New-York tribune., 1885-01-05
THE CONTESTS AT ALBANY.
A CHANGE IN Mr.. HUBBELDS FAVOR.
HOW THE PRESIDENTS FRIENDS WE'RE INDUCED
TO WITHDRAW HIS NAME-EARLY GAINS BIZ
MIR. ERWIN.

ALBANY Jan. 4-The withdrawal of President
Arthur from the contest for United States Senator
enabled Mr.. Hubbell to-day to make considerable
of rally in his struggle with Mr.. Erwin for the
Speakership of the Assembly. The Presidents
friends do not speak of it as withdrawal" but
as a positive decllnaton to be candidate for Sem
ator One of them said TO day: "He never was
a candidate, and regarded the equivocal position
he occupied as a mistake but my judgment was
overborne by that of Others and as am the Presi.
dents friend stood by him. 1t was General George
H. Sharpe who put him there, and in my opinion
he made as bad mistake as he did
when he advised Roscoe COnkling to
run for Senator in 1881. Sharpe then
insisted that Conkling would be
reelected Senator by tho Legislature,
and he was one of the first to abandon Conkling
when the break came" The hostility to the Presi-
dent as a Senatorial candidate astonished his
friends last night 1t was detected as soon as the
canvass was begun for Mr.. Hubbell as the union
nominee for Speaker against Mr.. Erwin 1t hap
pened that all of Mr. Hubbells chief supporters-
John NJ. Davy, James ID. Warren George II. Sharpe
Ii. g. Burlelgh and Congressman Nutting-were
close personal friends of the President This cir-
cumstance led Mr.. Erwins friends to raise the cry
that Mr.. IIubbell was the Arthur candidate fer
Speaker. 1t was in vain after this that Messrs.
Davy, Sharpe Burleigh Warren and Nutting re-
piled that their support of Mr. Hubbel was disin-
tercsted and that he would ibe neutral among the
many candidates for Senator. No progress however,
could be made in TIubbelPs canvass. The Assembly.
men, especially those from the farming districts OK
the State which elected Blaine delegates to the Ma
tional Republican Convention, declared that their
Republican constituents believed that President Ar
thur had not done all he could to elect Blaine as
President. 1t would be political death for me-"
said one Asscmblyman. to vote for man for
Speaker suspected of favorlng the election OF tho
President as Senator" The same reply substan-
tally was made by Assemblymen who were ap-
preached by the managers OF Mr. Hu0Delfs cam
yass. Meanwhile Mr.. Erwin gained votes. Tho
st. Lawrence and Jefferson detachment went to
him. Several of Mr.. O'Neips supporters also gave
their pledges to Mr. Erwin. Some uncommitted
members, perceivIug a drift to Mr. Erwin, skipped
into that gentlemaus rooms and assured him OF
their fervent support. For an hour or so itseemed
as if all the opposition TO Mr. Erwin would coisapse,
and that he would be nominated by acclamation at
caucus on Monday.
WITHDRAWING THE PRESIDENT FROM THE FIELD
Toward midnight Mr.. Hubbclis supporters be-
came alarmed. and there a hasty consultation
of the Hubbe leaders. There present at thus
important conference General George IA. Sharpe,
Henry G. Burlegh. Theodore Roosevelt Francis A.
Hendricks, James ID. Warren James ;. Smart.
Andrew S. Draper. Speaker Sheard and several
Others. At it's very opening this unpleasant thlhs
was said to the Arthur men by a frank-speaking
gentleman: "You made Mr. Hubbel the union
nominee for Speaker, but weighted with President
Arthur's candidacy for Senator you have not been
able to lift pound Permit to point out in ALI
candor that if this is test of his strength as can
didate for Senator and think it IS an alsutcient
one, the quicker you withdraw hIm the better.
Furthermore, it is evident that Mr. Hubbeu can
make no headway'if he has to bear the burdeHof
President Arthurs candidacy. Mr. IiibbeiPs can
yass will tumble to pieces soon if something is not
done. Either the President had better be with
drawn from the Senatorship contest or Mr.. Hub
bell pulled out of the Speakersnip tight and some
other man be selected Perhaps we could make a
better fight yet with Mr.. ONeIL think we made
n mistake not to have taken either Mr.. O'Neill or
Mr. Curtis Then should have obtained seven
votes which we sadly need. There would then have
been none of this weight of President Arthur on
Mr. Hubbells neck"
Some few of the Presidents friends, notably
General Sharpe resisted. .withdrawing.hIm as caL-
ddate for Senator, but majority acknowledged
that there was no chance of electing him Senator.
One well-known Arthur man stated that the Presl-
dent was much more anxious to defeat Mr.. Morton
and the men who were backing him for Senator,
than he was TO become q candidate. This being the
case in his opinion the President would approve OK
their action if they should withdraw him as cam
didate for Senator and.thu strengthen Mr. HubbclL
If Mr. Erwin could be defeated, the Morton men
backing him would lose prestige as leaders aud
they would fud it more difficult task to
elect Mr. Morton as Senator. Some man agree
able to the President perhaps couh be
elected Senator After strenuous resistance from
~ las his cnuspnt Obtained 10
withdrawing the President as candidate IL was
midnight and but little time was left to give out
the news TO the world. Congressman Burlegh
rusbed out and found the newspaper core pond
ents Hurriedly he asked them to give publicity
to the fact that the President would not be
a candidate for Senator. " BE careful not 10 say,
he said THAT he withdraws from the contest.
He. of course cannot withdraw when he never
has been a candidate for Senator. But assure
Won that he has not been and will not be n candi-
date for United States Senator"
The Eru in men tried to insti skepticism as TO the
truth of the report into the minds OF the Assembly,
men when it went flying about the hotels IL was
said by them that Mr.. Arthur was as much candi-
date as ever for Senator and his friends would re-
introduce him as such If Mr.. Hubbell was elected
Speaker. To this John w. Davy replied: When
such close friends of President Arthur as george ii.
Sharpe Henry Il. Burlelgh, Andrew :. Draper ana
James d. Warren declare that lie is out OF the race
for the Senatorship think they can be beiievea.
1t would be impossible for them to put forward
tbe President again as candidate for Senator
after so public declaration"
A CHANGE IN Mr.. HuBBELLs FAVOR
President Arthurs withdrawal certainly stead
led the forces of Mr. Hubbell The semi-stanpede
to the Erwin camp ceased. thorough organl-
cation was perfected for Mr. Hubbeli. 10 lneo-
dore Roosevelt, Walter Howe, Robert A. Living
ston and William T. O'Nel was assigned the duty
Of receiving visitors at Mr. HubbelPs rooms, seeing
- !. Il al far Mr. uuhhcll.