New-York tribune., 1918-06-11
Mayor
Of Binghamton in
Lead for Governor
Walker Likely To Be Nom
inee Unless Hearst and
Hylan Interfere
BY BRIGGS

Mayor Harry C. Walker of Bingham
ton is leading in the race for the
Democratic nomination for Governor
Unless Tammany Hall, coerced by
William R. Hearst and Mayor Hylan,
uses "strong-arr." tactics in forcing
the nomination of Mr.. Hearst-which
does not at this time seem likely-the
upstate Democrats, organized with a
committee of thirty-hve, plus a steer
ing committee of seven, probably will
present the name of Mayor Walker to
the unofficial Democratic State Con-
vention.
The steering committee is made up
of William H. Kelley, of Syracuse;
Joseph ]. Murphy, of Troy; Ex-senator
T. Harvey Ferris, of Utica; William
II. Manning, of Saratoga; Mayor John
Fitzgibbon, of Oswego; Charles D.
Norris, of Watertown, and District At
torney David F. Lee, of Norwich.
Ever since the adjournment of the
Syracuse anti Hearst conference on
sounding out the sentiment of the
Democrats up the state with reference
to candidate for Governor and, as
things stand to-day, they are pretty
nearly in agreement on Mayor Walker.
Up to the big Seven"
Under the rules adopted by the con-
ference, the steering committee has no
dominating function in the general
committee of fortytwo, but, as mat
ter of fact, the other thirty-five mem
bers of the committee concede the
leadership to the original seven who
called the conference, and whatever
the Big Seven recommends, within rea-
son, is likely to be accepted by the
committee of forty-two.
1t was learned yesterday that the
of Syracuse, as the nominal leader, has
canyassed the entire list Of Democrats
eligible for the nomination. AS the
late Senator Platt said on a locally
historic occasion, the situation is
"tapering down" to Mayor Walker.
Mayor Harry C. Walker is the candi-
date of the Democratic machine of
inghamton-"Bill" Farley, former
State Excise Commissioner; Ex-Mayor
John j. Irving and lesser lights. Mr..
Farley discovered" Walker as a candi-
date for Mayor last year. 1t happened
that the HinmanHill factions were
having one of their annual scraps and
it all turned out as "Bill" Farley
wanted it.
Is Great Handshaker
Binghamton, which should elect a
Republican by margin of 1000, turned
around and elected the affable Mr..
Walker. Mayor Walker is a Protest
ant, a thirty-third degree Mason, six
feet tall, weighs 225 pounds, is a great
handshaker and makes a pleasing i'm
preston. He hasn't any political
record to speak of, as the Republicans
IN Binghamton are too watchful to al
low Democrat to go very far wrong,
If he wanted to.
This is the big reason for the steer
ing committee of the Syracuse confer
ence looking on him with favor-little
can be said against him and consid-
cradle can be said in his favor.
1t is the intention of the committee
of fortytwo, which includes seven
women members, to get together the
latter part of this month and the call
for the meeting is expected any day.
The hackers of Mayor Walker are anx-
ious to get his boom under way at
once, as they are afraid of obstruction
from William R. Hearst.
The Walker men believe that if they
can get away in front with the Walker
boom it soon will attain such headway
that neither Hearst, Murphy, Corners
nor any cne can stop it. They count
on the support Of Mr.. Hearst because,
in their judgment, neither he nor any
one else can find much of an argument
against the Democratic Mayor of the
Republican city of Binghamton.