New-York tribune., 1917-10-19
100000 Cheer Hillquit;
His Gains Scare Murphy

ally to be disputing the political mas
terry.
iammany leaders told Murphy they
expected the lower East Side 70 eject
two or three Socialist Assemblymen'
They are actually afraid OF losing Tour
districts there. The Harlem reports
were only a little less disQuictng. a
large proportion OF the negroes resi-
dent there. il was said. were succumo-
ing 10 the Socialist drive. while Man
haitian valley scethed with Socialist
sentiment. TO saw nothing Of the
Italian and Jewish districts further
cast
Even on the West Side, on Wash
ington Heights. the virus appears 10
be working powerfully. For example
at lS5th Street and Broadway on Mon
day. Tuesday and Wednesday nights
Of this week, it was reported. a SO
cialist street meeting was held whlch
attracted on an average OF between
500 and 900 auditors.
The Bronx was not represented AT
the Tammany meeting. but Murphy
had previously received unofficial re-
ports from that borough which pict-
ured a condition even worse than that
in Manhattan. His advices from
Brooklyn. too. led him to believe mat
over there Socialists would elect at
least two and possibly three Assembly
men. raising the Socialist delegation
in the lower House at Albany from
two % six. and perhaps eight mem
bers.
Murphy ordered his leaders from
now on 10 devote all their energy TO
defeat the Socialists. practically TO
forget Mitchell. and 70 concentrate on
Hillquit
Race Between Hylan and Hillquit
Earlier in the day Murphy, in dis
tinctly cheerful frame Of mind. had
remarked 10 newspaper men that the
race for Mayor now lay between Hylan
and Hillquit. Almost simultaneously
the Hillouit managers issued state
ment. saving: The Mayoraity choice
is between Hillquit and Hylan.'
Murphy was asked if the drift 10 the
Socialists did not surprise him.
NO" he replied. "it does not sur
prise me. The race is between Hylan
and Hllquit. In my opinion, the So
cialists will take more votes from
Mitchell than they will from Hylan.
81 have seen it coming for some
time. Take the special Congressional
election. when Tom Smith was elected
to Congress In my own district the
Socialist vote at the general election
was 30 At the special election the
vote was 80 for the Socialist candidate
out Of $50 votes cast.
Il don't know what TO ascribe It TO.
| can't understand il. but the vote is
there" And he added that II was not
only on the East Side. but all over the
city.
After the long session Of the eXecu-
tive committee the Tammany district
leaders were inclined 10 agree with
Murphy. at least for publication, that
the drift 10 Hillquit would take more
votes from Mitchell than from Hylan;
but they had nothing with which 10
back up such an assumption In fact,
in private they seemed willing 10 ad-
nit that since socialism seemed strong
est in what have hitherto been consld-
cred the strongholds OF Democracy
there was some ground for believing
that HillQuit would do more harm 10
Hylan than 10 the Mayor
SuchOwas the contention a. Fusion
neadquarters. where news Of the Hlll-
Iuit inroads was received with less ap-
parent apprehension. Emory L. Buck
ner announced that the Msyoralty tight
.ow law between Mitchell and Hillquit.
He did not go so far as 70 say that
fIillauit would elect Mitchell. but this
opinion was expressed by others OF the
Mayors supporters.