The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-09
MAYOR BACK FROM EUROPE.
,ovFJDENT THAT JEROME rs TEE
STRONGEST CANDIDATE.
xductant to Discuss POuuCs-Dcnles That
He Predicted M He'd Head . Dele.
ration 10 BunalO or said That the
mi Rule would he Broken There.

Aayor Mcclellan, after spending an
.l.ven weeks vacation abroad; returned
-ssterdav on the American Line steamship
9, Paul. At his own request his arrival
x.s not marked by any demonstration.
posides the reporters the only persons who
w.rt down the bay on the revenue cutter
90 meet him al Quarantine were Frank M.
O,Brien and William A.. Willis, his secre-
,sries. At the pier there were several city
oAscals and friends waiting to welcome
him home, but there was nothing in tho
.hape of a demonstration.
One of those On the pier was President
ucGowan OF the Board Of Aldermen, who
has been the Acting Mayor during Mr..
NcC1ellan's absence, and his greeting Of
The Mayor was of the sincerest character.
We told the Mayor he was genuinely glad
70 see him back. Mr.. MCGOWAN said that
while the idea Of being Mayor for even a
brief space seemed attractive TO him at the
start he was glad to get rid Of the job.
Msyor McClellan's trip abroad has been
beneficial to him. When he went away
he was badly run down. but comes'back
looking exceedingly well. When the re-
porters boarded the st. Paul at Quarantine
last night Mr.. Mcclellan was willing to talk
Of how he passed some pleasant and restful
weeks in Germany and Of the enjoyable
visits he had made to London and Paris,
but an attempt to get from him comment
On the local and State pc Etical situations
ended in failure.
Mr.. Mcclellan explained that he had not
kent himself in touch with the political
affairs here while he was away, and that
until he had made himself acquainted
with the Developments that had taken
place during his absence he would say moth
ing. He intimated, however, that he might
have something interesting to say to-mor-
row when he resumes his duties at the
City Hall.
When the subject Of politics vas preached
he said 1T is useless to ask me any ques-
tons bearing on political conditions here,
because | know absolutely nothing about
the situation existing here now except
what / read in the foreign papers, and il
tomeo Of the interviews these papers printed
as coming from me are to be taken as a
criterion Of the accuracy OF the new they
published I think ! will wait for a day or so
before making any comments on the po-
htical situation
Mr.. Mcclellan was told that one Of those
interviews which were cabled from Paris
quoted him a. saying that ne was in favor
Of the nomination of District Attorney
Jerome.
What ! said with regard to Mr.. jerome
was correct ly quoted in the despatch to
The Son. Mr.. Mcclellan replied. Some
Of the Paris papers had me down as saying
many things which did not come from me,
but what | really said was that Jerome
would he the strongest candidate before
the convention and before the electorate.
said and say row that he has made an
excellent fight in the peoples interest for
decent politics. l think the people Of the
State want him as a candidate for Governor,
and IL he is nominated he will make a splen-
did fight"
You were also quoted as saying hat you
would lead a delegation to the Democratic
State convention at Buffalo" Mr.. Mcclellan
vls told.
I said nothing of the kind" Mayor
Mcclellan said emphatically. ~The pri-
maries have not yet been held and who
knows who will be selected az the delegates
to the State convention. l understand
also that l was made to say that the unit
rule would not prevail at the convention so
FAR a. the delegates from this city were con-
cerned. The reporters in Paris asked me
II the unit rule would be put in force. /
told them that there was nothing in the
primary law that provided for the unit rule,
and that while it usually prevailed at
national conventions, these conventions
were informal and of an ~extra-legal char
acter.'
Mr.. Mcclellan added that while the unit
rule in State conventions was a custom
when it was decided upon by a majority
Of a delegation, an individual delegate was
not necessarily bound to act with the
majority.
Charles F Murphy has said that the
unit rule will be followed by the Tammany
delegates il was suggested to MI. Nc
Celan.
Mr.. Murphy probably had in mind the
methods put into force at national con-
Ventions, the Mayor answered smilingIy.
Since the Mayor went away IL has been
sald by some Of his friends that II was his
purpose to prevent any possibility Of the
iammany delegates being pledged to Will
IAN K. Hearst, and that in order to carry
out that purpose he would exert his in
nuence to the defeat at the primaries OF
me Murphy candidates for leaders of the
new Assembly districts. IL has beer re-
ported, moreover, that so strongly did the
Mayor feel in the matter and 30 decided
was his opposition to the policy Mr.. MUIR
pny is following that he would meet fire
With fire, even to the extent Of removing
some OF the oficeholders who are support
ing Mr.. Murphy in his desire TO throw the
iammany delegation to Hearst.
II has been reported that when you
understand now the local political situA.
uon stands you are likely to make severa
removals in the mex week or two" wa
Asuggestion made to Mr.. Mcclellan.
That is always a possibility; the powe
!" removal ia absolute" was the only satis
faction the reporters got from the Mayor.
The Mayor declined to reply to any in
Iuiries concerning his relations with Mr.
Murphy OF Of his feelings toward the Tam
many hall leader. One Of the group arounc
tne Mayor on the steamer last night began
II Mr., Murphy should com out openly
I0r Hearst will you" Whereupon tn