New-York tribune., 1906-10-08
D[LEMMA FOR HEARST.
KNIFE READY IN ERIE.
roass.rorth Demands Elimination of
I,oeue Ticket---Shearn Weakening.
fRy Telegraph to The ribun..l


punalo. Oct THE fate of William Randolph
r,oovst so far as the vote in Erie County IS
,,arned is being settled here tonight and
g can be stated now that. although a conference
which has been in progress at the Iroquois
,soteI since early this afternoon is not yet over
uearst is bound to lose thousands of votes
which heretofore were counted as sure for him.
That will happen, irrespective of what the results
of the conference are
The situation is clean cut. 1t hinges on a
demand Of the Democratic county organization
through its chairman, Edward E. Coatsworth,
that the Independence League ticket nominated
IN this county shall be eliminated and that the
only county ticket shall be the ticket of the
Democratic organization. Backing Mr. Coats
worth in this demand were the three Demo-
cratic State committeeman Norman E. Mack
Democratic national committeeman. all the can
ddates the Democratic ticket and a score
or so OF vote-getting Democrats including MANY
prominent labor men.
To-days conference was held by arrangement
with Mr.. Hearst just before he left Buffalo last
night. Mr. Hearst placed the entire matter in
the hands OF Clarence j. Shearn and Mr. Shearn
has been holding a session with Democratic or
ganization leaders ever since o'clock this af-
ternoon. Late tonight no settlement had been
reached but il was reported that Shearn who
first inclined TO side with the Independence
League. was weakening. and that he now IA
rored reporting TO Mr.. Hearst that the local In
dependence League ticket should be eliminated.
Not a single representative of the league was
with Mr.. Shearn while the negotiations were in
progress
Mr. Coatsworth Informed Mr. Shearn that if
the Democratic organizations demand was
granted. the organization would remove three
Assembly candidates from the Democratic ticket.
These men are Assemblyman Keyes, who voted
against the Murphy recount bill; Supervisor
John H Mallon. former saloonkeeper. and
John Meyer. a saloonkeeper. But Coatsworth
thus far has not been able TO get the consent
Of these three TO get off the ticket. All have
rebelled. Malon saw Shearn personally and de-
cared that no local Independence League man
was in a position 10 criticise him.
II hold protested checks or unpaid bills
against all Of them but one" said Mallon- And
that one took the Keeley cure. or he. too. prob
ably would be owing me something"
Democratic State Chairman w ]. Conners
who took part in the conference, admitted 10
shearn that Andrew Kilgalon, the Democratic
nominee for County Clerk, was not the man ne
would pick for that office.
But Kilgallon's record is clean" said Con-
ners. and I'll support him. It's true L was
against him when he ran for County Treasurer
few years ago. and that said padlocks would
have 10 be put on the City Hall if he were
elected, but was mistaken. and I'm going to
support him now"
In the past Conners has made vicious attacks
On KugalIon, and also on John E. Meyer, former
Supervisor the nominee for Superintendent Of
me Poor
II the Democratic organization wins out In its
demand ali these things will be brought out
with injurious results to the Democratic ticket.
The Democrats were planning to make an anti
graft campaign here, but some of their own cam
oidates were mixed up in graft Investigations,
and this will weaken the effect Of such cam
paign
There 1900 members of the Indepen-
denee League in Erie County. and if their ticket
is eliminated every one of them will be disgrun-
tied, and Hearst viii lose heavily a conse-
quence. Should the League ticket remain in the
field the Democrats will knife Hearst. So it ap-
pears That, whatever happens. Hearst is ahso-
luely certain Of losing Erie County, and neither
the Independence League nor the Democratic
county ticket win here.