The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-31
FIGHT ON TAMMANY


cause it is rife with human interest. 1t
is unfolding like well-constructed
drama. with climaxes plcntifully inter
spersed Roosevelt would thoroughly
enjoy such campaign, but, sad to re-
late, he is separated from it by oceans,
mountains and plains.
At present the hero Of the plot is
John A. Hennessy, Governor Sulzer g
graft investigator, who has como forth
as champion of the fusion ticket, headed
by John Purroy Mitchell. Hennessy
finds himself in a fortunate position AS
q result OF his investigation. He has
gained some Of that political prestige
which fell TO the lot Of Charles Evans
Hughes during the insurance probe Of
1905, and which rapidly advanced
Hughes to the governorship and then
TO the supreme court of the United
States. Whether Hennessy will be able
TO take similar advantage of his oppor-
tunity depends, Of course, upon his
qualifications of mind and character.
1t was inevitable that Hennessy
should uncover some striking evidences
of graft because he was Investigating
the most conspicuous clique Of corrup-
ton in the United States. Had he
failed to unearth graft in Tammany's
domain his findings would have been
looked upon with incredulity. That he
has been able to expose recent corrup-
tion on the part of Tammany and has
been able TO trace some OF this corrup'
tiou to Charles i. Murphy himself will
cause little surprise, and unfortunately
may not have any decisive effect upon
the campaign in New York City.
Among a vast element in New York
il has been customary to say: You
have to pay Tammany for government,
but you get the government" This
callous attitude which frankly discards
the moral principle in government is
uttered boastfully by the vicious and
with pride by the unthinkjng. II is
candid confession that, IN order TO OBJ
tain reasonably adequate government
in New York, it is necessary to install
thieves as officials and permit them to
plunder the public as a part of their
compensa for maintaining sem
bance Of law and order.
IA
lists of New York are seeking 10 over
throw. The fight is an old one, and has
not always been unsuccessful. As the
Tweed ring went down TO lasting de-
feat, so Tammany sometimes has met
with crushing reverses. and the power
OF public opinion has occasionally been
so great that Tammany has been fore ed
10 pick good men as candidates for gov
ernor and for mayor. Tammany's most
recent concession 10 public opinion was
the unwilling acceptance of William j.
Gaynor, but Murphy has refused to
make another such selection, He
thought when he selected Sulzer that
he was making n shrewd choice Be.
fore the world Sulzer had posed as a
friend Of the people, and yet Murphy
was certain that SulZer was hoax,
and on that account Just the man to
pick for his deceptive purposes. 1t is
not difficult TO imagine the astonish,
ment and regret of Murphy when he
discovered that his catspaw had sud
denly been Transformed into a Meme
sis. The end is not yet. 1t remains TO
he seen whether Murphy or Sulzcr
shall win the final triumph Of re-
venge
Doubtless Murphy believes that in
Mccall he has made safe selection,
and there is nothing in the history of
his candidate TO indicate anything more
than respectable submissiveness. The
people of New York City are justified
in believing that this time Murphy has
guarded against what Tammany would
consider crucial blunder. They are
justified in believing that when he
chose Mccall he knew just what he
was doing. This suspicion will 90 far
20 help the fusion ticket toward sue
cess.
In john Purroy Mitchell the fusion
lists think they have found just the
man for the place. In some OF the
other fights against Tammany the fu-
sion elements have been unfortu-
nate in relying too much on what
might be described as "high-
brow candidates and methods. There
is no tsint Of "high-browism in
Mitchell or his hackers. The two great
armies fighting for possession of New
York City in this campaign are both
nightly equipped. one with the
arms ef The underworld. the other
with Ihc rnrrnrs Of ciNic ,-irlln nnl m.