Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-27

on irregularly. Hearst is, therefore. the can
| didate of both democrats and Independence
League voters, and Tammany Hall is re-
lieved Of the menace of an independent
ticket for local offices. Bear in mind that it
has been charged all along that Hearst
agreed with Murphy not to nominate oppos-
Ing candidates for local Offices where Tam
many is vitality concerned.
| 1t was charged that such was the con-
sideration given for Murphy's support of
Hearst at Buffalo that the Independence
League zealots got beyond the control of
Hearst and nominated these opposing can
didates, whereupon Murphy flared up and
| threatened to knife nearst. Now the anti
| Hearst people are charging that this de-
| cision Of the court is lucky thing for
| Hearst, in that 1t relieves Tammany from
| competition and thereby takes Tammany
off his back. In some quarters wonder is
| expressed that Hearst's legal advisers were
| blind to the terms of the election law which
requires separate petitions, and that they
| allowed the composite petitions to be pre-
scented.
Dumped if Not Duped.
There is no doubt that the Independence
League fellows have been dumped. al
| though they may not admit that they have
| been duped. They went into the organi-
cation as a protest against the two old
parties. All that is left for them to do
under the decision is to vote for the state
alxak
| hated element of the most Objectionable
| old party. They cannot crack a single head
in Manhattan, bobbing up in the old
parties.
Anothe view point Of the case is that
| the decision relieves Murphy Of the neces-
sity of further trafficking with Hearst and
| unbinds his hands to enable him to knife
| Hearst If he desires. Yet there is another
| side to that proposition, and an important
| consideration. to wit: If Hearst should get
| more votes for governor under the scales,
| the emblem of the independence League
| than he received under the star, the en-
| blem Of the democracy, the law would
| declare him the choice of the league and
in the next election the Independence
| League would rank the democracy in con-
trolling election machinery, making it
1
| ton.
| Want to Get Bearings.
So 1t is argued by some that Murphy will
| have to make good and cast heavy vote
for Hearst under the star. It will be
| day or two before the independence League
enthusiasts-and 1 am speaking now en-
| tirely Of the rank and file, of that order,
away from the managers and incorpora-
/ tors-get their bearings in this tangle and
| shape their course. In the meantime, of
| course, the Hearst shouters are abusing the
decision and saying that 1t is evidence
I that even the courts are fighting the eff
forts of the independent vote to get away
I from the corporations and the old parties.
| Reports from up the state indicate a very
| mixed condition of sentiment. Both
| Hughes and Hearst are working on the la
| Dor vote and both getting returns. You
cannot figure on the proposition, however.
| 1t Is said that 60 per cent of the labor vote
| is democratic, anyhow, and that 1t is this
| 60 per cent which is making all the Hearst
| racket.
| Hughes Labor Friends.
| That is mere guess who can say where
| the line is drawn. Certain it is, however,
| that Hughes has friends among the labor
classes, as shown by his meetings, and that
he is constantly drawing the old-line dem
| ocrats to the republican ticket. Chairman
Woodruff of the republican state committee
| commented on the decision as follows: Il
have never been able to understand how
| anybody could be so careless as the Hearst
people were in the preparation of these Pc
titions, unless it was the deliberate inten-
ton to have them thrown out. Even as a
layman I realized that one petition would
~l.1,
assembly nominations. when the districts
were totally dissimilar. If had been man
aging the thing certainly would not have
permitted anybody I wanted to get on the
ballot to file his petition in this form.
Anybody ought to know that multiple
petition Is contrary to the law and prac-
tically certain to be declared Illegal 1t Is
a most extraordinary thing for five judges
on any bench to decide unanimously in a.
case of this kind. The unanimity of the
opinion would seem to make it pretty clear
that Clarence j. Shearn or whoever had
| charge of the preparation OF the petitions
must have known that they were illegal
| when they were put out"
What will be the political effect of the
courts decision?"
ION the surface of things it looks as If 1t
| would benefit the Hughes candidacy. A
great many people who will want to vote
the full Independence League ticket will
now be prevented from doing so, and will
have to choose between the republican and
the democratic ticket These men will be
inclined to vote for our candidate On the
other hand the whole thing has been SO
obviously illegal that there may be some
secret scheme back of it all which would
Offset this superficial advantage"
Mr.. Ihmsen's Statement.
Mr.. Max Ihmsen, Mr.. Hearst's chief
| manager. when shown Mr.. Woodruff 8
statement said: 1.-THE petitions have always
been made up in this way. The method
is not new. 1t was used in the Low cam
paEn and by the Citizens Union, and no
| question was ever raised. We will appeal
to the court Of appeals If time allows. The
course Of the republican counsel in putting
| technical stumbling blocks in the way
| shows that the republicans do not want the
question adjudicated. 1t Is plain to every
body that the effect of this decision is to
| render 1t practically impossible to put in
| dependent tickets in the field. If the de-
cision stands It will require 125 600 names
| hereafter to put up independent full