The Washington herald., 1907-08-31
MAYOR NEAR DEFEAT
MeClellan's Minority in Tam
many a Hopeless One.
FIGHTS IN EIGHT DISTRICTS
If He Wins in All or Them, He
Would Still WieId No Power in the
WigWam-HOW His Contest with
Murphy Locks, with Democratic
Primary Only Three Weeks Away.

New York. Aug. 3o.-With the primary
election little more than three weeks
away the Tammany faetional fight
known as the McClellan-Murphy war, has
narrowed down 10 contests for leadership
in eight Of the thirty-hve assembly dis
tricts. There Is a pending contest in an
other district, the Plunkitt- -AfcAIsnus feud
In the Eleventh. but that is purely per-
sonal and local. as both men train In the
camp Of Murphy.
In the sO-called Sullivan dlstrict-the
First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth,
Sixth, Eighth, and Tenth-which lie Who'll
ly or in part south Of Fourteenth street
and are controlled by Big and Little Tim
Sullivan. there are no contests. IN the
Seventh district. which lies on the lower
West Side. Peter J. Garvey. backed by
Big Bill Devery, is making a fight against
Frank J. Goodwin. the present leader.
Garvey is classed as a Mcclellan eandi-
date, but the average Tanlmany poll
tician finds it hard to figure out the fac
tional division there because Goodwin is
deputy commissioner OF water supply.
gas, and electricity under John H. O'Brieu,
and is apparently on good te-ms with the
city administration.
McManus Has Opposition.
W. J. Lee is making a fight for the
leadership against McManus Lee Is
classcd as a stalking horse for ex-senator
George Washington Plunkitt who was
defeated by McManus two years ago.
That fight is purely local and does not in
any way involve the Murphy Mcclellan
factions. Plunkitt is a sachem Of the
Tammany Society and close friend and
adviser Of Leader Murphy, while Nc
Manus Is a member in good standing OF
the executive committee OF the political
organization.
In the Thirteenth district Daniel Cough
lin, running as a Mcclellan candidate, IS
making a lively fight against Deputy
County Clerk John F. Curry.
The chief factional fights are in the
Sixteenth and Twentieth Assembly dis
tricts. Fire Commissioner Francis J.
Lantry, leader Of the Sixteenth, is an out
and-out supporter Of Mayor Mcclellan,
and is not in favor at the wigwam. J. J.
Hassett is the Murphy candidate against
him.
Real Fight in Twentieth.
Maurice Featherson. leader of the
Twentieth districs, is one Of the mayors
chief political managers and admirers and
IS not on speaking terms with Charles F.
Murphy. Tobias Greenbaum is the Muir
ply l7Rdidate against him. It is under
stood that strenuous efforts viii be made
to defeat both Lantry and Featherson.
In the Seventeenth and Nineteenth dis
/ tricts. where the Mcclellan candidates.
1 Williams and Aheara, won out last year,
the Murphy forces are not making any
/ fight this time. There IS a fight on n
/ the Twenty-seeond. where Michael Nor
ton, as Mcclellan candidate. viii try
to defeat W. II. SiHnOtt, the present
leader. who is a Murphy man.
/ IN the Twenty-third district there is a
/ three-cornered fight. Thomas z McAvoy.
the present leader. is champion OF the
/ Tammany executive committee. John J.
/ Do0ley and ex-Assemblyman r. II. Smith.
/ both running as Mcclellan candidates, are
/ opposing McAvoy. 1t IS understood that
/ they are really working together.
To Settle Old Feud.
| In the Thirteenth district the Nagle-
CoWan ugat IS on aSain' PeTclYai Magic.
I the Mcclellan man. won last year on the
/ face Of the returns, but his opponent,
John F. Cowan. who is president Of the
aqueduct commission, was admitted TO
membership in the executive committee.
They VIII fight it out at the primary this
year.
/ In the Thirty-first district, Isaac A.
! Hooper, running as a Mcclellan candi-
/ date, Is trying to regain the leadership
from W. J. Wright, the Murphy man,
who beat him last year.
There are no contests IN any Of the
other districts.
/ II the mayor should win IN ell districts
where there are contests he would not, with
/ his present district leaders, have more
than ten or twelve votes in the executive
committee, which would be helpless
minority.