TAMMANY'S HOLD

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 33, 9 February 1933, Page 9

TAMMANY'S HOLD

CHAOS IN new yo_K_a

ABOLITION CAMPAIGN ,

(From "The Post's"'Representative.). r V NEW YOBK, 18th January. ; ; As New Yorkers ponder the chaojj. r left, behind after public opinion forced Mayor Walker into exile, the movement: • to rid the city'of Tammany, for ever is' gaining momentum. The city is bank-''* rupt, and carries- on from hand-to-moutW-as the-banks grant it financial accom-; modation, piecemeal, on receiving prac«; tical evidence of saving millions of dollars in public expenditure. .-"' There has been an election for Mayor^ at vvhich the Tammany:nominee,' Surrp . gate O'Brien, was chosen by the sheer;.. weight of Tammany influence at thepolls. Mr. O _rien may be expected todo no more and rio less than.the "boss* of/Tammany, Mr. John :F., Curry, or-'.; dams. The,feelings *of the people may:. be gauged from the fact that a quarter" of_a million voters voluntarily disfranchised themselves by writing-in •'.. ;th_f. name" of Acting-Mayor" "McKee, "ai-.." though, the Tammany Co _tiule_ that" he was not-, eligible for election.: ■-' The' initiative in the campaign fos the abolition of Tammany has already}'; been taken by Judge Seabury, counsel 1' for the Commission which, having sat; for over a.year, disclosed-how'inißions of dollars Lad gone in graft and .corf. rnption, _ line with the best traditions of Tammany corruption in the past. Judge Seabury proposes the abolition of Tammany boards,-public service.--and. precincts, and their replacement; by the election of.. a single muni«\' cipal council by proportionate representation. He'points out that the Boardoff Aldermen in New York is to-day, composed of 64 Tammany men and ona Republican. Judge Seabury proposes that tha election be carried opt "by..boroughs,, and not "at large," as atpresent,;___'•. • that, aldermen be elected; on. a non-par•- ---■ tisan ballot, without party designation 1 or party .emblems. He would have the' Mayor and City. Controller nominated by petition, so as to. eliminate politic- r in the' party; nominations. -He' holds: that there are no party issues- in municipal election. He would apolisli borough: presidents and their retinue's* '' He wouldselect a Civil Service Commis_t sion o_si_" the. pale' of "politics,/ • would forbid officers taking part/"--la./ municipal politics. ■-. '-? V-VV-';..' Tammany, will fight to the last _tc-=\ to prevent" such a referendum as is; proposed, knowing that the temper. _*~■■ the people is such that the "Wigwam/ which, has sheltered: /corruption for si century,-would go down before, thai-' waves of reform. X* Tam6iany.loses.: control of the. election and. primary;-, machinery, it is a spent force. Mean-. time, depression stalks abroad in the . city, and is a doughty ally in the cause); of cleansing the civic ■ administration* One is not optimistic enough to -hope. ■ that the death of. .Tammany is at handj. but the crisis ' has certainly: _ beeai ••reached. ..■_.//./ . -;.'',-,.-:.: