New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-08
Crowds at Dinner Where
Ex-Chief Says He Is
Ready to Lead.
EX-BOSS BEAMS ON
CROWDED TABLES
Need Term Up River to Find
Out Well WiSherS, He Tells
Admirers.

Curly Joe" Cassidy. former Demo
cratic boss Of Queens, who has just
completed his first month OF freedom
from Sing Sing. participated in din
ner last night that must have done
much TO soothe his rufiled dignity. lie
sat in the centre of the long table,
under a life-sized picture of himself,
and heard himself praised as the aver
age man is praised in obituaries.
Last Tuesday Curly Joe" was
guest at the dinner of the Business
Mems Association OF Flushing. lie
obtained admittance on ticket pur-
chased by a friend. Flushing business
men are still spologizing for the pres
enCc of the man VINO was convicted OF
selling a Supreme Court nomination.
But last nights affair was arranged
by the paroled boss's friends and was
staged with q particular view to wiping
out the indignitIes heaped upon him
at the earlier dinner. Seven hundred
picked adherents of Curly Joe"
swarmed into the dining hall at
Schuetzen Park, Astoria. and shoutej
themselves hoarse IN their efforts TO
do honor to the big fellow"
Welcome to Joseph Cassidy" was
the greeting blaZed out TO him IN an
electric sign. Curly Joe" took this
greeting. the big picture Of himself
and the other evidences Of his great
ness as matter Of course. But blush
slowly spread over his features when
the diners sang my Country, It's Of
Thee. Sweet Land of Liberty" while
he marched to his place at the table.
When Cassidy arose TO address his
former constituents he lost no time in
permitting il to become known that he
was ready to resume his old place as
boss but he didn't use that word of
the Democratic party IN Queens Also
he paid his respects 10 Ellis Parker
Butler, the only man TO openly criti-
else Cassidy's appearance at the Flush
ing banquet.
"When | came to Flushing it was ?
one horse town." shouted Cassidy.
Now look at it! Its paved streets
and numerous Improvements are monu-
ments to me. But what has this man
who denounces me ever done for Flush
ing? All he ever did was TO bring
pigs to it,
81 am happy to see every one Of the
faces here to-night-faces of men with
whom ! have worked for twenty years.
They can call me a CRATER. but ! can
honestly say that no man ever paid me
for a nomination. The papers had
limited at such things so often that
when a certain man went on trial for
such a crime the jury Immediately de-
cided that he must be guilty. That
was the long and short Of it.
"But that is all over and gone now.
! want TO say that as have served you
for twenty years. ! am ready 10 serve
you again. Some papers say that the
Democratic party can get along with
out me. say that | won't get along
without it, though. | have never
harmed anybody, and am going
20 go right along. following the same
paths I have traversed thus far in life"
Michael J. Mcnamara. who paid the
81 900 fine that stood between Cassidy
and his parole, was the moving spirit
i'm last nights affair. Mr.. Mcnamara,
who took Cassidy 20 the dinner a week
ago on ticket he had purchased for
that purpose. had felt the criticism OF
his action keeDly, and II is believed
that the dinner at which Cassidy was
treated as a returning hero was a re-
suit.
The most prominent persons at the
banquet, like the man 1t was intended
10 honor. were prominent as formers
only Former State Senator Dennis
Harte. former State Senator Luke A.
keenan,, former Assistant District At
torney John Hetherington, former
County Clerk Leonard RuoF. former
sherifs, former Assemblymen and
many other formers, great and small,
took active part in the demonstration
of confidence in Curly joe"
Alexander Morris. chairman Of the
committee that arranged the demon
STATION, announced. early in the even
ing that politics could not be discussed
at the dinner. One of the speakers said
he didn't want to talk politics
wanted TO talk Cassidy. That was what
they all talked.
"A term up the river was necessary
20 show me how many friends | had"
said Cassidy.
Everybody present agreed that It had
accumulated that