New-York tribune., 1908-08-14
HUGHES, SAYS CANVASS
4 SHARKEY CONVINCED
Brooklyn Leader Finds go Per Cent
of Regulars Want Him.

r,.,utv County Clerk Robert A Sharkey. for
Naval officer, leader Of the 9TH District in
Us predicted yesterday the denomination Of
governor Hughes
W. sharkey has been the leader OF the 9Th
-ss.ract for about twenty years. and served two
..--s es Naval Officer. He has just received
: turns from postal card canvass Of three
lection districts in his Assembly district. which
,-sicate an overwhelming sentiment in favor of
-. denomination of the Governor
- edition 10 the returns from election dis
--sc-s in his own Assembly district. Mr. Sharkey
h+.ined Yesterday the figures in a similar can
,-ess conducted in the adjoining 23d Assembly
T,,,+-,ct. represented by Assemblyman Reuben
: gsskel The percentages are so similar that
,r- shsrkey is convinced that 90 per cent of
= enrolled or organization voters in his As
..-,,, district are in favor of the denomination
of the Governor
The postal cards sent out had a double line
as follows:
u am in favor of the denomination of Gov
ernor Hughes
q am not in favor of the denomination OF
. Governor Hughes
On the card was printed request to cross
out the word not if the recipient favored the
denomination Of the Governor While Mr..
sbsrkey does not regard the canvass as abso-
Inf
In the 18th Election District of the 5th As
s.r,blv District $50 postal cards were sent out
In 10 date l03 replies have been received. show
srr OF for the denomination of the Governor and
y against. Mr- Sharkey struck with the
recurrence Of the family name of six Of those
who recorded themselves against the renomina-
ton. and on inquiry discovered that all six were
related 10 4 sheet writer working for a book
maker The sheet writer had lost his S12
day job st the track and the entire family IS
On the warpath against the Governor.
In the 18th Election District of the 9Th As
ssmbly District $50 cards We're sent out OF
The returns thus far received T5 for the
denomination Of the Governor and II against
In the 10Th Election District 125 cards were
sent out. The signed cards show that Sc are
for the Governors denomination, with II against
and one blank.
In the 18th Election District OF the 23d AS
senbly District. adjoining the 9th on the Canar-
sic side, lis cards were mailed and 139 re-
turned. OF these. $50 are for The denomination
Of the Governor and against.
The returns as far as received are a surprise
to me" said Mr.. sharkey yesterday TO a Trib-
une reporter. Il do not commend many Of the
things the Governor has done. 1 do not under
stand why he cannot without loss of dignity
prestige work in harmony with the leaders OF
the organization which nominated him and has
supported him But that is not the main point
under consideration at this time. The thing
the party is concerned mainly about now is the
success Of the national and state tickets.
Z put the national ticket ahead Of the state
ticket for obvious reasons. 1t is vastly i'm
portant that elect Taft and Sherman In
saving this DO not for minute underestimate
the need Of carrying the state as well We GER
tsinly need 10 win all along the line. I am not
what you might call Hughes man, but be-
leve II is the business of the organization lead
ers TO try 10 find out what the people want and
then jump in and work hard trying to give 1t TO
them. This may be called keeping an ear to the
ground. but believe it is sound politics
The cards were sent 10 the enrolled Repub-
ncans-the so-called organization men. Consid-
ering that so many are away on their vacations
the responses have been significant and gen
erous. Some OF the replies came from voters
temporarily in the White Mountains. in Maine
and in the Catskills. Cards are coming in all
the time The replies uniformly about
90 per cent in favor OF the Governors renOmina-
uon. Now. if that is fair test Of the senti-
ment among the organization Republicans, is it
not fair assumption that among the unenrolled
RepubIioans-the Republicans who vote moro
Independently than the enrolled organization
men-the preference for Hughes is even more
pronounced?
There vas q good deal of doubt in my mind
before began this canvass about the drift Of
sentiment in my district, but there is no longer
any doubt. When the campaign gets going. the
so-called organization men now opposed TO the
denomination Of the Governor Will swing into
hne almost without exception, and at that time
unless I am mistaken, the independents will he
almost Bolidly in favor Of Hughes.
Il DO not any longer regard the denomination
OF the Governor q doubtful thing am GER
tain that i viii come, and believe we shall
carry the state. In coming out for the Gov
ernor I certainly DO not wish TO appear in the
light Of one opposing State Chairman Woodruff
and others in command Of the state committed
Mr.. Woodruff and his friends have a hard task
ahead OF them, and need the support OF every
district leader. As soon as the nominations
made II is our duty to stop Quarreilins among
ourselves and swing into line for the ticket
e whole
We shall need all the votes we can muster.
From what I can hear Bryan IS strong in the
Middle West. and may carry some of the Re
publican states there. We must make sure Of
Deatlng him by carrying this state and other
doubtful states In the East The duty OF the
1ne rank and file. and SO far the Governor
snip Is concerned I am persuaded that the
party as a whole is overwhelmingly in favor
O the denomination of Hughes
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