The New York herald., 1922-05-01
MONDAY. MAY 1. 1922.
Richard Croker.


In the last fifty years Tammany
Hall has had only three leaders
JOHN KELLY, RICHARD CROKER and
CHAhLEs F. MURPHY The most domi-
nant figure of these was the man
who died in Ireland ON Saturday.
Although he was 81 his death was
shock to all who had watched him
treat the years as contemptuously as
he had treated his political enemies
in the days of his power.
All the noted bosses of Tammany
sprang from small beginnings. TWEED
was chairmaker, KELLY stone
mason, CROKER machinist, MURPHY
car driver. All came from the
East Side and from districts where
the Irish, who were the backbone of
the Democratic party in New York
predominated. All grew up in pc
riods when being in politics meant
fighting. And CROKER was the great
est fighter of the lot.
Indeed, it was the fighting quality
that made CROKER what he was. He
radiated courage and aggressiveness.
The leonine head, the mighty jaw.
the penetrating eye, the deep chest
and the commanding voice all be-
spoke power. He had not TwEEp's
sickness, KELLYs pretense of high
citizenship or MURPHY's opportun-
ism; but he excelled them all in dom.
mating lesser politicians.
Boss CROKER treated Tammany as
the whole experience of the Hall has
indicated its need to be treated. 1t
is one man organization. The two
headed rule of KELLY and JOHN Nor
RIssEY was short lived. When KELLY,
supreme ruler of the Hall, died, in
1886, the executive committeeman de-
clared that they, and no boss, would
control Tammany. The strongest
four. CROKER HUGH GRANT. THOMAS
r. GIIRoY and w. BoURKE COCHRAN.
The four ruled for time. OF these
CROKER was least in mental gifts,
but presently he was the sole Boss
and he remained so for. sixteen
years. GRANT had culture and popu
larity. Gu.RoY vss fine admins
traitor. COCHRAN had a wealth of
scholarship and oratory. But CROKER
was strong man, man of courage
and deeds and wonderful capacity
to make men love OF fear him. The
others yielded to the combination
most necessary In an organization
in which, as in the animal kingdom,
the f1ttest survive.
The power which CROKER exercised
in getting to the top of Tammany
was also great enough to establish
the Hall as the sole important or
ganization of the Democratic party
in New York county. All the small
rivals OF the type of Irving Hall and
the County Democracy disappeared.
CROKER appeased their leaders or
starved them.
With all its strength the hand OF
CROKER was not without cunning. In
order TO defeat HENRY GEORGE, the
United Labor candidate, and THEo-
DoRE ROOSEVELT, the Republican NOM
inee, CROKER in the first year of his
leadership, 1886, took County De-
mocracy man, ABRAM s HEWITT, as
the Tammany nominee for Mayor.
While this helped the Hall very lit
tie in HEwITT's term it was a Tam
many victory at least in name, and
IL paved the way for the elections
Of GRANT in 1883 and 1890 and of
GnRoY in 1892. In 1894 the run of
Croker luck was broken by the reve-
lations OF the Lexow committee. No
leader. no organization, however
strong, can withstand wave of real
public indignation. CROKER had his
first taste of this when STRONG de-
feated HUGH GRANT
AS CROKER had spent part of that
campaign abroad il was supposed
nat he was out of politics forever.
The strength was still there, how
ever. and the Boss returned from
England in 1897 to seize the leader
ship from JOHN G. SuEEHAN and to
infict the Van Wyck administration
ON the city at the election of 1893.
Then began CRoKER's most powerful
years. The city was his TO play with
The people gave II to him when they
chose VAN WICK. He must have
smiled grimly in the defeat Of 1902
when. offering New York respect
able candidate in the person Of
EpwAHp NJ. SHEPARD, the voters
turned him down.
1t as twenty years since CEoEEn