Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-29
Surely Had White
House Dreams, and Al
Smith Was His Vehicle,
Robert Small Declares
BY ROBERT II. SMALL

! Murphy, leader of Tammany Hall, is
| deeper than that it has felt for presi
dents, or governors, or mayors. For
| Murphy unofficially had ruled the
city for twenty-five years and been
a political power in it's affairs for
much longer than that.
The flags of the city are at half
! staff. Yet Murphy was but a 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 office.
Charlie Murphy was more than the
| chief of Tammany Hall. He was one
of the last of dying race-the
| political leader who grew up from
the saloon. In the fact of this it is
no disparagement of the Tammany
organization to say that Murphy, the
ex-bartender, the eX-street car
driver, made Tammany more re-
spected and more respectable than
any of his predecessors. Murphy was
an exceptional man.
Had White House Dreams
Above all, Murphy had dreams.
Tammany Hall is almost as old as
the federal government. It was or
ganized 1874 years ago. But it never
has sent one of its members to the
White House. Murphy had groomed
Al Smith for that coveted honor. He
was hoping personally to put Al
across" at the Democratic conVen-
ton here late in June, and he was
confident in the belief that once
nominated Smith would sweep to
victory. Al Smith had grown up in
Tammany, as Murphy did.
But Al was of a different fibre.
He did not spring from the gas
house gang" as Murphy did He
was one of the newer types that
Murphy was developing in Tam
many-men to be made governor
and mayor and to be placed on the
bench. There are many who owe
their all to the favor of the grand
sachem who sat so long silent and
serene in the WigWam on Four
teenth street.
There will be other and willing
hands to take up the fight for al"
but Al himself is broken-hearted
and much of the life has gone out
of his rapidly growing boom. Muir
ply was to be the wise director of
the Smith forces in the convention;
his was the counsel to be sought
and followed. The commanding gen
eral is gone; the fighting will con-
tinue, but Governor Smith, above
all persons, knows that he has suf-
fered an irreparable loss.
AS silent as Coolidge, and stepped
in the political wisdom which comes
from the long years Of ripe expert
ence, Charlie Murphy was becoming
more and more of a 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 a
months ago and he emerged a
pitiable wreck. There was no one
left to challenge the right of the
big Tammany machine to guide the
political affairs of the big city.
Believed Tammany Right
Murphy believed that Tammany
was right and that the people were
wise to let it rule. He oft-n said
that New York was a city Of in
telligence and that no city dotted
with countless church spires and
school houses" would long permit
it's affairs to be misdirected. Murphy
grew up under the machine and
revered it. Fifteen years ago he
began reaching out for state power
and got it. This year he was max
ing his boldest bid for national
leadership.
Murphy's life was an American
romance, There will be no more
like it. He was born in the teeming
east side of New York. He had
eight years in the public schools and
at the age of fourteen had to go
out and earn his own way. lie
lived in the shadows of the big ils
tanks and with the natural traits of
leadership in him, he soon organized
the gas house gang" and the gas
house baseball teams.
The boys of the east side in Muir
phys days had two great ambitions.
One was to drive a Cross-toWn street
car. The other was to own a saloon.
1t was fOregOne conclusion that
Murphy was to realize both of these.
And, as the owner of a bar, down
by Nineteenth street and Avenue A.
he was bound to come into political
power. Murphy was the friend of
the neighborhood. His saloon was
always honest and clean. Eventually
he bought another grog shop and
then a third, and he was still in the
saloon business when he was called
to the leadership of Tammany Hall.
| Then he sold out, making his money
thereafter out of trucking concerns
and other business enterprises. He
died worth less than $1,000,O00.
Was Cookers Opposite
Following in the footsteps OF
Tweed, of John Kelly and of Croker,
Murphy had the satisfaction of TAX
ing Tammany to higher plane than
any OF his predecessors had reached.
He was vast change from Croker.
| He walked softly and said little.
| Croker had been a spectacular fight
er. with many strong friends and
many equally strong enemies. Muir
! ply was known as "Silent Charlie"
when he came to the Wigwam and he
remained silent until the end. No
man ever has been more bitterly at
| tached, but he took it all as a part
! of the game and never sQuealed. He
! was not Callous, however. Many of
| the attacks cut TO the quick, but
! Murphy carried ~. After the last
| campaign with Hearst he announced.
| however, that he would not permit
any Of the Hearst papers to come
into his home again. This was the
! bitterest outhurst against an enemy
! that ever came from his lips.
Tammany is a unique organiza
| ton. 1t was not a product of poll