Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-24
BOSS MURPHY OF TAf1MAhY
HALL, THE NAN OF SILENCE

HtlCal heroes who embody all the Vir
tues. but We are seldom short on polit
Z zeal Ggres who embody all the vices
Back az far as the memory Of iiyin+
men reaches. Tammany Hall has fuE
aished the favoritc specime1t q ogre
found in the country. Other cgrss
Iaisht fail as in time of need by shame
lessly displaying some. redeemins qrlai
itios, especially after an election: bui
we have always fallen back upon the
big chief of Tammany Hall. whoever
he might be. with uashaken faith in his
dtabolieal wickedness. He is the reai
,aonster who never grows coed. And
af all the Tammany ogres,. none other
since the days of Tweed has filled the
role so well as Murphy has filled it
Croker took the part pretty well, but
he is too good-lcoking man, in spite
of the bulldog qualities in his face 10
inspire the due amount of horror. But
Murphy is not geod-looking His out
standing ears, his thick lips, his dull
lunreyeaIing eyes, his large chops. as
fist the Imagination: One may easily
read into his rather formless features
whatever ones fancy dictates. Yet, as
a matter OF fact. according to Robert
Adamson, manager of the fusion forces.
Murphy is fifty per cent better than
/ Croker was Net Murphy but the Tam
many system says Adamson, is the
real peril to good government.
Talked OF but Little known .--.. g.
No other man in America is so much
talked about and so little known.
None other has had thrown at his head
so many charges with so few specified.
tions. For more than ten years he has
laeen the TRmmany chief and never
until now has there been talk of hsv-
ing him indicted. Hennessy is the
first man to make his charges specific
and IL they are proved in court of
law. Mr. Murphy may soon find the
climate disagreeing with him. The
offense with which he Is eharged-re
oefRing campaign contributions and
nea accounting for then-is now a
criminal ofiense in New York State,
made so by a law passed only two
years ago.
What was the early life OF Charles
Francis Murphy? Very little seems to
I've known by the newspapers AID
biographers. He used to drive
a street-car in the streets of New York
it Is said His two brothers, John and
William. ran q saloon at one time. ard
rumor has it that Charles, the younger
brother tended bar But no one speaks
With assurance as to his early activi 4
ties" Who's Who In America" gives
to his career Just, five and one-han
lines He was bern in New York City
fifty-five years age. He was educated |
at the public schools Being Irish. the
three Murphy boys were. all Tammany
a6herents before they could vote. In
hose carly dsvs when Tammany Hail |
vas sort of Irish aclans William was
u Tammany lender when Charles was
till In kniek erbockers BY natural
process Charles developed into an
,ffice holder. becoming commissioner
81 docks and ferries AS far back as
.S92 when he was but 81 years old.
re became chairman of the Tammanyi
Fell Democracy. Croker then being
tIfef. When Croker stepped out in
1902, Lewis Nixon went In to make a
how Tammany. but gave It up in des-
pair after few months. A triumvirateII
vas selected to govern, of which,
Murphy was ~member. !"Twc-sDot,"
fJoke." and Sport" beverly derisiveiy
allied the three men. Murphy wa"
Sport" and In few more months his
success in not making personal en-
smies securing him the undisuuteG
hieftainship The truth is Tammany
vas all at sea as to leader No man
eemed to have the qualifications. ami
liter waiting as long as they dared.
he braves rallied .arouDd Murphy fol-
his negative virtues. He was net elect
&. No one was ever elected chief OF
hc Tammaay tribe. Croker once ex-l
,!ained the process as follows: "A
eader in Tammanv is not made. He IS
ike Topsy-he lust grows. 1t is this
vay: the district leaders come to re-
ard one Cf their number as most com.
'ctent to lead and naturally they defer
q him. The executive committee does
'Ct select any one 1t NAV select on
for a leader. and he NAV de
eloDe into leader. but there is no
"tro1 election of leader"
n Command Ten Years
For ten years Murphy has regned
7itE a fair decree cf success He was
farv. He did not pick out typical
'a7lmanv men for his leading candi-
SITES After a hard struggle, he tx
en6ed his power to Brooklyn. He
xtended II to the state organization.
H. won elections. hut he had toll,
orainate men he could not control in
rGcr to wiz them. He nominated
Teerst for governor. man whom he
ated. He nominated Dix. who was
OF Tammany man. and Sulzer. wha .
as. but whom ho could net control.
Ie elected Mcclellan and Caynor e,
lie mayoralty and they both kicke1
yer the traces. When he picked
lrCaIl for mayor this wear, a reliable