The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-03

Tammany Hall But the club backslid
+ and the Judge retired from active par
ticipation seven years ago. Two months
ago he came back as president with pur-
| poses Of reform.
"Our party" he said, Controls the
! state. During the past year Its repre-
sentatives In the Legislature found II
! necessary to remove the Democratic GOV
\ ernor. In 1913 the Democratic orsaniza-
| ton in this county refused to recognize
Mayor Gaynor and refused to rcnominate
him.
| Defeat Ixnominious. Tie says.
! The candidate It did nominate was
ANONYMOUSLY defeated. and all his ticket
with him. No fair minded man would
say that this defeat was due to any lack
| of ability or integrity on the part OF the
candidates. The ticket was essentially as
good as any but for the first time in
/ history our party in this city was defeated
by a majority of the electors.
II have tried to find the cause. and when
I found II I promised to appeal to this
club to help remove it ! think ! have
| found II. Painful as 1t In for man al
! ways allied with the regular Democracy
| must express my belief that the cause
| is the man who Is the leader OF the or
| ganizaton In this city and the State
Il say the cause that led to our defeat
can be seen in the charge made through
out the state that we're band OF com
mon grafters-a charge since then made
| legal by the Grand Jury. I'm not a
CRATER. don't caro- to be associated
! with Rrafters. and the sooner We dissoclate
politics from business the better.
I'VE have heard statement after state
ment that money has been demanded
from contractors and never accounted
for The people Rave determined the
charge. If legal proof is lacking up TO
this time. the moral verdict is guilty"
give him applause on that shouted
DR.. Cox. slamming his palms together
A little later Judge O'Dwyer called
| President Wilson "the best President that
| any party had ever elected" That was
safe ground and the cheers were hearty. lie
ended by saying
What confronts tho Democrats Of this
city is the removal OF the cause that has
| brought shame into every real Democratic
household" He then offered the resolution
against Mr.. Murphy.
smith Defends Murphy.
Somebody yelled Question. question.
! but No. no. no." drowned him out and
/ Smith took the floor He began suavely.
our president" he said rs unduly
agitated. The late Mayor Gaynor. whei,
/ he was asked what he would say to the
! readers OF 1000 newspapers, replied: I
would advise them to DE careful about be-
l!eving all they see In the newspapers
So | would say TO Judge O'Dwyer and
others of his way OF thinking. 'be careful
about believing what YOU read In the
/ newspapers
/ 1T is rather amazing that the Chief
Justice OF the city Court thinks that the
( present developments in the John Doe in
quiry are proof OF guilt.
1 1T is an improperly that this club
should take action on local matters. II IS
tho National Democratic club. Il long
ago resolved to take no part in local or
state affairs.
Always party leaders have been the
| targets for all sorts Of arrows. as they
are to-day. We have heard the most
strocious allegations against men who are
nov on the brightest pages OF American
, history II Is don. for the purpose of IN
flaming the public mind against the domi-
nant organization. hay. no quarrel
with the man who thinks that the presen
! leadership is not perfect--he has a right
to his opinion--but | can't stand for tho
assertion that an Indictment IS proof 81
suit.
Half Of the men who are throwing
stones Mt the present leadership are agents
who expect political elevation t. come to
them from the murder OF honest men"
Nj. Smith closed 10y reminding Judge
IODwycr that he had never raised hts voice
against Richard Croker. whom Mr.. Smith
called me best and squdrest political
leader we ever had IN this State" Then
Smith moved that the resolution be tabled
Judge O'Dwyer shook his head. several
club members advanced toward him point
ing fingers shaking fists and demanding
recognition. The Judge said tabling
resolution was out OF order.
| ITS always In order" shouted Tom
Smith.
John W. Keller tried TO second the reso.
luton. but was waved back.
! The oDwy.r resolution was seconded
| by Mr. Fetner. who said the party WAS
diSn"dtcd. that for the first time in
forty years h. had been forced by his
conscience to scratch the Tammany ticket
last fail"
You say the party has been dis
credited repeated Tom Smith, walking
to Mr.. Fetner.
Yes" said Mr.. Fei,ncr. Moreover. It
is not approved in Washington. and JUS
tce Gerard is the only Tammany man
appointed to office by President Wilson.
AS for Sulzcr H. made "A fool OF him
self, but the method Of removing him
was dshonoraDlc and in itself ought TO
damn the leadership I'm a member of
the Tammany Hall general committee
myself but ! say that every man who
loves his country first and his party
second will vote for the resolution OF
! Judge D'Dwysr"
Then came the aye and no vote and
Judge O'Dwy.r's departure.
| Mr.. Smith said later that he would
ask the board Of governors to take I'm
| mediate action. He said the meeting
was not representative OF III. club and
that Of the 100 men there majority
| voted against the re solution to unhorse
| Mr. Murphy. VINO himself Is member OF
| the club, but has attended only two oi
| It's meetings. according to Mr. Smith.
| Among the governors are Richard
| Croker, Jr,. Thomas +. Smith. Thomas +
| Donnely. Mr. Fe!tner. Theodore W. Myers
| William +. McCombs. Jesse Il, Grant and
| Richard Croker. Sr.
| Thomas F. McAvoy was one Of those
| who stood with Tom Smith last night
REAL TEST IS TO COME.
II VIII he over the Public service