Evening star., 1924-05-02

was not content to capture only New
York city for his party, but extended
his activities over the entire state,
and the political honors won by the
Democrats during his regime are
proof of his ability
r x X X &
How much of Tammany's success
and efficiency may be laid to Muir
phys silent supervision can never
be measured" the Detroit News
independently feels, because Dit is
doubtful If a reform-loving people
will ever bring themselves to pay
many tributes to the genius Of a
Tamnnany boss, but a we'll run city
is tribute enough" As the Hartford
Times (Democratic) sees Murphy, che
was no idealist," because "he had
no deep interest in great principles
or in abstract political theories; his
business was to keep the machine in
tact, win victories and distribute the
spoils," and though he prided him
self upon the integrity of his word
that was about the extent OF his
creed" The Roanoke Worid-News
(Democratic) indorses this opinao n
and continues, He had no Illusions
regarding the possibilities Of 'upaift'
government, or Of good, clean gov
eminent. and the value Of them to
political organization whose pri-
mary purpose is to keep the opposi-
tion on the outside looking In" In
fact. "he belonged to that great url-
official class which has too often ruled
In this country, class that. stands
behind and above the government,
controlling, and, as a rule, corrupt
ing IT," according to the Indianapolis
News Gndependent), which regards
Mr.. Murphy as the almost perfect
type OF this class Of Representatives"
The Philadelphia Bulletin dnde-
pendent Republican, compares Muir
ply with Croker and suggests that
he was crafty and reticent rather
than aggressive and free-spoken as
was Croker but he knew his time
and fitted into the dominant cur
rents of latter day politics better
than his predecessor would have
done" The Providence Journal (in-
dependen) mentions also that ''he
was fearless and persistent; after the
most disEpuraging reverses he was
always ready to begin straightway
the task of preparing for triumph
a little farther on"
s. The Nashville Banner (independ-
ent) agrees to this view and assumes
that "Tammany is sure to evolve a
fit successor, but not one who will
devote himself more completely to
the task" Although conceding Muir
ply a great leader. ain the sense that
he was tireless as an. organizer and
adroit as tactician," the Des Moines
Tribune Independent Republican, J
goes on to say, 9'He belonged TO a
type OF Nolitfeal leader that is out
of-date, a leader that makes his
sole business the building of. an or
ganization solely for political ends
and reaps his reward in patronage
and Offices" Granting that Murphys
rule was comparatively mild and
that he had anliable traits, which
bound his friends to him, the New
York Times independent Demo
cratic) insists that nothing of all
this should make US forget that he
was the exemplar and beneficiary of
a system which, without official re-
sponsibility, degrades our official
life, and which condemns New York
city to suffer from maladministra-
tion and the lowest moral standards
in public Office" The Jacksonville
Journal (Democratic) is confident
thousands will mourn his passing"
that "all must attest to the genius
he possessed" and that none can
deny he did many good works; but
the system he represented, which
| suffers nightly in the loss or so
able an exponent. will wither. and
| men to como will rejoice at that"