The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-23
|HUPPUCH SEEMS TO
 FAVOR MIR. STEPHAN
Should Abide By Result of the
 Former Caucus
CHANGES THE SITUATION
Shephard's Friends. However, Say They Are Not Surprised and Do Not Fear Consequences--Sheeha Men
 Are Highly Elated

Albany. N. r., January 22.-Winfield A. Huppuch, chairman of the democratic state committee. declared tonight in a statement that every democratic senator and assemblyman should abide by the re- suit of the caucus which last Monday night cast a majority vote for William F. Sheehan as the party candidate for United States senator.
 Mir Huppuch added that he issues this statement after consulting a majority of the members of the committee he heads and that it expressed their views.
 Just when the members of the legisla- ture were beginning to return to Albany to renew the struggle over who is to be Senator Depew's successor. this state ment worked sudden change in the Sit uation, which was expected to lie dormant until the joint assembly took it's fifth joint ballot tomorrow.
 Adherents of Mir Sheehan said they had expected it. AS to the opposition, Thomas M. Osborne, one of the leaders of the committee behind the candidacy of Edward M. Shepard, said when shown a copy of the opinion: "One good thing about this contest is that it is bringing everybody into the open
 Friends of MT. Osborne and MT. Shepard explained this declaration by saying that to those familiar with the situation, MT. Huppuch's stand was no surprise. 'We have believed all along that he was for MT. Sheehan,' said one of them; now we know 1t.
 MT. Osborone said MT. Huppuch's ad- vice disagreed with that given by Gov ernor Dix last week, when he said the legislators should vote in accordance with the wishes of their constituents and the dictates of their conSciences. This state pient of the governor has from the first been quoted by the democrats who ''oblt- ed the caucus as ground for their stand.
 Senator Franklin D. Roosevelt, the young leader of the insurgents" agreed with MT. Osborone. 'I do not believe that Mir Huppuchs statement will have any effect on the 26 members of the legisla- ture who have refused to support MT. Sheehan,' he said. Tt certainly will have TO effect so far as I am concerned
 Mir Huppuch telephoned his statement from his home in Hudson Falls. Until tonight he had refused to express any opinion whatever on the situation. The governor who was in New York tonight. declared that he had no foreknowledge of the statement and that MT. Huppuch was responsible individually for anything he might say.
 William F. Sheehan, who came here to-
  Mir Huppuch's statement, but declined to be quoted regarding it. However, the Sheehan men already here did not con- cool their clation over the statement.
 Hudson Falls. N. Y. January 22.- Winfield A. Huppuch. chairman Of the democratic state committee and a busi- ness associate of Governor Dix, issued the following statement tonight on the senatorial situation:
 The caucus being the recognized usage of all parties from time immem- orial. there should be no question or it's being the duty of all assemblymen and state senators elected upon the democratic ticket to abide by its re- suit and vote for the senatorial candi- date of the overwhelming majority. Most assuredly should either of the other candidates voted for at the cau- GUS have secured majority of It's votes their followers undoubtedly would have insisted upon such candidates un- divided support"