Evening star., 1933-11-09
The Political Mill
By C. Could lincoln.

Alibi time is here for some OF our
leading politicians. Take the bosses OF
two Of the most famous-or infamous
political machines In the country for
example, John r Curry of Tammany
Hall, New York, and Williams s. Ware
Republican boss of Philadelphia. Does
either of these gentlemen admit that
| public resentment against machine poll
tics, waste and graft had anything to
do with the victory of fusion move
mentS in their home towns? He does
not. Mr.. Curry says that the cause OF
all the trouble was Postmaster James A.
Farley, chairman of the Democratic
National Committee and also chairman
of the Democratic State Committee OF
New York, who put Joseph v. Mckee
into the mayoralty race as head of the
Recovery party ticket. And see what
the versatile Mr.. Ware has to say. He
asserts that he made a grievous mis-
take when he nominated Herbert
Hoover for President way back in 1923
A lot has been said about the former
President of the United States, but this
is probably the first time that anyone
has attempted to load on his shoulders
the sins of the Ware organization in
the City of Brotherly Love.
X
The fact of the matter is that the
! people in two of the greatest cities OF
the United States sickened of the boss
rule and its attendant vices which had
been handed to them for long time
In New York, they turned out the DEM
ocratic organization; in Philadelphia,
and in Pittsburgh it was the G. o. P
machine boss that suffered. Mr.. Curry
and Mr.. Ware quite naturally wish to
retain their grip on their respective Or
ganizations and they are trying to turn
the attention of the public away from
their own obvious unpopularity and to
focus attention on others.
Mr.. Curry is still Tammany leader
that is, leader of the Democratic organi-
Zation Of New York County, one Of the
five boroughs of Greater New York He
has taken real licking in the city as
a whole, since Tammany has been sup
posed to be the dominant political fac
tor and Curry the dominant leader OF
the democracy Of the greater city. In
Manhattan, however, Tammany sue
ceeded in electing the borough president
and district attorney, although La
Guardia, the successful fusion candidate
for mayor, carried Manhattan along
with the four other boroughs. Curry
still apparently has the Manhattan dis
trict leaders with him. Or at least no
other figure has cropped up yet in Tam
many circles who can control as many
district leaders as can Curry. Under
these circumstances 1t may be difficult
to oust Curry as Tammany leader
However, If he remains as Tammany
leader. there is the chance that Tam
many may become more or less unim-
portant organization.
/ E%
There Is Brooklyn, with its 5000 00C
population, larger than any city in the
| United States, except Chicago; the
Bronx, which has begun to push Man.
haitian hard in the size Of population
Queens, on Long Island, growing
rapidly, and little Richmond, which Is
Staten Island. To understand the
political situation in greater New York
! it must be recognized that each OF
| these boroughs has its own Democratic
organization, and that Tammany has
maintained control only through domi-
mating the organizations in the other
boroughs. Curry's ally has been, for
Son b,s MccSHsg the 5T90kgn 3o
the Democratic machine in Brooklyn
has been shaken. Indeed, there Is q
likelihood that the revolt in Brook
lyn yi, viii tha+ sweep zee MeGooey @ out WI Where e
comes to controlling the city?
+ * y y
Perhaps 1t would be a good thing
II the Tammany tiger became only
a cat, with the organizations In the
other boroughs overshadowing it. II
that happened, then what became of
Mr.. Curry would matter very little,
comparatively speaking.
The Democratic organization in New
York City has been split wide open in
the recent mayoralty struggle. Ed
OF the Bronx, hacker of Mckee and
the Recovery party, like Curry, Is still
In control of his own organization. Mr..
Farley, according to reports, Is likely
to control in Brooklyn and in Queens
and Richmond. 1t looks like q tough
job for Curry to regain Democratic
control OF the city. The dog may be-
gin to wag the tail
Alfred E. Smith, who kept aloof from
the recent unpleasantness in New York
City, might be the leader who could
weld the Democracy together again.
There Is suspicion, however, that AL
Smith has lost interest in local politics.
And certainly he has no love for Mr..
Curry or for Mr.. Farley and Mr. Flynn,
and they seemingly have no love for
him. The former Governor, by the
force Of his own personality and his
personal popularity with the great mass
OF the people, might take control of the
organization If he wanted to make the
fight. The question is, does he wish to
make such a fight?
\ y
There Is one Democrat In New York
Judge Samuel Seabury, who certainly
looms large in the public mind. He has
oeen prime mover and leader In the
Fusion party which elected La Guardia
mayor and also elected a majority of
the Board OF Aldermen and Board of
Estimates. But Judge Seabury is no
organization leader. He does not fit
into the picture at all He has been
an anti-Tammany and independents
Democrat for years.
Jim" Farley says that II democracy
Is TO succeed in New York, it must get
rid of Curry. John Curry insists, on
the other hand, that the only thing that
can save democracy in the Empire
State Is the elimination of Mr.. Farley
as State leader. Certainly this is a
situation that ought to give the Re-
publicans in New York all kinds of
satisfaction.
y n
But if the Republicans get satisfac-
ton out OF what has happened in New
York. the Democrats can point with no
less satisfaction to what has happened
In the keystone State, Pennsylyania-
rockribbed Republican territory for
years. The Republican organizations
have been overthrown in the States two
largest cities, one at either end of the
State, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. But
that Is not all. In Lackawanna, Lam
caster, Schuylkill and other counties, |
which have been strongly Republican, |
the Republicans have taken a licking |
The one congressional district in the |
country to fill vacancy in the House |
on election day was the ninth PennsYl- |