New-York tribune., 1918-07-22
Leaders Assert Word From
Wilson Would Settle
Governorship Question
Walker Announces
He'll Be Candidate
Delegates Begin Flocking
to Saratoga for UnoM-
cial State Convention
Especial Dispatch to The Tribunc)

thirty-siX hours in the future and the
district leaders from around the state
arriving by every train and by autos,
the Democratic organization is in
wuzzy condition, having no master at
present, but willing to bow the head
to the bidding of some master if he
can show winning margin of power.
The situation is not materially diff
ferent from what it was one month or
three months ago. If President Will
son wants TO name *he next Democratic
candidate for Governor his choice will
be accepted with alacrty. In the alb
sence Of sign from Washington it
looked tonight as if Charles F. Muir
ply and John II. McCooey would be in
control of the convention. Their re-
spective organizations are wire-b bound
by the payroll of the City of New
York. Mayor Hylan will be here to-
morrow with Mr.. McCooey. So fa- as
potentiality in the state convention is
concerned, Hearst and Hylan can be
considered as one and the same.
w ltH 1dlT Helu anu no pressure
from the powers at Washington, it
looks tonight as if William R. Hearst
will not be indorsed for Governor,
which leaves the field open. Mayor
Harry c. Walker of Binghamton, CAL"
Smith, of New York, and James w.
Gerard seem to be the big three in the
race.
Mayor Walker openly announced his
candidacy tonight. After comforting
with his friends from the Southern
Tier and with some of the Hearst men
here he said:
II am candidate for the Democratic
nomination for Governor. l believe
the Democrats should elect the Gov
ernor this fall. A Democrat can give
President Wilson better support in his
war measures than a Republican Gov
ernor. If the convention indorses me
| shall be glad to make the race in the
primaries, but if the convention in
dorses some one else shall support
the man it indorSes."
"Binghamton went dry in the special
election. How do you stand on the
prohibition issue?"
81 can discuss that question better
after the platform is drawn. The party
will make the platform"
"How do you stand on woman suf-
! frage ?"
"I always have been in favor of
woman suffrage"
'If the Republicans should nomi-
nate Roosevelt, do you still believe a
Democratic Governor would support
the Wilson administration more ef-
fciently than a Republican Governor ?"
~ certainly do said the Mayor Of
| Binghamton.
1t is understood Mayor Walker stood
with the drys in the local option fight
Iii HIS home civ
Thomas Gillera1 e. Manhattan, who
ran OH the independence League ticket
for Justice of the Supreme Court when
Hearst ran fol Ma. q. is here in the
interest of the publisher Although
he is not the ayowed spokesman for
Hearst, it is believed he reflects his
views to 3 very .a1ge extent.
When asked tonight if Hearst was
a candidate for Governor, Mr.. Gileran
said:
"Mr. Hearst, think, is in about the
same relative position as Colonel
Roosevelt. He does not want the noni-
ination for Governor, but he wants to
/ see that the right sort of man is
chosen. He wants to be consulted, and
that is why mis- friends will be on hand
at the convention.
Gas between Mayor Walker of Bing-
hamton and ZAP Smith, whom would
Mr.. Hearst PREFER"
81 cannot answer that question. as
Mr.. Hearst never told me, but, speaking
for myself, my opinion is that he
would favor Mr. Walker.
at is understood that overtures of
some sort have been made to Mr.
'AIearst by the Walker men, and that
Mr. Hearst is persuaded that Mr..
Walker would be amenable to sugges-
tions if they are made in the proper
way, while, on the other hand, Mr..
Hearst is not at all sure of being able
to impress the Tammany President of
the New York Board of Aldermen if
he should be elected Governor. How
ever that is largely conjecture"
T. Harvey Ferris. of Utica, who had
much to do with the organization of
the anti Hearst upstate conference,
said tonight that since the meeting
of the last Syracuse conference. the
appointment of the new steering com
mittee of fifteen and the selection Of a
slate of candidates he had noticed q
pronounced drift of sentiment toward
James ". Gerard. District Attorney
/ David F. Lee. of Norwich, said the
4 same thing. Mr.. Lee also is one of the
steering committee. Asked about SEN
timent up the state for Mr.. Hearst,
Mr.. Ferris said: "There isn't any. 1t
is all the other way"
Chairman Edwin S. Harris of the
state committee said he hoped to man
age the convention 50 it would be a
one-day job, finishing up the pro-
grammc and getting away on Tuesday
night. The convention will meet in
Convention Hall at noon, with Judge
Joseph a. Kellogg, of Glens Falls, as
temporary and permanent chairman.
The platform is in general charge of
Senator Robert A. Wagner. Of Manhat-
tan. When asked about rumor tha.
William Il. Hearst had written the war
plank in the platform, Senator Wagner
said Hearst had not taken part in draft
ing. the instrument
When the slate makers finished their
work in Syracuse on July 8 William
Church Osborn was the leading cand-
date of the conference for the Gov
ernorship nomination. Mr.. Osborn $
open opposition to Mr. Hearst APP
parently has caused the dropping Of his
name from the leading position, for the
present at least
The slate Of the Syracuse conference
contained the names of William Church
Osborn, Alfred Z. Smith, Mayor
Walker, James w Gerard, Charles II
Hitchcock, OF Madison County: Charles
Is. Alexander. of Tuxedo and New York;
Roscoe Irwin, collector of interna
revenue of the Albany district; Repre-
sentative George K. Lunn, William II
Edwards, internal revenue collector o.