Crack in a Keystone?

Keystone of the national Democratic structure is the party's organization in New York State. Line of cleavage of the State organization is between Tammany Hall, the New York City organization, and a more elevated element at present headed by Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. For months the local Republicans have been bombarding New York City's Tammany administration with charges which culminated in the indictment of Magistrate George F. Ewald, alleged to have bought his judgeship. Observers last week began wondering if the bombardment had started a crack in the national Democratic Keystone.

Governor Roosevelt ordered the current Ewald investigation only after much hesitation. He then instructed the Republican Attorney General to limit his special grand jury to the case in hand. Fortnight ago the jury, ignoring this restriction, sought to delve into rumors of a large-scale job-buying system in Tammany Hall. To be able to make more indictments, the jury wanted all witnesses to waive their Constitutional immunity from having their testimony used against them. Subpenaed and presented with immunity waivers to sign were John Francis ("Boss") Curry, chief of Tammany Hall, and the leaders of his 23 districts. Boss Curry hitherto had made scant front-page news; now he made it with a vengeance by storming out of the courtroom because he had been asked to waive his immunity. Cried he to newsmen: "I've been insulted!"

Seventeen of Boss Curry's subordinates, seven of them officeholders, also refused to waive immunity. In Albany, Governor Roosevelt was just saying in his first campaign speech: "If re-elected I will ask the Legislature to pass a law . . . that when a public official takes the oath of office he should wave immunity in reference to his official acts." The Press played up this sharp difference between the Governor and Tammany. The Republican gubernatorial nominee, Charles Henry Tuttle, who as U. S. District Attorney had instigated the Ewald and other metropolitan investigations, roared: "Will he [Governor Roosevelt] stand by his own grand jury or will he stand by Tammany Hall?" The Governor wrote Mayor James John ("Jimmy") Walker that officeholders must sign waivers and testify, or resign. Mayor Walker relayed this order to the seven Tammany leaders in the city's employ, threatened them with dismissal unless they obeyed. Next day at the Democratic State convention in Syracuse, Governor Roosevelt faced grim little Boss Curry, who had not been consulted about the letter to the Mayor. Indirectly it was a reproof to Curry, a hint that he, too, should sign. Last week he continued his refusal, said tersely: "No comment!" The seven officeholders, seizing a loophole left by the Governor's speech and letter consented to waive immunity only in reference to their official acts--no aid to the jury, which wanted to know how they came into office. Thwarted, the jury appealed to the Governor for wider powers. Last week, Boss Curry met with a group of notable Manhattan Democratic lawyers, including George Gordon Battle, Max D. Steuer, Samuel Untermyer, to form an advisory council for the State campaign. To the integrity of the national Democratic keystone, greater in importance than any such legal conferences are the personal relations between Governor Roosevelt and Boss Curry. Without Tammany's earnest support, Governor Roosevelt might well fail of reelection. Only a few cool words by Boss Curry, nothing overt and bitter, would be necessary to knife the Roosevelt vote mortally in the city precincts. Last week Governor Roosevelt received formal notice of his renomination at a ceremony in Manhattan. Boss Curry attended the ceremony, joined politely in the applause.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.