New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-03
I ak Of
City Hall


Randolph Hearst for Mayor?
Wherever this question was asked
yesterday the reply came in the form
of another question: "Well, whom else
have they got?"
Mr.. Murphy's problem Of selecting a
candidate seems TO have beer. greatly
simplified for him by the declaration
of the Tammany fusion committee in
favor of municipal ownership. Mr..
Hearsts own fine Italian hand was re-
marked as rather prominent in this
document, as if he were writing plat
form on which no other than he might
run. In any case, it has eliminated
consideration of certain Democratic
business men of standing on whom the
Wigwam chief had cast an apprsising
eye. They have let the latter know
that no man can make them preach
municipal ownership. Even cambridge
Colby, his friends insist, balks at this
doctrine.
There has been mention of ex-Sen-
ator John G. SAKE and of Philip J.
Britt, former president of the Manhat-
tan Club, for Mayor on the Tammany
ticket, but both have been on the outs
with the organization, and neither Of
them has Mr.. Hearst's money or his
ability as a campaigner TO Offset this
weakness in his record. BY process OF
elimination, therefore, the choice APP
pears TO fall on the newspaper pro-
prietor, despite his recent protestation
. bo. h. Hot L.
sonally selected Democratic Fusion
Committee of 10 will thrust the honor
upon him, if necessary.
No one doubts tha. Mr.. Hearst, If
nominated. will make spectacular
fight 20 defeat Mayor Mitchell. But he
will need 10 raise a let Of dust, golden
and other. il is admitted, 10 screen his
own glazing vulnerability and that of
his programme. A powerful attempt
will be made. for example, to tag him
with pro-Germanism, in support OF
which a wealth of material will be
CLEANED from the files of his news
papers, both English and German. Are
you for the Kaiser? Then vote for
Hearst" may become a telling slogan
in the campaign about the time the
first American casualty lists from
France are published and the conscript
army goes into training. In Chicago, IN
the spring of 1915. such a verbal Jave-
lin annihilated Sweitzer. In New York
next fall il may even dispatch a Hearst.
Another main point of attack will
have to do with his municipal owner
ship proposal, wholly aside from the
legal difficulties of change of govern
mental policy it involves. Mr.. Hearst
will be asked why he insists upon
handing over TO the Tammany which
he has so often held up to ridicule and
contempt (the Tammany of the Dear
Commissioner" letters), not only the
city government as at present consti-
tuted but in addition all the vast pub.
lie utilities in the community. IL is
conceivable that not a few Democrats
who might otherwise vote 10 put the
Tiger back into City Hall for old times
sake will refuse TO invest him with
absolute autocracy.
"Packy" McCabes recent vitriolic ut
terance against Tammany and Murphy
has been amusing the lean and hungry
within the fold whose sense of humor
still persists. "Packy," Democratic
leader of Albany County, hasn't carried
the county in nearly twenty years. He
is a stuffed bird politically, just such
another as Mr.. Murphy himself. who,
lacking any control of the Police De-
partment, the Fire Department, the
Charities Department, the Street Clean
ing Department or the Park Depart
ment, has left only a sense of dignity
"Packy's" grievance is personal. He
felt that Murphy, in the Delmonico
conferences which are still held two
or three times a month, had ignored
him, the leader of Albany County, the
proud monarch of political she'll
Two or three of his friends sought
Murphy in an attempt to patch up the
quarrel. They wanted to bring the
two together again that they might
rest quietly side by side in the COM
mon graveyard, and they thought Muir
ply might effect this entente with very
little expenditure of emotion or effort.
But Murphy remained firm. He said
he had not consciously wounded the ex-
allied pride of his former lieutenant
and saw no reason why "Packy" should
feel as he did. He declined to make an
appointment to meet him.
Thus the two old veterans face each
other in enmity and impotence, each
secure in the possession of an empty
title which no one covets, the one vol
canic with pride, the other adamant
with dignity, and both oblivious, APP
parently, to the smiles of their starving
followers.