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Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been called "the last of the big city bosses" who controlled and mobilized American cities. Daley was Chicago's third consecutive mayor from the working-class, heavily Irish-American South Side neighborhood of Bridgeport, where he lived his entire life. He was the patriarch of the Daley family, whose members include Richard M. Daley, another former mayor of Chicago; William M. Daley, a former United States Secretary of Commerce; John P. Daley, a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners; and Patrick Daley Thompson, an alderman of the Chicago City Council.
Daley is remembered for doing much to save Chicago from the declines that other rust belt cities such as Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detroit experienced during the same period. He had a strong base of support in Chicago's Irish Catholic community and was treated by national politicians such as Lyndon B. Johnson as a pre-eminent Irish-American, with special connections to the Kennedy family. Daley played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F. Kennedy in the presidential election of 1960 and of Hubert Humphrey in the presidential election of 1968. He would be the longest-serving mayor in Chicago history until his record was broken by his son Richard M. Daley in 2011.
On the other hand, Daley's legacy is complicated by criticisms of his response to the Chicago riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and his handling of the notorious 1968 Democratic National Convention that happened in his city. He also had enemies within the Democratic Party. In addition, many members of Daley's administration were charged and convicted for corruption, although Daley himself was never charged with any crime.
Richard J. Daley in "Two Thieves"[]
Like everyone who lived and died on Earth, Richard J. Daley was resurrected on Riverworld in a healthy 25-year old body. He formed the city-state of Shytown along the River, ruling under his old title of "mayor". He soon developed a reputation as a sharp and crafty politician among the communities that neighbored Shytown.[1]
Shytown was down-River from a city-state called Bornu, which was populated predominantly by Africans, and ruled by Sultan Musa ar-Rahman. Neither town like or trusted the other; Daley disdained the black people of Bornu as shiftless and lazy, and living off their grails rather than working. It didn't help that people from Bornu would sometimes steal women from Shytown.[2]
Thus, when Alexios Komnenos, the ruler of Bornu's up-River neighbor, New Constantinople, approached Daley in the early morning hours about a joint attack against Bornu, Daley was intrigued.[3] However, Daley was canny enough to realize that Bornu was a good buffer between Shytown and New Constantinople. He proposed that not only would the grailstones of Bornu be divied up in advance, but that additionally, Daley would make Alexios his vice-mayor, while Alexios would make Daley the kaisar of New Constantinople. Thus, if one should "die", the other would immediately rule both city-states. Despite misgivings (including the fact that his own brother Isaac was already kaisar), Alexios agreed.[4] The two then got down to plotting the actual attack, which lasted until the next day.[5] Daley then arranged for Alexios's passage home.
The battle itself came not much later. Alexios' Rhomamoi swept over the border into Bornu at the same time the men of Shytown did down river. The more disciplined men of New Constantinople quickly overwhelmed the Bornu. Outside the royal palace, Musa himself challenged Alexios to the death. However, Musa was immediately attacked by Alexios, Isaac, and several others. Musa was killed, but Alexios allowed his surviving men to surrender. Not long after, the army of Shytown marched triumphantly into the capital.[6]
A week later, Alexios traveled to Shytown to be sworn in as Vice Mayor. While Alexios found the ceremony to be quite boring, he did enjoy the party afterward.[7] A few days after that, Daley traveled to New Constantinople and was sworn in as kaisar.[8] However, Alexios then announced that Isaac would be given the title of Sebastokrator, again insuring Isaac would be his true successor, and rendering the office of kaisar irrelevant and Daley powerless.[9] When assistant Father Boyle, translated what Alexios had announced, Daley immediately realized what had happened. After an initial outburst of anger, Daley grew amused by Alexios' cleverness, and, after pledging to create the position of Associate Mayor in Shytown, enjoyed the feast.[10]
References[]
| Political offices (OTL) | ||
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| Preceded by Martin H. Kennelly |
Mayor of Chicago April 20, 1955 - December 20, 1976 |
Succeeded by Michael A. Bilandic |
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