New-York tribune., 1920-06-10
Leaders Urge
Smell to Run
For Governor
Potsdam Representative Be-
sieged in Chicago to En-
ter the Race Here to
Unite Party Factions
Convention Call in July
Hugo, Travis and Hooker
All Working Hard to
Get Support for Booms
From a STAFF Correspondent

CHICAGO, June 9.-The New York
Republican leaders are considering
Representative Bertrand H. Smell, of
Potsdam, as a candidate for Governor
next fall. AS soon as the delegates
get back home there will be con-
ference looking to the selection of the
best available candidate with the idea
. that his candidacy, backed generally
shy the organization. will smash the
booms in the interest of Secretary
of State Francis NJ. Hugo, Comptroller
Eugene M. Travis. Elon H. Hooker and
others.
representative Shell has told the
9e!egates here that he is not candi-
GATE for the Republican nomination, as
ne is we'll placed in the House, where
ne is second member of the Commit
tee on Rules. Despite his reluctance
70 leave Congress, the state leaders
are likely to insist that he enter the
race for the governorship. They
asked him to-day to attend confer
ence to be held in New York as soon
as the delegates return next week.
1t is expected that if the conference
Is held, all of the aspirants for the
that while they are at liberty to stay
in the race, the power of the organi
cation will be back Of Mr.. Smell.
The fact is that the Governorship
matter is drifting along without direc-
tlon and that Secretary Hugo stands
to win the nomination unless the or
ganization leaders take the matter in
hand by agreeing to back some one
else. Mr.. Hugo. is here working hard
for himself: He perhaps IL the best
known of all the. aspirahts, as he has
been handshaking at AN sorts of
gatherings in nearly every yNcoupty in
New York. for the last five years, He
has the supposed geographical adyan-
tage OF being an upstate man. He
lives in Watertown
Comptroller Travis is in Chicago
mixing with his friends from around
the state. It is fact that neither the
Travis nor the Hugo boom is receiving
the support from the delegates that the
friends of those two officials expected.
Next is the Elon H. Hooker BOOM
Mr. Hooker also is here. His advances
toward the coveted place have dismayed
his rivals in one important respect. He
is engineering his own boom, and those
who are helping him say they will not
have to walk the floor over the lack
of the sinews of war if Mr.. Hooker
becomes the nominee
One of the perplexing features of the
three booms on view is that their own
ers do not show any disposition to re-
tire. 1t will be the job of the state
leaders, by the strongest of strong arm
political methods, to prove to Messrs.
Hugo, Travis and Hooker that they are
superfuous and that brand new can
didate is needed.
Another complicating feature is the
fact that if the three aspirants named
go after the nomination there is a
strong probability that former Cover
nor Charles S. Whitman, backed by
the Anti-Saloon League and the League
of Women Voters, will enter the race.
The former Governors friends here
have been talking the matter over with
him. They are trying to persuade him
that if he runs on strict law enforce
ment platform he stands to get the sup
port of the drys and the church people,
while the liberal element in the cleo
torate will divide their support be-
tween the other candidates.
Mr.. Whitman probably would make
the race if he was sure that Governor
Smith, who beat him two years ago on
a f1uke, would be his opponent. He
believes that the people are through
with the Tammany Governor
This is the situation that the lead
ers will have to face as soon as they
get home. 1t is understood that State
Chairman Glynn soon will call meet