New Britain herald., 1914-04-11
MURPHY CLAIMS HE
 IS TANhANY CHIEF
Boss Answers Criticisms Made n
 Ireland by Richard CrokcT.

Croker who, from his Irish retreat
 ever since the fall election here, has
 been trying to prod Tammany Hall into throwing Charles F. Murphy out
 of the leadership, is quoted by James Creelmanns in, yesterdays Evening
 Mail as saying that Murphy is too pigheaded to be a leader" that Tam many has lost it's standing and be- come "only an indorsing ,organiza- tion,,' and that if MT. Murphy keeps
 on he will ruin his party as well.
 MT. Murphy put on his glasses and read the interview to the end. Then he said serenely: T can't see that there's anything new in that. have answered it all before. I can only repeat 'that I am the leader of Tam many Hall and am going to remain the leader.''
 MT. Croker says he intends to come to New York this fall and talk to his old friends face to face. MT. Murphy did not seem disturbed by that prospect either.
 No Personal Feeling.
 ''I have no personal feeling against Murphy" MT. Croker said, according to MT. Creelman. "But the time has come for him to go. His continued leadership means ruin to the party. Tammany Hall under Murphy has become only an indorsing organiza- ton. 1t is compelled to go outside for it's candidates. It has to take men who will not associate with it. It does not dare to name it's own men and make straight fight for them with it's own strength. It has lost it's old standing and it's old cour- age. It will never be able to win while Murphy leads it, never in the world. The fact that he has any, thing to do with picking a ticket it's defeat.
 T don't say that Murphy is per- sonally a bad man. believe him to be honest. But he is pigheaded. He surrounds himself with a lot of little men who care nothing about the party and are only interested in contracts, and hea puts all the power in their hands.
 ''It was Murphy's name that de- feated Mccall for mayor. His na .le cost the Tammany ticket at least 1000 votes, and it will kill any ticket Tammany can nominate.
 Why didn't he renominate Mayor Gaynor, an able man who made a great record and had the people with him? If T had been there Gaynor would have been re-nominated. I had more reason to refuse to re- Judge Barrett for the su- prerne court bench, for I believed that he was unfair to me when I was tried before him for a murder was innocent of. Yet forgot my ! feelings and re-nominated 2 and reelected him. and we became warm friends afterward.
 s'Tanmany Full of Good Men,
 live been out of politics for a good many years. I'm simply a farm CT and stock breeder. But I am deep y interested in the organization I 1 gave, so much of my life to. In spite 1 of what the republicans say, Tam many is full of good men. It should l not be destroyed. Murphy should see that he has ruined Tammany's i chances and that his name stands in 1 the way of success. He ought to see now that it is his duty to get out. There would be no disgrace In re- signing for the good of the party 1 and taking his place in the ranks 1 again. Everybody would recognize l that he had retired just to give the | some chance of winning l with its own men. I'm out of the 1 game, but would like to see the or ganization' get back to, its old posi- i, ton in New Y ork." Advises Hands or Upstate.
 If MT. Murphy had had good sense, l said Mr. Croker. he would have left ! upstate politics to men like William ! Church Osborne and Franklin D. l 5h
 All this business of Tammany try l Ing to run the whole state is non- sense," he went on. T never wanted 1 to be upstate leader. We fought ! David B.sHiH only because he insisted ]