New-York tribune., 1920-06-28
Sudden Change in Atti-
tude Laid to Effort
of Governor to Strad-
die Prohibition Issue
Smith to Get Solid
Vote ON First Ballot
Cochran Will Nominate
Him; Convention Hon
ors Decided at Caucus
By Charles T. White

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27.-McAdoo
stock took another jump to-day when
the Tammany leaders, after a confer
ence lasting until early this morning,
decided that they would stand no
pussyfooting On prohibition and that
Governor Cox, in his effort to straddle
the wet and dry issue, had alienated
the New York support, which seemed
certain for him.
While Cox was wet he suited Tam
many. After the announcement last
night by Ex-Governor James e. Camp
bell, leader of the Ohio delegation,
that Cox is not wet the Ohio Governor
does not appeal to Tammany. In fact,
they have no use for him.
The indications now are that the
New York delegates will vote almost
solidly for Governor Smith on the first
ballot, and that the bulk of them will
continue to vote for him until it be-
comes apparent that McAdoo or some
one else is going to win. Then they
will switch.
CoX's pussyfooting, as the 1ammany
men characterize the new attitude Of
the Ohio Governor, effected sudden
and surprising change in the attitude
of Tammany. Charles F. Murphy,
Saturday, said that the sentiment as
he found it was for Cox. He does not
say so to-day. What Mr.. Murphy
wants to keep the home fires burning
merrily is a vet plank, an Irish plank
and a labor plank, all phrased SO as to
warm the cookies Of the collective
heart of the tepee dwellers in little
old New York.
Cox Bids for Dry Votes
While Cox stood for these things in
the eyes of the Tammany leaders he
looked good to them. But Cox, to
make himself solid >with the Middle
and Far West and South, authorized
his spokesmen in the Ohio delegation
to say that he was not wet. ExGov-
ernor Campbell said SO in unmistakable
the dry Democrats, but it does not suit
Tammany.
Cox, by attempting to break up the
dry control of the situation through his
declaration that he is not a wet, has at
the same time broken up the wet com
hine, which seemed formidable when
Ohio was in line with New York, Mas
sachusetts, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan,
Pennsylvania and New JERSEY for a wet
plank. The chief detection, of course
is New York, which seems now to be
less inclined to Cox than to McAdoo.
The latter is on record as saying that
the support of Tammany is handicap.
1t looks as if he would have this Sup
port" for what it is worth in the final
stages Of the balloting this week.
Mack's Statement Explains Change
Just what the Cox men will do to
regain ground they have lost through
the coldness of New York remains to
be seen. The Cox supporters, who are
here in large numbers, are very enthu-
siastic, and as soon as they heard
to-day that Tammany was turning
against them they began hustling. The
Tammany leaders were very cool to-
ward them. The attitude is rather
clearly indicated by a brief statement
from Norman E. Mack, of Buffalo, ma
tional committeeman from New York
who said
COX has hurt himself, or his rep
resentatives have hurt him, by the Of
iiclal announcement that he is not a
wet and that he does not desire ag-
gressive hostility toward the Volstead
enforcement law. The New York dele
cation, guided by the action of the
Democratic State Convention. favors a
wet plank. With Governor Cox taking
an equivocal position on this impor-
tart matter he is not getting anywhere
with us. In fact, he has hurt himself.
There is only ono man who can
make any sort Of campaign on a dry
platform, and that man is William ]
CONTINUED on no1t paee)