The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-29
New York Democrats Have Not Decided Upon Head
 of the State Ticket
NO SLATE WILL BE MADE
 FOR THE CONVENTION
Tammany Has No Candidate Picked Out, While Elimination of Gay nor Leaves the Matter
 Very Open

Rochester, N. Y, September 2S.-The man who will head the democratic { state ticket this year had not been chosen when the leaders concluded their conferences tonight but Chair man John A. Dix of the state commit tee who last week gave official i'm petus to the Gaynor boom by declar- ing that upstate sentiment tended strongly in that direction. said before he went to bed that he found among the delegates "the undercurrent of feeling" toward Edward M. Shepard.
 "As the delegates come" said MT. Dix, "they naturally drift to my head Y quarters. make no predictions and I have no candidate. I do not presume for the convention but if you ask me what I find to be the undercurrent of feeling I shall say that it moved to- ward Mr Shepard"
 After mentioning MT. Shepard's name the state chairman was asked what his attitude was on certain published crit cisms of Mir. shepard's alleged con nection with the American Sugar Re- fining company in an advisory legal ca pacity. nave utdfQ tIdt CIitlclSil, IepllSQ MT. Dix, but has it occurred to you that MT. Stimson himself Is not in- vulnerable in the same spot? He served in the office of Senator Root when the Metropolitan Street railway char ter was drafted"
 MT. Shepard or those who watched for him did not fail to. hear of this suggested attack and presently there issued from his headquarters the fol- lowing:
 Defense of Shepard
 "The statement that MT. Shepard drew up the sugar trust deed is ab- solutely without foundation. It was drawn by John E. Parsons in conjunc- tion with Elihu Root some years be- fore MT. shepard's partnership with MT. Parsons commenced. MT. Shepard was then associated with the late AL bert Stickney in the firm of Stickney & Shepard. Several years afterward in 1890 MT. Shepard became junior partner of MT. Parsons but the sugar company was entirely MT. Parsons per- sonal client.
 Tn 1891 the sugar company was in- corporated in New Jersey by MT. Par sons in conjunction with Elihu Root who was then partner of the present candidate for governor Mr. Stimson ts d sociate counsel. MT. Shepard's part nership with MT. Parsons was dissolved eight years ago in 1909 and before any of the matters for which the sugar company was recently prosecuted arose"
 ,beI upon MT. Dix himself to con- sider the nomination for governor but he declined without hesitation and without qualification.
 T was elected state chairman" he said tonight, "against my better judgment be- cause was man without experience and now l would not barter the work, I have put into this campaign for any of- fioe."
 Charles F. Murphy in the most extended statement he has vouchsafed since he , fcame to Rochester, reiterated tonight that he has no candidate in sight.
 Democratic Year
 'srhis Is a democratic year, he said Sand 1t would be a mistake to spoil It with pushing personal preferences. We hope to choose candidate who will be acceptable to all shades of democratic We have no candidates" he continued '~rhere is no candidate in sight to com mand the sitaution. After the conven- tion is seated I hope to see the various leaders and out of that series of meet
 
 the convention"
 The meeting of the democratic state convention tonight for the temporary roll call of delegates and officers was brief and formal. Not name was question: ed. There were contests in Albany and Onondaga counties but Chairman Dix thought the latter would be smoothed out tonight. The Albany contest probably will go to the committee on credentials tomorrow
 After the convention adjourned Chair man Dix said in view of the fact that the republican convention had indorsed Judge vann for the court of appeals and left one place open, there would proba- bly, be no political contest over the judici- nry.
 The Democratic league met tonight in the ball room of the Seneca hotel and put itself on record as in favor of the widest type of direct nominations. After adopt ing a resolution reaffirming It's eeclara- tion of principles on this question made at Saratoga, September 10 it declared it. self "unqualifiedly in favor of the prin- ciple of direct nominations and urged upon the state convention the necessity of embodying in the party platform an unqualified declaration in favor of this principle and of it's widest possible ap- plication- .
 James s. Ravens and Herman Ridder remain strong probabilities for the guber- material nomination, while the boom of Martin H. Glinn of Albany, suddenly sprang into activity tonight.
 There was also some talk af Justice Martin L. Keogh of West Chester county.
 Spectacular Features
 Every train brought delegates to the democratic state convention this after noon and by sundown the city was alive Ikith all the spectacular features of the might before"
 Leader Murphy had said:
 T have no candidate and have no opinions Walt till the delegates ar rive."
 Norman B. Mack of Buffalo, chairman pf the national committee, had said:
 sslGr. Murphy haS told you that h9 v