he removed from
Ireland 10 America at the age Of
seventeen he brought with him moth
ing but his education, his ambition,
and also one habit which threatened
once to make him worthless to him
self For the time was when Cochran
permitted himself to be convivial. The
moral fibre Of the man, however, was
displayed when he discovered that a
man who had ambition and a career
TO make, must of necessity exercise
self-restraint. He saw many brilliant
men who were incapacitated or ruined
by reason of their fondness for con-
vivial pleasures. and he said that
whether he made name and a career
for himself OF not ne would not permit
himself any indulgence which threat
ened success.
From that day to this Cochran has
been a total abstaineT. He does not
preach temperance. but he practices
abstinence and he has 4 horror Of pub
lie bar rooms and resorts where conviv-
iaiity prevails Only once during his
career Of prosperity has he been
tempted To break his vow. At the Chi
caEO convention of 1884 Cochran made
q very brilliant speech. He threw his
whole soul into il. and when he finished
he was trembling with excitement and
exhaustion. His friends, who had
cheered him. TO the echo. seized him
and before he knew it took him to a
neighboring restaurant Of a fashion
able sort. Dripping with perspiratiOn.
trembling so that he could hardly
stand. almost exhausted, when they
asked him 10 let them drink his health
and to the glory of his speech he called
himself for a glass Of brandy and wa
ter The liquor was handed to him,
and. unthinkingiy, he brought It al
most to his lips. Then, OF a sudden.
his vow came to him He set down
the glass, called for a glass OF water
and, turning to his friends. said. Il
win drink in this
Ex-senator Smith IS the most widely
known Of the New Jersey delegates, but