New-York tribune., 1919-09-02
Wet and Dry
Fight Stirs
All Brooklyn
Anti'Saloon League Seeks
Defeat of Haskell for
Judgeship in Republican
Primaries, and Row Starts
He Favors Referendum
Because of His Attitude
in Congress Anderson
Cohorts Demand His Head

For the first time in years the eve
OF primary day, instead of being given
over to rest by all candidates for party
honors and their supporters, proved
to be the busiest of the entire cam
Paign for the Republicans of BROOKLYN
who are supporting or opposing the
candldacy of Representative Reuben L,
Haskell. who is after the nomination
for County Judge
The Haskell fight in the last forty
eight hours assumed larger proportions
than a mere local party row. This was
due to the eleventh hour entrance Of
the AntI-Saloon League into the con-
test The league sent an appeal to its
followers to defeat Haskell.
The leagues opposition 10 Haskell
was due to his attitude on the Federal
bone-dry amendment. Haskell main
tanned that in all fairness the question
should be submitted to a national re-.
erendum. and introduced a resolution
IN Congress providing for one
Becomes Wet and Dry FIGHT
The leagues appeal, which was
signed by Miss Ada,la Potter, William
II Anderson's chief organizer. did not
reach Brooklyn until Saturday after
noon. Since that time The contest
ceased to be solely one between Has
kell against Norman S. Dixie and Fred
crick S. Martyn and became a revival
Of the wet and dry fight.
Haskell and his friends said last
night that the vote to-day would ndi-
cate the reaction to the nationa! pro
hibition law at least among Brooklyn
Republicans.
ut must be remembered" said one of
faskell's managers last light. that
both Martyr and Judge Dixie are the
regular des gnees OF the organizati0n
Many who are fundamentally opposed
to an insurgency of any kind VIII vote
tor Dixie ana Martyn. But we are seek
ing to overcome that by drawing at
tention to the last-minute attack OF the
Anti-Saloon League
And this is being done by personal call,
telephone and circular. Thousands of en-
N to-day's mail asking them to be al,
the polls when they open at o'clock,
and to be sure to vote for Haskell.
Throughout the day. until the polls
close at 9 O'Clock, the Haskell support
ers will make an effort to reach every
man and woman in favor of Haskells
attitude on the psoh bition question
Drys Are Busy. Too
Nor were The nti-Haskellitcs, or
drys, idle. In response to the appeal
o., the Anti-Sal DON League they sent
kilograms to the Republican drys who
We're away on their vacations. urging
them to be on hand to vote against
Haskell. The drys also kept the tele-
phone wires sizzling
Before the agitation Of the Anti
saloon League. which was character
ized by Haskell as that OF a noisy but
we'll organized minority, it was pre-
dlcted that not more than 25.0O0 votes
would be east by the Brooklyn Repub-
Ncans Last night leaders We're Of the
opinion that. though this is an otf year.
vote almost equal to that Of last year
would be polled. Last September, when
the hitman-Lewis fight brought out
most OF the party's enrolled strength,
a2.s3l votes were cast. OF this number
Lewis received 1920 and Whitman
the AntiSaloon League, also had a
powerful personal machine, controlled
by men he had appointed to Office.
Haskell has no machine behind him.
Despite that. he prophesied yesterday
that he would win. And the drys were
equally confident ne would be defeated.
Others Not SO Excited
Other candidates and their hackers
took Yesterday off William NJ. Ben
nett. former State Senator, who is op-
posing Representative F'iorelo II. La
Guardia for tho Republican nomina-
tlon for President OF the Board of
Aldermen, played golf all day. La
Guardia, who has the organization be
hotel it was said that he would not
return until after the primaries. This
is the only contest OF note in the Re
publican primaries, outside Of the
HASKELL ll-Dikc- 5lartyn affair.
The Democrats have three big county
fights on their hands, in Brooklyn,
Queens and Richmond where the in
surgents are seeking to GUST the pres
ent leaders. The biggest Of these is
the fight made by the Schneider Will
mot-Finegan organization against the
McCooey machine in Brooklyn. These
insurgents, along with two others, are
planning to put complete tickets in
the field in the event OF defeat
McCooey predicts that his entire
county ticket viii be nominated Sim
liar predictions were made by the or
ganization leaders IN Queens and
Richmond, who have also complete
county tickets il the field
All Prophecies Confident
The insurgents arc also making con-
fdent prophecies. The most the regu-
lars would concede was that an occa-
sional insurgent III an aldermanic or
Assembly contest was likely to defeat
the organization designee.
In Manhattan and The Bronx there
are only q handful of contests in the
Democratic and ReDub lican parties,
and in practically al OF these the in
surgcnts seem foredoomed to defeat.
The Socialists, for the first time in
their history have taken their M
ternal differences into the primaries
and in nearly all the aldermanie AMI
Assembly districts the Left Wngers
and Right Wingers are struggling for
supremacy. In most of the Socialist
contests women are prominent, not
only in electioneering, but in seeking
nominations. Only a comparatively Y
fer uOn1er hav, n, ada III ir aDneara n @ q