MURPHY, Charles Francis, American politician: b. New York, 20 June 1858. He le ceived a public school education, and early in life began to take an interest in politics. As organizer and member of the Sylvian Club and through his fame as an athlete he gained a wide personal acquaintance. He opened a series of saloons which he held to be practically poor men's clubs. He showed decided talents as a political organizer and in 1891 became the Tammany leader of his assembly district. In 1897-1901 he was a commissioner of docks and ferries in New York, served for a time as chairman of Tammany Hall and on the retire ment of Richard Croker in 1902 succeeded him as chief. In 1903 and 1905 he led his party to victory in the mayoralty campaigns, which elected George B. McClellan as mayor. In 1904 Murphy opposed the nomination of Alton B. Parker for the Presidency and in 1906 sup ported William R. Hearst for governor, the latter's defeat being regarded as a severe de feat for Murphy. In 1909 the Tammany Hall nominee for mayor, W. J. Gaynor, was the only successful candidate on the Democratic ticket, the Fusionists having captured the remaining offices. Many thought that this reverse would compel Murphy's retirement, but to the despair of the political prophets he continued as chief. In 1910 the election of John A. Dix to the governorship was supposed to be due to Murphy's influence with the up-State Demo crats and that as a result his power had become paramount in the Democratic party throughout the State. The succeeding years brought sharp
criticism to Tammany and its leader because of several scandals regarding highway and canal contracts. Boss rule now became a State issue and his opponents held up Murphy as an ex ample of everything vicious in the boss system. This, however, came with a bad grace from Republicans, themselves the most notorious up holders of the system. In 1912 Murphy sup ported Wilson after the nomination of the lat ter although he favored Harmon and Clark in the early stages of the convention. He was a presidential elector the same year. In State politics it appears that Murphy took little part in the nomination of Sulzer; friction developed after election and Tammany was by many be lieved to have been the real factor in the im peachment and removal of Sulzer in 1913. The mayoralty campaign of 1913, in which Edward E. McCall was the Tammany nominee, was ex ceedingly bitter, and Murphy was violently as sailed by the Fusionists. He remained im perturbable, however, and retained the position of chief despite the defeat that year and that in the gubernatorial contest of 1914. In 1917 the Tammany candidate for mayor, Judge Hy lan, was elected by a great majority and Murphy's leadership continued unimpaired. Mr. Murphy's philanthropies are extensive, but he refuses to have his charitable activities advertised, and this side of his character is known to comparatively few persons.