New-York tribune., 1910-03-08
COBB MEN ALARMED
CALL FOR MEETING.
Possibility of Humans Cho'ce
Causes 1ctiUltY.
TBy Telegraph to The Tribune.l

TBy Telegraph to The TribuneI
Albany. March Alarmed at the hkeH-
hood of Senator Humans being placed III
the field as candidate for temporary
President OF the Senate, with the backing
Of eminent washington Republicans sup
porters of Senator George II. Cobb to-hiS Ut
circulated a call for another conference OF
Republican Senators for tomorrow evening"
At midnight they still lacked the necessary
number of signers. but felt confident they
would get them tomorrow morning.
Senator Cobb's friends say they have TIE
necessary seventeen votes to name their
candidate If the conference is called. Ihe
supporters Of Senator George a. Davis OF
Buffalo. the only other candidate in the
field at present, say the Davis cchorts are
standing fast. and that a deadlock must
result IL the Cobb men HOW force another
conference.
When the last conference adjourned with
out eecting q successor to Jotham r. Aiids
several Senators took. the ground that ac-
ton before the Aids bribery charges were
disposed of would be manifestly improper
Some OF them have changed their position
on that question now. They believe that
the factional fight which seems in prospect
over this place will do more harm than the
election of a Senator even if such action
seems to PREJUDICE the Aids case.
Some of Senator Alldss friends have
urged him to write to the chairman of the
conference recommending that, in view or
this situation, temporary president be
elected without reference 10 his trial. SEN
ator Aids seemed to fall in with this
suggestion but it could not be learned
whether he had written such letter
The Cobb supporters seemed to realize
that if their candidate is not elected very
soon it will be impossible ever TO elect him.
because of the effect of the support of his
candidacy by State Chairman Woodruff and
William Barnes, jr
Cobb is as good Hughes man as Davis
in every respect" said Cobb Senator to-
night. "An this trouble has arisen because
Tim Woodruff persists in butting into a
Senate situation where he has no business
He did enough damage when he forced
Aids on us. Now you'd think he'd know
enough to keep his hands off, but not Tim
othy-oh, no, And Bill Barnes saw this
thing was shaping up nicely for Cobb, and
that we had the votes to elect him. So
they jump aboard, thinking. 1 suppose, to
get some credit out Of it and to make the
rest of the state believe that they control
the Senate, as they do the Assembly
through Jim Wadsworth.
Naturally, these rabid Hughes people
fly off the handle and yell that Woodruff
is butting in and trying to kill the Hughes
legislation. There's our Cobb programme
knocked to smash, and Woodruff has pre-
cipitated fine factional fight here"
With the Cobb and Davis supporters
feeling so strongly as they do over this
contest. the result to the majority in the
Senate will be distinctly unhappy. 1t is
on this proposition the Senators who be-
lieve Senator Hinman to be the logical
man to elect at this time are working.
They say the selection of Senator Hinman
would do violence to the feelings of neither
faction 1t would serve notice to the state
at large that the Republicans in the Sem
ate had determined to back up Governor
Hughes at this critical time.
Much interest is being displayed here
regarding the likelihood of some word
coming from Washington regarding the
situation. Many Republicans are looking
to Lloyd c. GrisCom to give an Indication
If nothing more direct, of the way Senator
Root and the New York delegation in Cons
eress feel as to Allds's successor
1T oughtn't to be necessary 10 have any
such word" declared one Senator tonight
Il think we all know pretty well the Presi-
dent and Senator Root approve Governor
Hughess ideas on this general situation
which confronts us. and some of us have a
notion that Washington would smile If
Hinman were elected president pro tenn
pore. But a lot of our colleagues can't
make up their minds and are waiting for
sign from Washington before reaching
any decision"
If the Cobb Senator's cannot get enough
signers to their call for new conference
tomorrow morning they will let it go over
until. next week unless the Senators
chosen to attend the Platt funeral should
be all Davis men. In any case it is hard
ly likely that the conference will be held
this week if it does not take place to-mor-
row.