New-York tribune., 1918-05-07
Attorney General Sile,,. .
Report He VIII Oppo..
I Governor
Friends Say He
Will Enter R.e.
Whitman Backers s.
prised, but Declare Pm
gramrne Not Affected
Especial Dispatch to The r,,s...,

g. Especial Dispatch to The Tribu~.t
ALBANY, May o.-Merton z. La.
State Attorney General, freou.,,t
mentioned in the last three monts. 2
/ possible candidate for Goye-nss 8
the primaries against Governor NJ
man, threw thunderbolt into fhs 5 81
publican camp to-day by announ,;s.
/ he would not be candidate again =
Attorney General. y
Rumors were at once set ahn,t Il.
he had come to an open breat "a
Governor Whitman and wouk ~ !.
candidate in the primaries aeain.t 4.
! Governor. ~
Attorney General Lewis refu..x !.
deny or confirm these rumors. o. u,
of the numerous others that cruvcsi
up here. s's'
Asked pointblank if he would i. ,
candidate against Governor Wilma,
the Attorney General said that !.
would not discuss the Governorsbia
While there Is considerable spees,
ton regarding what was behind Il N
the fact. remains that the Lewis man
was unmistakably anti Whitman.
Whitman Regrets Decision
Governor Whitman's only comn,,,
! on the affair was praise for the Atss
| ney General and regret that he vas 4
| going to run.
Il am very sorry that Attorney e..
eral Lewis is not going to run fcs +
nomination" said the Governor. II en-
slider that he has made a very fine /,
torney General"
Chronologically the facts in the d,
are:
! This afternoon the Attorney Gensu
sent letter to the Governor makr
the bare announcement that he wous
not be candidate on the Within
ticket this fall.
An hour or so later the Attolnt
General issued a statement for Ii
press, to which was appended the Il.
ter to the Governor.
Statement .of Mr.. Lewis
The statement and letter follow:
The question as to whether or N
| am to be a candidate Tor renomina
ton in the September primaries II
the office of Attorney General has be
! a matter of some discussion, and !
much thought on my part.
After careful consideration oi u
matter | have concluded that vi
not be a candidate for the ofice, ia,
| nave SO advised Governor WAinsa
in a letter which | have writtn Il
him to-day, which reads as folloss.
My Dear Governor:
Some time ago you asked me d
would again become a candidate I,
Attorney General l told you st Il
time that l had not given the mess
! sufficient consideration and thst
would not be able to give you .
answer until later.
"I am sorry that the delay has y
CURED, but / have now reached d
conclusion that | cannot accept 3 n
nomination for the office. l am son
that have not been able to adv'
you Of my conclusion earlier
Whitman Backers Not Worried
Friends of Governor Whitman 4
clared the action of the Attorney Ga
eral would not affect the success
the Whitman programme one whit
"An able man will be substituted Il
Mr.. Lewis" said one of them. !.
Recently it was reported that Atto
neg General Lewis had been told by .
Republican leader of Monroe Count
George w Aldridge, who is his pelt
cal sponsor. that ne must not chens
ambitions for the Governorship -
same report had it that he would m
candidate for Supreme Court next y
from his own district, which vcsA
mean certain election. Mr.. Aldridga
reported to be backing Governor VIII
man.
If it be true that Mr.. Aldridse
backing Governor Whitman. and "a
the Attorney General still cherishe
ambitions to be Governor, It Fuul
mean that Mr.. Lewis had broken w
his political sponsor. This in turn Ron'
! indicate unmistakably that he y
agreed to be the candidate of the .rI
Whitman faction, which is hesded
William Barnes, Senator Elon K. bros'
! Thaddeus Sweet, Speaker of the =
sembly; Jacob A. Livingston. OF bros'
Expected to Seek Governorshlp
Mr.. Lewis has been openly fnena.
with Mr.. Barnes. He appointed -
old J. Hinman, who helps Ellis J. oss's !;
run the Barnes machine in AiDsny' y y
first assistant a few weeks before .
Legislature adjourned.
One of Mr.. Lewis's friends nefe
night said that he would not os y,
rrised if within a few days the 4 {;
torney General would announce = Z
candidacy for the Republican non'p'
ton for Governor. 4
1t was Attorney General Lexls -
conducted the investigation into y
activity of Bolo Pacha in this eoess,
This, the friends of Mr.. Lewis sa'oss s. =. )
gether with the run he made !sss @ =, Z,
against the Murphy-Hearss- s-flalsss lss'
Conners candidate. Devoe T. Heus' e:iss
of Buffalo. would make his eana'ss,s -
more than a passing show. LaM Laseei M
Mr.. Lewis won by majority OF 49, 80,
This was 1000 short Of the Govern Goaas,,
majority in 1916 over Samuel oess'''