The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-11-13
DESTROY TAMMANY!

Mr.. Mitchell's victory over Muir
phys candidate for mayor is COM
plete and decisive. On that issue
New York spoke in no uncertain
tones. Mr.. Mccall has lost every
borough, including Manhattan, which
is Tammany's stronghold. Yet the
vote in other respects reflects no
great credit upon the political moral
| ity and the political intelligence Of
this community.
1t was John Adams who said That
New York politics were the devils
own, incomprehensible.' They remain
the DEVILS own. On Tammany's rec
ord of proved corruption, on Tam
manys record of government by graft
by intimidation and by blackmail, a
city that respects law and liberty
and public integrity would have aris-
en- practically unanimously to de-
stroy the most sordid and venal po-
litical organization known to Ameri-
can institutions.
No such verdict can be found in
the election returns. Tammany has
| been beaten, with unlimited corpora
| ton money and influence behind 1T,
| but when a quarter of million vot-
ers cast their ballot for Tammany's
candidates, these ballots are shock
ing manifestation of popular indif-
| ference to honesty and decency IN
government.
1t is idle to attribute this vote to
the underworld. 1t is idle to attrlb-
ute it to criminals and repeaters and
Tammany colonizers. Tammany's
vote, for the most part, represents
the vote of respectable citizens. Some
of them followed Murphy's organiza-
ton through sense of regularity.
Some of them supported Tammany
because they can lido business with
Tammany. Some Of them were In
fluenced by religious or factional or
personal prejudices. Some of them
were moved by an inherent distrust
of everything that is called reform
government. But whatever the mo-
tives, the votes speak for themselves,
and the fact that Tammany, under
the leadership of it's most detested
boss, could make so formidable a
showing in such a campaign is a mat
ter for anything but exultation.
1t is easy 10 blame the Fusion
committee for it's mistakes of judg-
ment. 1t is easy to find fault with
the managers of the Fusion cam
paign. The fact remains that where
Fusion was supposed to have made
it's greatest blunder it developed the
greatest strength at the polls, and
where it was supposed to have been
strongest it proved weakest. The
vote itself is the expression Of the
capacity of the people of New York
for self-governmCnt. That tEous-
ands upon thousands of citizens,
whatever their motives, should have
been willing, for any reason, to vim
dictate Murphy and Tammany is sor-
ry commentary upon the public con-
science of the greatest city in the
world.
1t shows that the battle for honest
government is only half won in New
York, and that all talk hereafter of
compromising with Tammany means
compromise with organized, system
atized infamy, which will menace
the city as long as it is permitted to
Hive. The next campaign for good
government must be made by the
democrats themselves, and the fight
ing must be carried into the very
heart of the Tammany organization.
There can be no assurance of honest
government in this community while
Tammany exists and while Tammany
is allowed to be the regular organiza-
ton of the democratic party. The
destruction of Tammany is the work
for democrats whose hands are I'M
stained by graft or corruption of pub
lie plumber.
Tammany cannot be reformed.
1t must be destroyed!-New York
World.