New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-06
Chiefs Leaving Party Din
ner Because of Owen
Causes Wonder
More Trouble in Omng
Leader and Senator Are In
vited to jefferson Dim
ner on April 13

Nothing but long speech from
Charles F. Murphy would have sur
prised the politicians more than did
his action Thursday night in quitting
the dinner of the Young Mems Demo-
cratic League, at the Hotel McAlpin,
because Senator Robert l.. Owen, of
Oklahoma, had been invited to sit at
the guest table with him. Discussion
of the incident oversnadowed all other
topics in local political circles yester-
day.
1t was pointed out that Murphy had
never been "quitter" under the most
adverse circums tances. Why should he
let an Oklahoma Senator deprive him
of a good dinner? Some Of the poll
ticians were inclined to believe that
the Tammany Chief had been suffering
from a temporary attack of irdiges
ton. Some of the old timers thought
that he was becoming representative.
Yet the fact remained that it had
made no difference to the old Tam
many warhorse that Senator Owen was
detained in Washington and could not
be present at the dinner. The dis
covery of the Senator's name on the
guest list, next to that of Murphy, was
enough, and Mr. Murphy walked out
with the curt explanation to Frank d.
Shelley, president of the league. that
he strongly objected to dining with the
Western Senator, because he had will
fed Tammany Hall and myself" in
speeches made during the recent mu-
nicipal campaign. Mr.. Shelley verified
the incident yesterday. MI Murphy
lad nothing further to say, and went to
his summer home at Good Ground early
in the day.
Now members of the National Dem
ocratic Club are in quandary to know
what to do, as both Senator Owen and
Leader Murphy have been invited to
the clubs jefferson dinner, on April
49, Mr.. Murphy is a time-honored
member of the club, and no one wants
to hurt his feelings by depriving him
of a second dinner under similar cir
cumstances. Charles B. Alexander,
chairman of the dinner committee, SAID
he didn't know what would be done,
as there had been no meeting of the
dinner committee. There appeared to
be disposition to wait developments
from Senator Owen
ley explained that, after ALL Senator
Owen had not been "otficially" invited
to the dinner. 1t happened this way,
he said:
eve invited Representative Scott
Ferris, Of Oklahoma, and we received a
telegram from him on April inform
ing us that he could not be present and
suggesting that we have Senator Owen
in his stead and deliver speech for
him. He asked that we communicate
with him and with Senator Owen Be-
cause of the short space of time inter
venlng we took no action, but when the
printing of the menu and place cards
was taken up Representative Ferris's
name was stricken from the proofs and
that of Senator Owen substituted. We
knew nothing of the incidents to which
Mr.. Murphy referred, and nasmuch as
we did not invite Senator Owen to the
dinner, | desire to have it made plain
that we had no intention to affront Mr.
Murphy or any one else"
While the old Tammany politicians
were inclined to smile at the whole af-
fair, some of the younger clement were
disposed to champion the chiefs action
They seemed to feel that Tammany
Hall had taken on a new dignity since
the last election which should be stern
ly upheld by their leader.