TAMMANY’S NEW LEADER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12999, 15 December 1902, Page 5

TAMMANY’S NEW LEADER.

Charles Francis Murphy, now loader oil Tammany Hall, has an' individuality which lias won lor him distinction, first in athletic contests and now in political life (saysj an American paper). He has fought, wrestled, rowed and swam his way into popularity, as it were, and from the driver of a street oar has finally become the dictator of a political machine so vast in-its proportion® that he who controls it must! necessarily stand within the glare of publicity. There is nothing of a distinctive nature in regard to the new leader of Tammany’s personality out of the ordinary, other thanl that be has at all times during his life dis-i played a quality of eventually, winning. Even in his boyish days andl ini the con-' fines of the playground, as it were, M brooked no opposition. His say so had to) be supreme. Anyone disputing it was invited by the boy to fight it cut, for supreme acy.••He was successful even ini small un j dertakings, and when it came to a question of strength’ in contest, the greater the! struggle, the more vigorously the boy PUT FORTH EFFORT TO WIN.

His friends in New York City are legion.. Rough, and uncouth though his early lift was, yet his personality was such, as to e'n.gender a fediug of admiration, and all during his career from Roach’s shipyard, where he first worked, until his -defeat cl Devery the other day, he has been fortunate in holding the admiration of those who gave credit to his pluck, energy and determination.

Charles Francis ■ Murphy is one of al family of eight. Dennis Murphy,' his father, an Irishman, who died recently at the age of eighty-eight, and whose strong boast was-that he had never spent- an idle mo-meri-t in his life, transmitted to this son a character and a physical bearing .which have contributed much towards the latter’s success. Dennis Murphy was a poor man,; but nevertheless he resolved to sufferpri-i vation in- order, that he might be able tot. permit bis children to obtain a fair education. ■ ~ • ' - ’ ■

The present leader of Tammany Hall, 1 after enjoying what benefit could be derived from a common school course, went to work in Roach’s shipyard. His physical' strength was great, and at that time His ambition was to 'obtain distinction as a) ship caulker. This shipyard has been, famous by reason of'the fact that it was the training school where;many a boy Who af-‘ terwards became famous.in.politics ini New York obtain ed his first employment. Murphy soon became a leader in, the shipyard, even as he has obtained leadership in political life. Ho fought bis way to success as a boy, and he has been, fighting in a political sense during the. years ■ of (his manhood. VICTORY HAS CROWNED HIS EFFORTS IN DOTH INSTANCES. He is an athlete, and l his physical strength and agility probably had much to do with his success in later years. At the age of seventeen he formed lyhiat is known as the “ Sylvian Social Club,” Which was actually tie nucleus of the Tammany Hall organisation in the district in which he'lives, and as it stands to-day. Within 1 that club Murphy organised a baseball team called the “ Senators,” he being catcher and captain and the best player in thei team. One of the members l of the team was Edward Hagan, afterward Tammany leader for the eighteenth assembly district, and the man who, on his death bod, bestowed upon his life-long friend (Murphy) the position he had so long held. ' Within this organisation, both in a, social and athletic) sense, Murphy’s word was law. Ha bee came a hero in the eyes of the boys of bhet neighbourhood owing to the prowehs l that lila exhibited. Whatever ho undertook, he did well and even in the baseball field h.d won a distinction which was of more than passing moment. Finally ho abandoned the shipyard and through political influence'got a job bn the front platform of a Blue Line car running from Twenty-third Street ferry down Avenue “A,” across Eighteenth Street, across Broadway to Hoboken ferry. While engaged in this occupation he was known as “ Silent Charlie.” He listened as other men talked and from what he heard, he reasoned. He was true in the interest he displayed towards his employer, never missing a trip, sober in his habits and ALWAYS ON GOOD TERMS WITH HIS ASSOCIATES. In 1879 the man who was destined to be a political power in New York city rented a little two-storey building on the north side of Nineteenth Street and installed there the headquarters of the “Sylvian Social Club t ” at the. same time conducting a saloon. There it was that Murphy became a politician. Realising in 18808 that the organisation of which he was the founder had become a powerful factor and that his friends could be counted by the hundreds, he resolved to enter the political arena. A circumstance contributed to make his entry a successful .one. At the time Chester, A. Arthur was beginning his political career, which finally terminated in the White House, Barney Biglin was the Republican leader of the twentieth assembly district in New York and was a leader of the Harlem. Boat club. He and his three brothers boasted that they could out-

