New-York tribune., 1918-05-21
Declares Attorney General
Will Quit the Race for
Governor
Hints Aid to Whitman
Politicians Expect Former
State Senator May Himself
Be g Candidate

Merton E. Lewis, who has an
aounced his candidacy for the Repub-
lican nomination for Governor, is a
STALL and before the canvass is over
he will drop out in favor of some one
else. The people then will realize that
a vote for Lewis is half vote for
Whitman" said William M. Bennett,
former State Senator, who defeated
Mayor Mitchell in the Republican pri-
maries last fall, at his Office yesterday.
1.-THE Attorney General" Mr.. Bennett
continued, Judging from what he said
in to-day's papers about his platform,
has thought of all the reactionary
things in politics and is going to stand
for them. A Republican in order to be
successful against Whitman has got to
be for direct nominations, for equal
suffrage, and he has got to be against
Governor Whitman's socialistic tenden-
cies, namely, to have the state fix
prices and to put the state into busl-
ness in competition with private busi
ness No one who does not stand for
the above will have the support of the
farmers, the business men and the new
women voters.
Farmers Believe in Lewis
NJ. BENEFITS fat charge that the
Attorney Generals candidacy, made in
a formal manner after conference with
half dozen of the more prominent
anti Whitman leaders of the state, is
sham, and that he will withdraw be-
fore the primary canvass is over in aid
of some other candidate, doubtless will
provoke sharp answers from the sup
porters of the Attorney General, who
credit him with a sincere intention to
make vigorous fight in the primaries
for the Republican nomination.
AS already set forth in The Tribune,
the Republicans of Rochester credit
the Attorney General with an inten-
tion to make the run. The Monroe
County Republican organization on
Friday last met and formally indorsed
the candidacy of Governor Whitman,
fully aware that the Attorney Gen.
erals friends in Rochester will sup
port him. Mr.. Lewis will have the
support of Jacob Livingston, chairman
of the executive committee of the Re-
publican County Committee of Kings,
so his men assert, and William L.
Ward, of Westchester; William
Barnes, of Albany; Senator James w.
Wadsworth, of Geneseo; Congress-
all believed to be in favor of the At
tcrney General and against Governor
Whitman
When Boom Started
It is a matter of political history in
Rochester, Mr.. Lewis's home, that at
dinner given in his honor at the
Rochester Club year ago last winter,
when he was elected Attorney General,
by the Legislature, his boom for Gov
ernor was started, and not even the
hostility of George W. Aldridge, the
boss of the Republican organization in
Monroe County, has been sufficient to
deter Mr. Lewis from trying to realize
his desire to become Governor.
Meanwhile, the politicians are watch
ing Mr.. Bennett. He went on record in
The Tribune last winter as saying that
there would be candidate in the
Republican primaries against Cover
nor Whitman, and last week he an
nounced that the Attorney General
was "handpicked" candidate and
would not meet the demand of the in
dependent and progressive Republi-
cans. Failing to induce Justice Crop
sey,. of Brooklyn, to run, the friends
OF Mr.. Bennett believe that he will
make, good his prediction by announc-
ing himself as a candidate against
Whitman.