The New York herald., 1921-10-24
Fusion Lacks Money to Put
Up It's Best Fight to
ROut Out Hearst.
MURPHY IGNORED BY ALL
Low-Shepard Race in 1901
Like Contest To-day-Big
Lead Overcome Then.
BY LOUIS sEIBoLD.

Yorker regarding the probable out
como of the Mayoralty contest in
variably gets this reply:
"It looks as If Hylan is going to be
reelected but am not going to vote
for Kim"
The reasons advanced for both the
opinion and personal purposes of the
women and men voters OF whom the
question was asked during the last
week are many and varied. The rea-
son supporting the opinion is generally
that everybody thinks Hylan is going
to be reelected because the barber,
the bootblack, the Wall Street broker
and the sporting contingent in the five
boroughs had said so.
From time irnmemorial in politics
the Judgment of these "barometers"
Of public sentiment generally has been
accepted as oracular and final. Yet
aside from the Tammany and Hearst
politicians who have agreed to main
tain state of armed neutrality in the
present campaign the rarest bird to
find is the woman or man who admits
that he is going to vote for Hylan
and yet appears to be confident that
William Randolph Hearst's Mayor is
going to be reelected.
Successful for n Time.
A couple OF weeks ago this opinion
was pretty general among professional
politicians Of all parties and factions.
The reason for 1t was that the strategy
employed by tho agents of Mr.. Hearst,
who assumed personal direction Of Mr..
Hylan's campaign--and still continue
to do so--was artfully contrived to dis
concert the fusion groups supporting
Major Curran and for a time, was un-
qucstionably successful.
The basis OF the Hearst campaign TO
bring about the election OF the candi-
dates that Tanmany Hall had been
forced to accept was the five cent fare
fake" as the fusion candidate have
eirce described and proved il to be.
From the very beginning OF the cam
paign Mr.. Hylan and his associates and
managers have contended that il it had
not been for the vigorous opposition of
the Hyan administration the citizens
Of New York would have been compelled
20 pay an increased rate of fare on all
the city transportation lines.
Major Curran and his associates have
made tremendous progress in exposing
that flake" and pledglng themselves TO
rIpbt against any attempt TO increase
tho financial burden on Che strap
berper Further than this they have
centred their fight directly on "Hylan
and his boss" meaning Mr.. Hearst.
thereby ignoring Murphy. the Tammeny
jeader who is supposed to control the
dominant political organization of the
five boroughs
The fact is that Murphy and his
crowd have been showed in the back
.-ound by the articles OF the Hearst
leaders OF whom the most active is
= 7 O'Rciliy Commissioner OF Water
c,.nnlv in the Hyian administration.
fyPeillv and his aids, captaining
handful OF noisy agitators in each OF t1e
five boroughs, have been making the
most OF the opportunities provided oy
tbc situation to huniiliate the Murphy
organization.
c,rtrol OF the Mayors campaign, bot
- are curtly sending orders to Murphy at
Toelmonico's and Good Ground that trey
have their eye on him and expect him
70 not only dig UP the money to pay for
the Hyian undertaking but to get out
tbe largest vote possible.
About the only laugh provided In the
o,berwise turgid and uninteresting con-
.sst IN date is provoked by the surly
,ttttude of the average Tanmany and
WcCooey leader, who. according to the
-,ersion of an authority. cloves Hearst
as .the devil loves holy water" The
Foc, "a that these leaders are compelled
,o admit that Mr. Hearst and not Muir
,,hv Is not only the political boss OF the
a t...A 49, h.. rG
.be boss OF the municipal government.
Lenders Pear Hearst.
professional opinion in the Tamnany
and McCooey organization comedies to
fhe extent that both Murphy and Nc
Cooev "are more afraid of Hearst than
they are of Hylan or the Republican
organization. The district leaders are
loss concerned over this unmistakable
fact than as to the prospective attempt
nj the Hearst forces to drive what little
influence Murphy has with the Mayor
out of City Hall after the election and
encourage the critics Of the Tammany
boss TO depose him from power.
Tammany district leaders admit that
the Hearst crowd holds the patronage
ambitions Of Tammany in the hollow
Of its hands and seem to have very
good reason 70 fear the worst. Some OF
Murphy advisera anticipating this con-
dition of affairs, urged Murphy to re-
fuse tho support OF the organization to
the denomination Of Hyian and to put
forth former Gov. AL Smith. who. ac-
cording 10 the overwhelming opinion of
the organization. would not only make
hotter candidate but vastly more ef-
acient and less Objectionable Mayor.
Murphy for reasons OF expediency
and self-defence, however, was compelled
20 assent to the Hearst demand that
Mr.. Hylan be renominated. Tammany
leaders as q rule entertain no illusions
regarding the profcssed friendship OF
the Mayor for Murphy They know only
too we'll that that is entirely contingent
ON the ambitions and impulses OF Mr..
Hearst himself.
For these reasons ana others that arc
entirely obvious the fusion campaign
lhas practically ignored Murphy and hts
ORGANIZATIONS methods of "chloroform-
ling the conscience Of the city," as one
of the fusion spelbinders described the
process. IT Is quite probable that the
ignoring OF Murphy Will be continued
~. sto L.,,aion mann Qara fhrotuhout the