row any other four men in the city. Murphy, among other feats of skill, was an adept in the art of rowing. He sought out some other companions, challenged-; Biglin and defeated him.. The race at ,the time created intense excitement in the city and was the subject of the wagering of much money. • Edward Hagen was at that time leader of the Democracy of the assembly district in which Murphy lived, and as the strength of the young man was apparent, often sought his advice, until finally, they became fast friends. This advice resulted at one time in Hagen running independent when .opposition was brought to bear on Ids nomination. Murphy did all the planning ; Hagen did .all thfe talking. “ How much money do you want?” would inquire Hagen, and the latter, who had no conception of the value of money, would ask'for such amounts as caused Murphy to smile when he thought of the days during which h«. ' '' ■ WORKED ON THE FRONT END OF A . STREET oar. , .. vCS-'"' Again, in 1884, the former shipyard boy showed the power he could control politically when Bpinola was nominated for the State Senate. It became a - question whether he should indorse him or oppose him. Murphy maintained that he had once voted against ,thc Tammany ticket, but would never do so again’. His action in this matter insured the candidate’s election. . When Henry. George precipitated., him-j self into the campaign of 1896 Hagen was ( virtually leader of Tammany in that par- ( ticular district, but he was not the leader j destined to survive. Too impulsive and, generous, not careful of his personal habits, his supremacy would not have amounted to much had it not been the astute Murphy, a philosopher in his way, absolutely abstemious in his habits, and one who knew just what a dollar would buy, who listened as other men talked and said nothing, stood behind him. In fact, Murphy was just such a man as Croker was before Choker began talking very much. It might bo said tha: these two men, the former leader .andl th , present one of'Tammany Hall, are strikxnGEy-' similar in many char^c- ; TERISTICS, .. with the exception possibly that Croker, in his young days, had a more rugged-rexperi-ence than had Murphy. With the election of Van . Wyck as Mayor of Hew York, came the ambition of Murphy to hold office, accepting as he did the position of dock commissioner. Incidental to the acceptance of this position, he disposed of the four saloons which he at that time owned. There is much speculation as to whether he afterwards “ recovered ” this property, as they were distributed among the friends and relatives. At- the time he accepted office under the Van Wyck administration, ‘‘Silent Charlie-’ was reputed to be worth 400,000d01. This he had accumulated from a capital of 500dol saved by his work in the shipyard eighteen years before. At the present time it is maintained that this new leader of Tammanv is worth at least 1,000,000d01. There is* a diversity of opinion as to how he has been able to accomplish this financial result. He was subjected to inquiry by the Mazet Committee, but their efforts were futile. When the Tammany ticket was defeated a year ago Murphy determined' toifiecome its leader. He went after the nojnlitation in earnest. His intimate friendship'-with all the leaders, from “;’I i im down, j made his success mofei.thah'probables Of course be bad

EN’MITX SHOWN IN, SOME DIRECTIONS, ■but, as characteristic of the man and. even the boy, his only reply to whatever aspersions were cast upon his candidacy was, “Why not I for leader?” . , • The now leader* of '.Tammany. Hall has a pleasant personality,? While- a ; poor talker, the influence: of the man .himself,- yyith. the calm, listening habit that he has,"so' impresses one that one is readily attracted. As an example of the man’s make-up, he has been known to say that the proudest moment of his life, irrespective of political influence or financial affluence, was when he was able, several years ago, to purchase a home for his parents. This leader of a great organisation and victor in a strong fight for supremacy is a charitable man. Thq poor of his district have reason to acknowledge the kindly spirit which prompts him: to relieve distress when brought to his notice.