The New York herald., 1921-10-31
Murphy and Hearst Men
Have Nothing to Compare
With Coalition Harmony.
FAKE ISSUE MAY TRIUMPH
Curran Victory Would Be Clear
Voice of People Against Hum
bug and Poor Rule.
BY LOUIS sEIBoLD.

the dullest municipal campaign ever
held in the city of New York with
positive opinions on the outcome, bu,
with little definite information or
which to base them. That the Hearst
Tammany alliance of convenience
which is promoting the reelection oi
Mayor Hylan on a single and sordi6
issue of purely speculative char.
acter enjoys a distinct advantage is
not to be denied.
If Major Curran and his associates
on the fusion ticket are successful ir
he battle of the ballots it will be due
to the conviction Of men and women
voters in the five boroughs that the
honor and pride of the city are oi
vastly more Importance than quibbline
over an tissue" on which all candi-
dates on all the tickets are agreed.
The Hearst forces. who have as
sumed almost complete control Of the
Mayors campaign for reelection, base
their confidence of success on the be-
lief that the men and women citizens
of New York city will permit them
selves to be humbugged by the fake
five-cent fare issue. which Major Cur
ran and his associates are exerting
themselves to explode.
Hearst Claims ExtrnvnGant.
Whether the remaining eight days Of
The campaign will be sufficient to arouse
New York to the fallacy of the spurious
five-cent fare issue is problematic. On
the surface Mayor Hylan seems to have
the best of it anI barring unexpected
developments he will probably win.
though not by anything approaching the
extravagant claims made by the Hearst
managers, which range from 1886 to
200, 900 out of a total which probably
will approximate 100000.
These claims are, as said, of Hearst
origin and do not express accurately the
views of the Tammany leaders, who are
neither enthusiastic nor conspicuously
active in the management of the Mayors
campaign. Tammany will be satisfied IL
the Mayor wins BY 10000: they might
even be reconciled to his defeat IL his
associates on the ticket, the District
Attorney and the Judicial candidates,
pull through.
One Of the most impressive features
of the present turgid contest Is this lack
Of enthusiasm for Mr.. Hearst's candidate
among Tammany leaders as evidenced
by the serious defections reported
by the captains OF the various Tammany
clubs The Mayor probably would be
surprised II he knew the extent of the
unostentatious opposition to his reelec-
tion among men who usually take their
Tammany dose straight no matter how
noxious.
"Tammany Standard Lower"
Just how many men and women there
are of this frame Of mind will not be
disclosed until the result Of the ballot
ing has been determined but an investi-
gator seeking light on the subject OBJ
tains the impression that .herc are many
thousands OF them.
The attitude OF voters of this type Is
best reflected by the statement OF one
of the most important men in the Tam
many organization, who finds It expcdi-
ent TO withhold s,is name. He has never
voted anything but Tammany ticket
to the selection of Tammany candidates
as any other man in the city. yet he
Is going to vote for Major Curran this
year. Why?
when Tammany Hall acquiesced to
the demands of the Hearst OUTFIT four
years ago and nominated Hylan for
Mayor Of the greatest city In the world"
ne said. ''it lowered fits own standards.
questionable as some OF them had been
in the past The record OF Hylan las
proved It. He may be an honest man.
and probably Is. for all I know to the
contrary.
by his own acts he has proved that
he Is an incompetent Mayor. He has
surrounded himself with influences that
even the most rapacious OF patronage
spoIsmen must admit are offensive to
all men and women of character In the
city.
"I believe that there are more Of
these men and women in New York
than the people supporting Hylan have
any idea of--citizens who hold the good
reputation Of New York at a greater
valuation than 30 humiliating and sor-
did an issue as the fake claim OF Hylan
that no prevented the imposition OF an
increased street car fare on the citizens
when such Is not the fact I'm not go
ing TO believe that there are so many
boobs in the city until see the votes
tabulated."
Defectfons I'm the Districts.
The most encouraging fact that in
spires the supporters Of Major Curran
to ignore surface Indications and assert
his ultimate success is that the dofec-
tions In the Tammany vote noted by
the leaders Of that organization are
bringing Increased support to the fu-
sion candidate.
Developments during the last week
tend TO show that the women voters In
Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn bor-
oughs are rallying TO the support of the
fusion candidate in large numbers and
that independent Democrats in all OF the
Ave boroughs are resisting the appeals
OF the Hearst-Tammany leaders ana
spelibinders 10 stick by tho organlza-
tion.' meaning Tammany, because even
the approximate numerical strength OF
the Hearst enterprise is the greatest
mystery OF the entire campaign.
The fusion leaders refusc to take n
peasimistic view OF the outlook. though
almost every sign. portent and ba-
rometrical political device points the
other way. They assert that they will
receive tho full strength OF tho 10000
Republican vote. 100000 Independent
Democratic votes, $4,000 service men,
10000 police. nremen. school teachers