San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-27
NEW WORKERS
| GR|EvED OVER
MURPHY DEATH
Sorrow Deeper Than That
Felt for Presidents or
Governors.
RULED CITY ~ YEARS
Great Democrat Had Been
Unofficial Ruler for
Many Years.
RULED CITY " YEARS
By ROBERT 7. SMALL.


City is a lodge of sorrow. Its grief
over the death of Charles Francis
Murphy, leader Of Tammany Hall, is
deeper than that it has felt for Presi-
dents or governors or mayors. Fol
Murphy, unofficially, had ruled the
city for % years and had been a
political power in its affairs fol
much longer than that.
The flags of the city are at half
staff. Yet Murphy was but private
citizen. He was the maker of city
| officials and his great power behind
| the throne was more to be sought
than the favor of any man in Of
| flee.
Charley Murphy was more than the
chief of Tammany Hall. He was one
of the last of dying race-the po'
litical leader who grew IN from the
saloon. In the face of this it is nc
| disparagement of the Tammany or.
ganization to say that Murphy. the
ex-bartender, the ex-street car driver
made Tammany more respected and
more respectable than any of his
predecessors. Murphy was an excep
tional man.
Above all, Murphy had dreams
Tammany Hall is almost as old as
the federal government. 1t was or
ganized 1874 years ago. But it has
| never sent one of its members to the
White House. Murphy had groomed
AL Smith for that coveted honor. lie
was hoping personally to put Al
Across" at the Democratic convention
here in late June and he was con.
fident in the belief that once nomin-
ated, Smith would sweep to vic
tory.
Smith Broken hearted.
AL Smith had grown up in Tam.
! many as Murphy did. But AL was
! of different fibre. He did not spring
from the "gas house" gang as Muir.
ply did. He was one of the newer
types that Murphy was developing in
Tammany-men to be made governor
and mayor and TO be placed on The
bench-how many there are who owe
their all TO the favor of the grant
sachem who sat SO long silent and SO
rene in the wigwam on Fourteenth
street.
! There will be other and willin,
hands to take up the fight for ~Al'
but Al himself is broken-heartcd ant
much of the life has gone out of his
rapidly growing boom. Murphy wa,
| to be the wise director of the Smith
forces in the convention; his was
the counsel to be sought and fol.
lowed. The commanding general is
gone; the fighting, will continue, bu;
Governor Smith, above all persons
knows that he has suffered an IRE.
parable loss.
Was Wise Ruler.
As silent as Coolidge and STEPPED
in the political wisdom which comes
from the long years of ripe experience,
Charley Murphy was becoming more
and more of power in the national
Democracy. There is no question but
that he has ruled Tammany wisely
and well. At the moment of his death
Tammany's power in the city was
undisputed. William Randolph
Hearst tried last fling at the buz;
saw a few months ago and he emerged
a pitiable wreck. There was no one
to challenge the right of the big Tam.
many machine 10 guide the political
affairs of the big city.
| Murphy believed that Tammany was
right and that the people were wis,
to let it rule. He often said that
| New York was city of intelligence
and that no city dotted with count,
less church spires and schoolhouscs'
would long permit its affairs to b.
misdirected. Murphy grew up under
the machine and revered it. Fifteer
years ago he began reaching out fol-
state power and got it. This year h,
was making his boldest bid for ma
tional leadership.
| Murphy's life was an American 70
nance. There will be no more like it
He was born in the teeming Eas
Side of New York. He had eigh
years in the public schools and ut thu
age OF ii had to 20 out and earn hi
own way. He lived in the shadow
of the big gas tanks and with the nat
ural traits of leadership in him h,
soon organized the "gas house gang
and the gas house baseball teams.
Wanted 10 Own Saloon.
The boys of the East Side in Muir
phys days had two great ambitions
One was to drive cross town stree
car. The other was to own saloon
| II was foregone conclusion tina
Murphy was to realize both of these
And as the owner of a bar, down b,
Nineteenth street and Avenue A. h
was bound to come into political pow
err. Murphy was the friend Of III
neighborhood. His saloon was nj
ways honest and clean. Eventual
he bought another grog shop and thei
third, and he was still in the salool
business when he was called TO tn
leadership of Tammany Fall. The
he sold out. making his money there
after out of trucking concerns an
other business enterprises. He die
worth less than S1,000,000.
Following in the footsteps o
Tweed. OF John Kelly and Of Croker
Murnhy had the satisfaction Of tax
ing Tammany to q higher plane thar
any Of his predecessors had reached
He was vast change from Croker
He walked softly and said little
Croker had been spectacular flghte
with many strong friends and man!
equally strong enemies.
Held His Tongue.
| Murphy was known as "Silen
Charley" ;Vhen he came to the wig
wan and he remained silent unit
the end. No man has ever been NOR,
bitterly attacked. but he took il al
as a part of the game and neve
squealed He was not calloused. how
ever. Many Of the attacks cut 4
the quick. but Murphy carried on
After the last campaign with Hears
he announced. however. that he wOult
not permit any Of the Hearst paner
10 come into his home again. Thi
was the bitterest outburst against al
enemy that ever came from the boss
lins.
| Tammanv IL q unioue oroanizotion