New-York tribune., 1907-09-14
r0NNERS FEELS SECURE
CUIRH4N PLANS RUSE.
1UouId Nominate Judges ahead OF
Republicans.
tBy Telegraph to The Tribune !

fEy Telegraph The Tribune
Albany, Sept 13.-Accordlng 10 Tlehus u
,4-;17iar, : ("Ffngey') Corners, he Is no" III d
,s;-ion 10 defy any threats that may be maze
= ,7epose him from the chairmanshlp OF the
,,a-,ocratic State Committee at It's next meet
- and in order TO show his contempt Tor the
Us - a undermine him that have been made
- senator McCarren and Patrick E McCaoe
- ra5oubtable '-Fingey'' is planning TO call the
,+,r- of the committee here in Albany, the
- If ArcCabe Not only this. but he is con-
,ao-;,, forcing the committee to test vote
=, so,,,a question that will make it necessary
e. :. n come out fatty fer or against Con-
ners. ,,,
The state chairman has been remarkably
.c+i,e this summer in getting around the sIa'e
Az result Of his efforts friends OF Conners
ora predicting that he could control the commit
zee bv : vote of no less than 33 TO Is. and pos
sibly might get even one more vote Oh diS
nronostion looking TO Conners's retirement
T,a-,oorats have heen expecting a call for the
state committee 10 he issued almost any day
Gov several weeks. From those close 10 him
;t has heen learned. however, that he believes II
will be a great stroke Of craftsmanship to wait
until the date for the meeting of the RepuoIlcah
State Committee has been announced, ana II Is
one of the ambitions of ''Fingey' to be accused
or even suspected, of some deed OF real states
uanship. This is the way he looks at H. as
explained TO some OF his friends: The coming
meetings Of the state committees are Tor lhe
nomination of two judges for the Court Of APP
meals There is q strong sentiment among law
,-ers throughout the state that Judges Willard
Bartlett and Edward T Bartlett should be NOM
mated There is a prevailing impression that
the Republican State Committee viii 90 TINS
Now. Conners il is understood, thinks that II the
Democratic State Committee could get in hrst
and nominate the Bartlettes. they could put the
Republicans in the position Of following the
Democratic lead or else, by nominating other
candidates. Of going contrary TO widespread
sentiment
So it is that Conners intends 10 wait until the
call for the meeting Of the Republican State
Committee has been issued. Then he will call his
committee together a day or two ahead of the
Republicans There would be just one feature
about the nomination Of the Judges Bartlett that
would be distasteful 10 Conners- That is, it
might be looked on as a McCabe-McCarren VIC
tory. as that faction favors such course But
possibly plan may be devised for a test vote
on some proposition before the nominations
come I'D. Then Conners. having demonstrated
his control Of the committee. might put through
the nomination of the judges But Conners'
his friends say is not irrevocably pledged 10
this course. He is giving some consideration
TO the claims of an Ogdensburg lawyer who has
made a reputation as a District Attorney EN-
Judge Denis O'Brien, who retires for age repre-
sents the northern tier of counties He Is also
e Roman Catholic Conners believes that the
demand on the part of some for a Catholic from
the Northern Tier as a successor TO ex-Judge
O'Brien should receive consideration.
Since the close OF the extra session OF the
LEGISLATURE Conners has been quietly circulating
around the state, meeting the leaders and being
-l,o of At
it is said, the ''opulent' chairman has generally
paid He was in Syracuse on Wednesday and
Thursday going over the situation with the lead
ers attracted to that city by the State Fair He
lost no opportunity to place himself in the lime
light To those in his confidence he explained
how he thought the state committee would
stand as q result OF the canvass made by him
and his Heutenants. According to his figures,
McCarren and McCabe have only seventeen sure
votes out of fifty-one. In addition to their own,
the Brooklyn leader and Albany statesman can
count on the seven other Brooklyn members
of the committee, Maurice Featherson. the anti
Murphy leader Of New York City; Francis J..
Molloy, of Troy; John Anderson, Of Essex
County: George Hall. of St Lawrence County;
John W Potter, Of Oneida County; Daniel Shee-
han. Of Elnlira; c. J. HusOn, OF Yates County,
and Fletcher c. Peck. of Livingston. This makes
seventeen out Of ffty-one. On just what side Of
stand is uncertain. J o. Bennett, Of Cattaraugus,
is also somewhat doubtful. but probably would
go for Corners. The state chairman believes
that Charles y. Bulger, of Oswego. is prepared
70 stand by the side that wins. So Conners does
not figure how he could possibly get fewer than
thirty-three votes. 1t has been reported to him
that eTnissaries Of the McCarren- McCabe faction
have not been idle during the summer; but they
have not had the patronage and, lacking this.
have not been able to produce any convincing
arguments for their side II is understood that
the Mcclellan administration has held out TO
Judson A Belts. Of the Greene Ulster district
rewards Of patronage from the great work Of the
New York City Water Department In the Cats
kills But Mr. Belts is still with Conners, ac-
cording to the latter's friends.
Il is easy TO explain the strength Of Corners
among the state committeeman. For instance
{. P Williams. of Lyons. is a Deputy Attorney
General; Stephen Ryan, Of Chenango. is a Dep
uty Superintendent of Good Roads; G. W. Bat
ten, Of Lockport, is Deputy State Treasurer. In
addition TO this, the patronage controlled by
etate Engineer Skene has been powerful fac
ror for Corners Kennedy, Burgard and Mer-
zig, other members Of the state committee from
Erie, are willing to play to Conners now because