New-York tribune., 1912-01-03
St. Lawrence Co. Man Named
by Republican Assembly Cau-
Gus by Vote of SS to 10
Over Charles A. Dana.
OLD GUARD TRIUMPHS FULLY
F w. Hammond Selected as
Clerk, After His Friend, Ray
B. Smith, Withdraws Be
cause of Assured Defeat
by Strong Coalition.
rBy Telegraph to The tribune. ]


n q fight. the Republican Assembly eau
cus tonight chose Edwin a. Merritt
,r If St. Lawrence County as the
nertv candidate for Speaker. lie re-
ceived IS votes to 10 for Charles A.
nsna OF New York, who headed fight
for the selection of a Speaker represent
ing the views of the progressive element
within the party.
For candidate for clerk the caucus
chose ex-Assemblyman F. w. Ham
mond. Of Syracuse. The vote for him
was 66 10 33. He was opposed by the
representatives Of New York, Kings
and Erie. who voted for John B. Cart
wright, formerly Under Sheriff of New
York County.
Raw Is. Smith, ex-Clerk of the Assem-
bly,, was an active candidate. His rec
ord. politically and as clerk, was such
that even the political bosses whom he
had served in other years refused TO
stand for him. Therefore he retired In
favor of his faithful friend and close
political associate, Hammond. The two
are practically inseparable, and both
think with Smiths mind. To complete
the nights work Harry w. Haines, Of
Westchester was chosen unanimously
as the party candidate for sergeant at
arms He was defeated for the Assem-
bly, last fall.
Frank Young, i'm nominating Merritt.
made a speech so apologetic in tone and
oil TO ctiY.
"disturbers of confidence in public men"
and those who "have attacked us all
unjustly" that the rest Of Merritts
friends writhed
Dana's Speech in Marked Contrast.
In strong contrast was a frank speech
by Mr.. Dana. declaring that the election
of Merritt would make a large element
Of the Republican party and those indie
pendent voters on whom Republicans
must depend for Election Day success
suspicious of the Republican control Of
the new Assembly
All hope of defeating Merritt had
been abandoned last night, when it was
seen TO be impossible to unite opponents
on any one candidate. During to-day
the fight looked so hopeless that no eff
fort was made to hold anybody I'm line
against him. Dana released men pledged
10 him, while others heretofore un-
pledged to Merritt rushed to him in a
scramble TO get on the band wagon and
so procure good committee assignments.
And while it was all going on the "old
guard" leaders of various political gen.
erations from Lou Payn down to Dan"
Strobel stood around and grinned.
The real fight came over the clerk
ship-petty i'm title, but important in
patronage and political possibilities. AS
Ray Smith ran the clerkship, it was
virtually an autocracy. Assemblyman
on the floor charged that Smith was
more powerful than Speaker Wadsworth,
and that no members legislation could
he passed If he opposed 1t. Merritt, TO
be sure is no Wadsworth and Ham
mond is no Smith. but he will have
Smiths brains and political sagacity
constantly on tap. SO for all practical
purposes his election will be the cleo
ton Of Smith.
1t was not until late tonight that
Smith himself Withdrew. when Erie
County. New York and Kings repre-
sentatives had refused to be parties to
his selection and some of the Assembly
men had threatened to bolt the caucus.
Strange Opposition to Smith.
Strange TO say. the state chairman,
William Barnes, jr. Francis Hendricks,
Of Syracuse, Smiths old patron and
boss. and George Aldridge of Rochester,
opposed Smith vigorously. They were
inclined to support William H. Ten
Eyck. of New York, an "old guard" man,
who was not acceptable TO large ele-
ment Of the New York County organ
ization. This was taken as an effort to
handicap Samuel S. Koeng. president OF
that organization.
The situation was so disturbing Just
before the caucus that the leaders found
ii necessary to consult with Barnes, and
In spite of the state chairman's an
nounced policy TO keep his hands off the
result of that conference was that the
word was passed around to make Ham
mond the candidate OF the regulars.
Smith withdrew his candidacy in favor
of his friend Hammond before the eau
Gus opened.
The balance OF power seemed to be
with Erie and Kings counties. The five
members Of Erie County early in the
evening held a meeting. az which they
decided under no consideration to sup
port either Smith or Hammond Their
candidate was Henry Seilheimer. former
assistant journal clerk of the Senate but
they agreed 10 abide by the result of
conferences between the New York and
Kings County delegations. which lasted
right up to the time of the caucus. Those
delegations decided to present the name
OF John Il. cartw right. Ten Eyck with
drew his candidacy in favor OF Ham
mand when IL was found he could not
be elected.
During the afternoon the Albany. Mon.
roe, Oneida and Jefferson county men
al decided not 10 support Smith. but had
hot agreed on any one candidate. These
WIN the Erie. Kings and New York men,
totalled forty-six members against Smith
ana II was known that there were sum-
cent scattering votes from other coun-
lies against him to make his election
impossible.
Ihe caucus itself was almost "A routine
ahaif. There was large throng of
fcntinued on sccond page