New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Using His Office in Gov
ernor's Behalf, Attorney
General Declares
Cites Two Examples
Calls Conduct Reprehensible
and Bordering on the
Scandalous
,spcc,nl Dispatch to The Tribane)


ALBANY, June 6.-Attorney General
Merton f. Lewis, who will oppose Gov
amor Whitman in the primaries, to-
dav fred second epistolary broadsde
Of George A. Glynn, chairman of the
Republican State Committee.
In his letter Mr. Lewis charges that
the Republican state chairman is using
his position to round up county COM
m;tteemen for Governor Whitman and
70 induce them to indorse the Gov
ernor's candidacy. Mr.. Lewis charac-
terized the alleged conduct of Mr..
Glynn as reprehensible and bordering
an the scandalous. He said that that
norton OF the speech made last night
at the Republican Club in New York
CITY by VIII II. Hays, chairman of the
Republican National Committee, saying
il was not the duty Of the chairman of
q political organization to use his posi-
t;ou to to control nominations, was in
tended for Chairman Glynn.
Attorney Generals Letter
The Attorney Generals letter fol-
lows
apon his speech delivered at the Re-
publican Club last night.
~ am glad that you were present and
heard him. | am sorry that 1t was nee
essary for me to leave in order to get
my train for Albany.
II should have been interested in
watching your face when Mr.. Hays
said: 1 recognize the purpose of the
position | occupy to aid in making
plans which may result in the use of
every honest means to elect candidates
and not in any sense control the nomi
nations
you know, of course, that l know
that you have been engaged almost
exclusively for months in rounding up
county committeeman in the ctfort 10
induce them TO adopt resolutions in
dorsing Governor Whitman for renom
nation. Your conduct has been repre-
hensibe and little short of scandalous.
You have used your power as chair
man to bring about Endorsements which
could not have been obtained in any
other way. / know this and am con-
yinced that Mr.. Hays knows it.
"l think that Mr. Hays's remarks
upon the subject were intended for
you, apd l hope that you appreciate
that fact
"Yours very truly.
"MERTON E. LEWIS"
Mr. Lewis was asked if he had writ
ten any other letters to Chairman
Giynn, outside of one other, which
was published recently.
NO, this is my second letter." he
said. "After / wrote the first one to
Mr Glynn he ostensibly abdicated as
active manager of the Whitman Cam
pagn Committee But he seems to be
working just as hard as ever, though
less openly, for the Governors re-
nomination. 1t should be obvious to
everybody that Mr.. Glynn, as chair
man of the Republican State Commit
tee, has no right to use his position
member of the Republican party over
another. The law expressly forbids
the use Of party funds to promote
primary fights, and what applies to
party funds can with equal force and
propriety be applied to the power and
influence that go with the position of
state chairman.
Prepared to Back Charge
Attorney General Lewis is prepared
10 back up his charge that Chairman
Glynn is using his position to advance
the Governors candidacy. Two par
ticular instances were cited to-day as
proof of the charge. One was the in
dorsement of Governor Whitman's
candidacy in Rensselaer, County. The
friends of Mr.. Lewis declared that the
Endorsement was obtained by the per-
sonal efforts of Assemblyman Arthur
Cowee, who, they declared, toured the
county in an automobile that had been
provided by Chairman Glynn. Six out
Of the fourteen towns of the county,
ana eight of the seventeen wards Of
the city of Troy, were not represented
when the Governors candidacy was
indorsed, the Lewis faction declared
Washington County was named as
another case in point. There the Whit
man forces, according to the Lewis
men, adopted a resolution at a meet
ing at which only six men and thirty
women were preSent