The New York herald., 1922-04-03

- udy.
Within ten years" said big TX
out of the political picture. Inside o
and influence will have been blown
campaigns will be conducted by til
lowing"
Foley, the most picturesque, inf
in all Tammany, with the possible ,
satrap in all New York whose sway
to have been broken, uttered this
comment as calmly, as imperturbably
as If he were accepting an over bid
in his favorite indoor sport of auc-
tion pinochle. Had a lesser figure in
Tammany suggested the imminent
downfall of district leadership the
prediction would not, perhaps, have
rung the bell of amazement; but for
Foley, retaining in the year of grace
1922 the grip upon the loyalty and
unquestioning obedience of the most
mixed constituency in all five bor-
oughs-Italians, Greeks, Jews, Chi
nese, Japanese, Slovaks, Turks and
Armenians, negroes and Irish-that
he attained more than twenty years
ago when he overthrow Judge Diver
after a battle that shook Tammany
like an earthquake-for big Tom"
himself to utter it, the reaction was
profound.
Patronage Fast Vanishing.
whats the answer" Foley con-
tinued. Civil Service, my boy. Little
enough patronage has been left to US,
ana even the little that we hath is
being taken away, following Script
ural rule. District leaders cannot exist
without patronage. Some of them
may kid themselves into thinking they
can, but it isn't so. For while we
may be able to run along on the mo-
mentum of other times. but in the end,
which will not be long postponed, it
will be impossible to command fol-
lowing without the means to satisfy
their demands.
Human nature is that way. There are
people who stick from love and duty or
even from a sense of obligation for
favors done: but they are, worse luck,
in the minority. The majority want re-
suits. jobs for themselves or their
friends; special privileges that once
were at our disposal. These very things
have been taken away from us year by
year and bit by bit, and it's mighty
little we leaders have left. / have lived
too long in this world to try to fool
myself, and 1 say that the end of re-
markable political system is very near
at hand.
1.-The women folk? Now don't entice
me into any discussion of them. The
Heavenly Father knows that know a
modest bit about the handling OF men,
but of women nothing at all. The en-
trance of the sex into politics and their
capture of the vote will have played its
part too, in the extinction of such as
myself / mean that women. as all
human experience shows, are never con-
tent to accept dictation. and they will
not bow to it, as men have bowed. from
the leaders. There you are-Civil Ser
vice and the ladies and slow music for
the leaders,
Possibly you will be an exception in
this melancholy metamorphosis. Sher-
iff?"
mo exception at ALL" said Foley. Il
shall go down with the old flag flying.
but down 1 shall go with all the rest,
victim in the end of perhaps the ruling
trait of human nature. self interest. l
have. held my leadership and better than
my leadership, the warm friendship of
my people OF the district. largely he
cause / never sought political office in
my life. They drafted me twice when
The Hall needed candidate; once for
Councilman in the old days, and more
recently, for Sheriff: but have always
been more intent on getting Jobs and
favors for others than on getting them
for myself. and never have / taken dirty
money. But as I say, the time will
come when sentiment and the habit of
obedience will not hold our folowings."
Prohibition tntted Farcc.
Returned from travel in Mediterranean
lands and the most unimpressed tourist
In the annals of Cook, Foley was warm
ing himself in the Incompatible atmo-
sphere OF his beloved Manhattan and
uncommonly willing. in this mood, to
chat casually of things that touch the
life OF Manhattan. Prohibition (the
absence of 1t, rather) was in his mind,
and he spoke with more acerbity thar
always restrained Czar of Cherry Hill.
Judge OF H.:
ITS the damndest farce ever i'm
posed upon our people," he said who
is more closely In touch with the life
self? There isn't a citizen who has OPP
portunities TO see more of what is going
on. Well. I tell you that there Is more
public. as we'll as more private drunken
ness to-day than there was ten years
ago. have seen more men reeling and
stumbling along the streets In the last
before prohibition.
'The people that come to me for ad-
vice and assistance In the little ways
that leaders serve their people--fathers
and mothers and husbands--tell me that
young girls are forming whisky and
cocktail drinking habits, the kind and
age Of girls that would scarcely have
thought or taking u drink or hard stuff
In the old days. Now they are going
q private resorts lurcd bv tne excite
are pouring into their young bodies
t,sFs aAt En ~nff e.