The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-24
REPUBLICANS MAY
CARRY BROOKLYN
Must Overcome Normal Demo
cratic Majority Of $4,000,
However.
TREND SEEMS THEIR WAY
Wilson and Hylan's UnpOpu-
larity Likely to Affect Re-
suit Only Indirectly.


ton is one that Is causing considerable
speculation among local politicians. In
addition to having merely a restricted
bearing on the county ticket there. II is
OF interest because of the fact that the
Presidency of the Board of Aldermen Is
to be filled by votes throughout the city
With the revolt against Tammany Hall
In Manhattan and the insurgency against
the Democratic organization in other
boroughs a strong Republican sweep in
Kings might bring about the election OF
Representative F. II. La Guardia. the
Republican candidate for that office.
There is a general feeling in Brooklyn
that this is a Republican year. The
leaders of that party will tell you that
they are most confident of winning. In
dependent prognosticators, the kind who,
in addition to having some political
Judgment, feel things In their bones"
are saying that signs point to Repub-
lican success. Even the Democratic
leaders acknowledge that there is a Re-
publican trend. But they profess, to be-
lieve that the Democrats are too strongly
entrenched In Kings now to be ousted
except by an upheaval such as Is not
indicated at present.
McCooey Confident of Victory.
John H. McCooey, the Democratic
leader, declares that a conservative esti-
mate makes Kings county Democratic by
over 10000. He points to the fact that
the Democratic enrolment is 204,674.
while the Republican Is only 1ss.so4.
which gives him and his organization
an edge of some $4,000 over their oppo-
nents. Half of this, OF course. is made
up of women, but Mr.. McCooey will tell
you that his observation has been that
the women folk stick pretty close to the
lead of the male members of their fami-
lies.
Unprecedented political observers who
have been studying the situation In
Kings this fall say that while the In
dependent constituency there has In
past years generally risen to big issue
and broken away from party lines that
there is no such issue now to break
into the Democratic ranks.
There is no definite issue that is
going to arouse the people this nall, IN
my opinion" declared a politician yes
terday who has studied conditions for
years ut is true that there Is a
tremendous sentiment against President
Wilson among Democrats as well as
Republicans, and Mayor Hylan Is mar
vellously unpopular among the machine
Democrats But neither Wilson nor
Hylan are running in the election.
For a time In the spring It looked
as though the supine way in which Nc
Cooey knuckled down to William Ran
dolph Hearst and ordered Borough Presi-
dent Riegelmann to force or the Commit
tee to Welcome Home Coming Troops a
chairman who had selected a speaker
personally distasteful to the editor
would be resented at the polls this fall.
But the incident seems to have passed
and been forgotten by the public
"It is true that there Is some feeling
In Brooklyn against McCooey's making
the office OF chief clerk of the Sur
rogate's Court a rendezvous Tor poll
ticians. mis- will probably be reflected
in the vote for Surrogate, in an attempt
to defeat Surrogate George A. Wingate,
who has declined to promise to remove
McCooey as chief clerk. Although Nc
Cooey's Term will not expire for several
years 1t is probable that Republican
Surrogate could find some way Of get
ting him out. At least he would be
able TO stop the use OF the Surrogate s
office for political conferences It is
argued
but this issue is not likely. in my
opinion. to affect the vote for the other
offices TO any great extent. A block
of $4,000 votes in the bank Is some
thing that cannot be easily overcome
by the Republicans,
1.-THE swing is undoubtedly toward the
Republican ticket but the organization
will have to work hard to accelerate II
to the point where It will sweep Its
ticket in at the polls in November"
The banner Democratic landslide in
Brooklyn was last fall when Gov. Smith
got a plurality of $4,000 over Gov.
whitman. This was with the women
voting for the first time and with the
acute local issue of the Malbone street
wreck and the general feeling against
the Public Service Commission operating
potently.
Mayor Hylan carried Brooklyn over
Mayor Mitchell by substantial vote In
1917, and the year before that President
Wilson polled 5000 more votes than
Charles E. Hughes in the Presidential
race.
Hearst May Stay Out.
There is no Indication that William
Randolph Hearst is going TO carry his
fight against Gov. Smith and Tammany
across the Brooklyn Bridge. McCooey
has never spared any pains to please
the editor and was one OF his strongest
supporters for the Democratic nomina
ton for Governor at Saratoga year
ago. Therefore the Brooklyn boss feels
that he has nothing to fear from Hearst
attacks.
cit is true that Edmund o'Connor. the
titular head of the old independence
League, has announced that he will lead
an Independent movement at the polls
But the fact that Edward T. O'Loughlin
who has always been recognized as the
real mouthpiece of Mr.. Hearst in Brook
Ign. has kept himself out of any indie
pendent movement is considered to be
proof that the OConnor outbreak is
merely personal
II McCooey Is confident Of carrying
his county ticket across he Is even more
confident of electing John r. Kuhn, his
candidate for Justice of the Supreme
Court in the Second judiciary District
The district includes Queens county and
the remainder of Long Island and Rich
mond. Queens had a Democratic enroll
ment over 10000 in excess of the Re
publicans and In Richmond the Demo-
Gratis are 5000 to the good on enroll
ment figures. Outside the city the dis
trict is of course Republican. But Nc
Cooey believes he has a safe plurality OF
about $4,000 in the judicial district.
Arnon l.. Squiers. the Republican can
didate, has an uphill fight.
When 1t CONES to the County Court
Kings IL likely to exert its independence
and vote for the return of Judge Nor
man S. Dixie to the bench, where he
has served with credit On the other
hand Daniel ]. Griffin. one of the Demo-
cratic candidates, has not had much
experience at the bar in recent wears.
as he has been Sheriff and Representa-
tive in Congress.
Who the second candidate for the
County Court will be on the Republican
side viii not be determined until after