New-York tribune., 1918-12-02
Prepares
To Strip McCabe
Of Power Upstate
Tammany Chief, With Aid
of Smith, to Punish" AL
bany County Boss
Special to The Tribune

ALBANY, Dec. 1, 191S.-Charles F.
Murphy, with the aid Of Alfred f.
Smith, Governor elect, has started out
to punish those who have disputed
Tammany's pretensions to state con-
troll. From Fourteenth Street comes
the word that the political head of
Patrick E. McCabe, local boss of AL
bany County. will be the first to fall
into the basket.
w. w. Farley, a Broome County
man, who until a year ago held forth
es one of Tammany's lieutenants in
Binghamton, but who is now resi-
dent of this city, is slated to succeed
McCabe
Farley, who is practically unknown
IN Albany, IS Murphy man and was
appointed Excise Commissioner by
Governor Dix at the instigation of
Boss Murphy. He held the job until
oustod by Governor Whitman. But
after January Farley promises to be
better known, for it is TAmmany's
plan to appoint him Superintendent
OF Buildings as an initial step toward
Wrestling the local machine from
McCabe.
JOD carries Much PATRONAGE
The job, which pays only $4,000 a
year, carries with it, however, patron
age aggregating nearly $500O0O a year.
At the disposal of the Superintendent
OF Buildings are almost countless small
places wherein lies the sustenance of
a we'll ordered machine.
The appointment of the Superintend-
ent of Public Buildings is in the hands
of the board Of state building trustees
which is composed of the Governor,
Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of
the Assembly. Since the last named
Is the only Republican on the board
and the appointment is made without
leave OF the Senate, the Democrats will
control the situation. William Storrs,
a member Of the Barnes -Staley ma
chine, now holds the place
McCabe, who is better known among
his intlmates as "Packy." incurred the
open hostility of the Tammany leader
a little more than year ago, when he
charged Tammany with knitting Presi-
dent Wilson in the 1916 campaign.
Denounces Murphy
He urged the retirement of Ross
Murphy il the following language:
How long are the Democrats of the
state, and particularly of New York
city, to submit to this misplaced leader
ship, leadership without The faint
est idea Of honorable responsibilitv. q
leadership stepped in depravisy of the
lowest sort of political cunninc?"
The attack of McCabe brought the
Tammany leader out of his she'll of
silence long enough to say:
."Pll resign from Tammanv Hall
when McCabe elects Democrat Mayor
of Albany"
McCabe, however, has his friends in
Iammany Hall and in Democratic cir
cles upstate, and these are now fight
INK to save him from the axe. Some
OF them, 1t is reported, reminded Boss
Murphy that McCabe was not wanting
when he was asked to start the fight
against Governor Suzer when the lat
ter was bent on sending some of Tam
many's leaders to jail.
McCabe Led Attack
1t was McCabe who issued the first pub
lie statements attacking Sulzer on the
very eve of the calling of the eytraor-
dinary session of the Legislature hv
the Governor. who tried to force it to
pass the direct primary law, and which
instead. lmpeached him. McCabe al
that time was Clerk OF the Senate.
Some of McCaDe's friends are think
ing of appealing to William Randoinh
Hearst to save McCabe. Hearst ou'o,
McCabs political debt Of primal mag