Evening star., 1954-10-17

POLITICIAN, Long IN
Control Of Machine
Ed n. (Boss, Crump, who died
yesterday in Memphis. Tenn,
was undisputed boss of Memphis
for nearly haif a century. con-
trolling one Of the most remark
able political machines ever
known to the United States.
Shortly before his downfall in
194s. he claimed he had been
elected to public Office % times
and had helped win 86 other
elections without a defeat. He
not only held a lock on Memphis
politics for IS years, but he also
controlled the State of Tennessee
for Is years.
The ruthlessly efficient politi-
clan was truly one of the most
colorful of the big city bosses.
Known both as "the red snap
per" and a real ring-tailed
tooter." he gloried in hurting
epithets at campaign opponents
and in acknowledging indica-
tions Of personal popularity.
Born on a farm in Marshall
County. Miss, on october 2, 1874,
he was the son Of a Confederate
cavalry officer and a genteel
woman who came from North
Carolina. His father died when
he was 3 and Ed Crump soon
learned of the need to struggle.
AS a youth, he hired out to pillow.
sold peaches to train, passengers
and got q job as printers
devil. At 16, he left for the rich
delta country downriver, taking
work as a bookkeeper in a coun-
try store at Lula. Miss. A year
later, in 1891 he went to Mem
phis.
Became Ward Leader.
The rawb on ed, red-haired
youngster landed clerical employ
ment in a saddlery and, after
eight years. bought out the owner.
Meanwhile, he became interested
in politics and got to be a ward
leader in the growing cotton cap
ttal. He was elected to the city
council. In 1909 he ran for
mayor in a rough-and-tumble
campaign and. on the day he
won that race by 70 votes, he
became boss of Memphis.
Mr.. Crump was mayor for two
years, a Shelby County trustee
for eight years and ruled politics
with his iron hand. He moved
into State politics in the 1920s,
finally gaining control in a fight
with Luke Lea, publisher Of the
Nashville Tennesseean.
The boss got taste Of politics
in Washington in the early 1930s,
when he served two terms in the
House. But he never made a
speech in Congress. He did
manage, however, to get in a
wrangle with the late Senator
William E. Borah. The Idaho
Republican charged the Crump
Tennessee machine had been
distributing Red Cross flour in
exchange for votes. In a vehe-
ment denial of the charge the
"red snapper" accused the Sem
ator of a "dastardly falsehood."
When he returned to Memphis
he accepted various local Offices
from time to time, depending
upon his political whims. But
he steadfastly refused to come
back to Washington. He said
he quit Congress and term as
Democratic national committee
man because there was moth
ing alluring to make those long
trips"
He liked nothing better in a
campaign than to blister his op-
ponents with acid words.
THAT man would milk his
neighbor's COW through crack
in the fence" he snorted once.
"He lies by nature and tells
the truth by accident" was an
other sally.
When an opposition candi-
date once reviewed his early
record in a speech, the retort
from the boss was:
Even a buzzard is pure white
until he Is half grown"
Explains Success.
In 1912, his once red hair
turned gray, he had his own ex-
PLANTATION for political success.
It was:
"You must have some cour-
age, vision. real character and
honesty Of purpose, for as Lin
coin well said You can't fool all
the people all the time Any
man who practices the art of
deception may last a little while,
but he cannot last long"
He never took to the stump in
q State campaign and in later
years seldom appeared at purely
local political rallies. He made
himself heard through his we'll
trained lieutenants and through
statements and paid advertise
ments in the newspapers.
As evidence of the potency of
his rule, his organization boasted
that for years every Tennessee
official had been elected with it's
support, as had those of Mem
phis and Shelby County.
The boss answered his critics
who charged him with a lust for
power by saying that his sole
interest was in good government.
I'VE give Memphis good, hon.
est government" he said. "As
long as we do that we can stay
In. If we didn't, the people would
kick us out"
Early in Mr.. Crump's political
career, w. c. Handy, the father
of the blues" wrote campaign
song for the Crump forces. At