New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-16
I ak Of
City Hall

With a week left in which Tammany
must complete its slate the task OF
making up Murphys mind has been as
sumed by Mr. Hearst The latter
served notice on the chief Tuesday that
unless he named County Judge John r.
Hylan, Of Brooklyn, for Mayor he,
William Randolph, would put a third
ticket in the field. II is supposed that
Hylan was Hearst's second choice, his
first being himself In any case, with
Hylan nominated, Mr.. Murphy abdi-
Gates as ruler of Democratic destiny
For Murphy didn't want Hylsn any
more than do the rank and file Of ms
district leaders in Manhattan, who are
not concealing their panied surprise at
his acceptance. In the first place, TO
the tried and true brave Hylan is IN no
serse regular guy; he comes from
BROOKLYN, where they have strange no.
tions of party discipline. Tammany
Hall looks upon him as regular troops
might regard a militia officer appointed
to command them. On the other hsnd,
like regular troops well disciplined
they are prepared to support him II the
chief says the word.
Secondly, Hylan is a Catholic. Inc
fact that Al Smith is a Catholic was
one of the chief objections which Muir
ply put forth 70 naming the Sherin'
whom "the boys" idolize. Smith, Muir
ply argued, would consolidate against
him the vote of the Units, as the secret
anti Catholic organization-which Is
particularly strong in Brooklyn-is
named. The chief made a similar OBJ
lection TO each one OF number OF
other organization mea mentioned toI
the nomination. Yet he appears Will
ing now to accept an outsider VINO u
rot only a Catholic but halls from the
hotbed of anti-Cstholicism, one VINO
, figured prominently in the telephone
overlapping controversy, which is large
! ~ responsible for the presence OF the
| religious issue in the campaign.
! The only answer TO such reversal
/ is Hearst. But what a bitter dose fol
, the cohorts of the Wigwam!
J OF course, having surrendered to
Hearst in the matter of platform
Tammany was under still greater press
ure to yield to him in the matter OF
candidate. No one could gainsay the
force of the argument that only
Hearst choice could fit a Hearst plat
form. Just as a playwright very oiten
fashions his drama with certain players
in mind to interpret its leading roles
so Willie, the platform maker, had
built his work of art around definite
/ personality, that personality being his
own. But no doubt ne had also in mind
some apt understudy who, if his own
candidacy struck snag, as 1t has
could tread the planks with something
of the true Hearst style. Logic de-
manded that principal or understudy be
named for the JOB. Hence Hylan.
Judge Hylan, so far as MS utter
ances, his appeal and his political faltf
are concerned has been called rein
carnation of Plain Bill Sulzer. If any
thing. he is not quite so plain as the
Same Old Bill" but on platform
pledged to municipal ownership i'm
possible of attainment, which contains
also a religious issue and arrangements
of the school system and the police
addressed to the sentimentality of the
community, he ought TO find himself
thoroughly at home. The role demands
plenty of sound and fury. Mr.. Hylar
ought 20 carry il off admirably.
He has, for one thing, the important
recommendation of John A. Hennessy
Mr. Hennessy is an expert in the Sui
yer type of campaign. He knows the
requirements and he can appralse the
actors. Il is his conviction, freely ex-
pressed to Charles F. Murphy, that Mr.
J Hylan can carry Brooklyn lnasmuc1
as Brooklyn is the crucial borough in
the election this constitutes strong
/ Endorsement of the candidate, an IN
dorsement which Hearst echoes
Hearst, in fact, says that Hylan is thC
only one of Tammany's eligibles who
car carry Brooklyn.
But can Hylan carry Brooklyn
There are other political students az
kecr as Mr.. Hennessy who consider
such a supposition ridiculous, and they
base their opinion primarily on broad
grounds-that Brooklyn has too great
respect for respectability. IL is not
for nothing, these gentlemen insist
that Brooklyn has been called the city
of homes, the city of churches, ths
native haunt of the rubber plant. II
will not respond, they say, either tc
Hylan or his platform.
Hylan has habit Of mudslinging
Judge Mccall, as the Tammany csndi
date for Mayor, suffered from the same
habit, it will be remembered, and -four
years ago he lost TO Mitchell in King.
by $4,000 votes. Four years before
that Hearst ran poor third in Brook
Ign.
On the other hand, Hylan himself
was high man in the election of county
judges in Kings in 1915, getting ,9yl
votes. He has great strength, his
friends say, with labor. But what a
man does in a race for one of the
minor county offices is rather a poor
criterion Of his strength in a fight 20,
such a conspicuous job as the Mayors
In the latter the independent vote be.
comes a much greater factor, and it i,
this which, it is predicted, Hylsn will
ALLEVIATE in the very borough which he
has been picked to carry.
Stotesbury Plans to Run