The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-04-21
Which is Usually Arrived at in Tannrnany
Hall Only After Long and Faithful
District Service.
At the Age of Thirty-Four He Finds Him
self the Chief Adviser of the Mayor
of Greater New York.

From newspaper reporter To pnliti-
cal boss, even it it BE- Il sn:lll boss,
seems Il long step Il" undcrg" the
tr:l,Sition---rp or down. according tu
the point nt virw--wuuld require years
nf hard work, one might think. for in
the past even tn. bosses that were
born politicians" in the beginning
have reached their high estates in
New York only after patient striving
hy knucklimg down to business on
Tamnany Hall principles. and Ivy beat
bottom of the Tamu,ny ladder says
the New York Evening Post
John II. O'l'ricn. tire commissioner
OF the city by appointment of Mayor
Mcclellan. bellies local political ira
uitionS In less than three years he
has evolved from political writer into
boss. The fact is the more remarkable
when ii is recalled that he is but thir-
ty-fulu years old. that he came here
ana that he obtained his start as tn"
mayors secretary by tn" aid of no
hacker beyond his ability t" make
friends and to write tn" news.
That he is Il boss. at least for the
time being none can deny. Before
the mayors first term had ended. TAM
IAN "a
icllcr" in McCIcllnn's front Office
wicllcd II big influence with his chief.
After he hal managed MrClcllan'$
campaign last fall. til" TammElny
leaders realized that he had become
the" adviser of the rity'S executive.
Since Mcclellan east off Murphy and
decided to run things without rcgHrd
to his former sponsors, it has become
apparent that D'i'ricu is his prime
of the "l<itchcn Cabinet" but pr;rtinaI-
ly the whole cabinet by himself, with
out u rival for the dictatorship behind
la plant throne.
Though the fire commissioner is not
yet IL district leader nor even openly
active in Tainmany politics. he is re-
Enr,lcd as more to be feared by the
lesser Tnmmnny chiefs than any man
in tn" city. With Murphy discrcditcd,
he has become the Democratic boss.
Perhaps his rule will BE- brief, but
there is no doubt that it exists now.
The mayor, having been elected in
spite of rather than by the help of
Murphy, nominally holds the rcins of
Patronage by which T;unnrlny Hall is
driven, and O'I'rlcn actually holds
power t" direct the mayors course.
Since January there has been no
scarcity OF incidents to show the boss
'uuict activity. In the police depart
mcnt the man who is O'l;ricns friend
gets the best deal, ami the police COM
missioncrs secretary is Of,ricn's nomi-
, nee. In the other branches of the
municipal government promotion is
easy for the friend of II friend Of
O'Ifricn. In the very office of the may
or, not content with his direct power
Of advisor, OBricn has caused his
brother to be Installed as secretary
Hnh one of his close chulns as assist
ant secretary, so that h" keeps hi.
grip in the turn OF events there from
morning until night-Hn arrangement
own daily visits to the city hall and his
private conferences with McClcllan.
Ties got the mayor hypnntizcd,'
was the way II Tnmmany old-timcr pu
is the other day. N" doubt of i,
What he says, goes!'
Dunkirl, in Chauthuqua county, !:
John II. O'Bricns home town. He go
!his schooling there. and he must have
paid attention to his books, for tOda.
he impresses those who meet him n
one who has had the advantage of III
!cducation far more extended than h
really was able to secure. Yet he wen
to work as an crrand boy in the Lehigl
!. Railroads. Buffalo office before he wa
twenty. and not since then has h
had time to study except as his wor
permitted him to broaden his mind b.
reading, Of which. according to hi
: friends. he has managed to do Il grea
deal "betwecn times"