The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-06
HILL IN The LEAD
IN The COMMITTEE
IN ONLY TEST OF STRENGTH
HIS FORCES OUTvOTED THOSE OF
MURPHY OF TAMMANY.

murphy CONTENDS, However, That
He Was Successful In Preventing
the Democratic Committee From
Declaring Its Preference for n
Presidential Candidate-state Com
ventiOn VIII Meet at Albany ON
April IS.
Albany, N. Y, March 5.LThe Demo-
cratic State Convention, which will Sc
lect delegates to the National Conven-
ton, will be held here Monday, April
IS. This was the unanimous decision
of the Democratic State Committee,
which met to-day.
The real result was arrived at be-
fore the committee met, at a meeting
between former Senator Hill and
Leader Murphy of Tamamny Hall. 1t
was believed that some acrimony would
result at the meeting over. the selec-
ton of the place and time, it being
known that Tammany desired to have
it held in New York, but Senator Hill
acceded to Mr.. Murphys request to
set the date for the 18th, instead of
the 18th, and Mr.. Murphy, finding
that Mr. Hill controlled a majority of
the committee, acquiesced in the Sc
lection of Albany. so that there was
no friction over the matter in open
committee.
1t is understood that the Kings
county delegation would vote with the
upstate delegates as against JTammany
on this single proposition had the
question been put to vote, thus giving
Mr.. Hill about 30 votes out of total
of so.
Hill Forces Won.
The only test of strength between the
force led by Mr.. Hill and Senator Nc
Carren of Brooklyn and that controll-
ed by Mr.. Murphy came on the cues
ton of seating Committeeman Fitz-
patrick of the Forth-eghth District,
whom the Hill forces claimed had re-
signed. The Hill forces obtained twen-
ty-six votes, a bare majority of the
committee, while Mr. Murphy got
twenty-three, there being one vacancy.
For~ the vacancy in the Forty-eighth
District, so declared Matthew Merzig
was named by the Hill men, and DR..
Auel by the Murphy men. On this ball
lot the Hill forces gained one vote,
giving them twenty-seven in all for
Merzig, who was elected.
There was an undercurrent Of fric-
ton between the two factions during
the discussion. and this found vent
afterwards in a statement prepared at
the request of Mr.. Murphy after the
adjournment of the committee. This
reads:
Statement From Murphy.
1T was hoped that the meeting of
the State Committee would be. the oc-
casion for a demonstration of Demo-
cratic harmony which would be an
~ nf
the state to bury all past factional
differences and present a united front.
The first indication of any breach in
the harmony was afforded when the
intimation was conveyed that the
State Committee would be asked at its
meeting to pass resolutions, if not of
Endorsement, at least Of confidence in
one Of the prospective presidential
candidates. The leader of the Demo-
cratic party in New York city, Mr..
Murphy, who has consistently believed
that the cause of the party would best
be served by a delegation to st. Louis,
left free to use it's own judgment, at
once declared that in his opinion, it
would be unwise at the early date to
PREJUDICE the issue by declaring for any
one choice. In the face of the ener-
getic opposition maintained by Mr..
Murphy, if it satisfactory to know that
the sounder judgment of the party
finally conceded the propriety of his
stand"
The statement points out that the
question of the date and place of the
convention was more a matter of the
convenience of the delegates than of
Importance in itself, and concludes:
This would seem to be the year
when Democratic success in state and
nation Is only dependent upon the
measure of Democratic harmony, and
when the question of the control of
party machinery might well await
favorable verdict from the people upon
our candidates and policies. which can
only be averted by our chickering's"