New-York tribune., 1920-07-21
Travis Will Not
Enter the Race
For Governor
Values Honor Too Highly
to Enter Campaign That
Will Make 1t Subject
to Political Attack
State Comptroller Says He
Will Not Be a Candidate
for Any Office This Year

Eugene NJ. Travis. State Comptroller,
allowed it to become known yesterday
through letter to Franklin Taylor. a
Brooklyn lawyer, that he would not be
a candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation for Governor or for any ether
Office this year.
TAYLOR was counsel for "The Brook
lyn Times which attacked Comptrol-
ler Travis's administration, charging.
among other things, that the state had
lost millions of dollars through pur-
chases of bonds for the State Sinking
Fund through an unidentified breker
who had an Office in a room in an up
town hotel 1t also was charged that
Lafayette B. Gleason. secretary of the
Republican State Committee, had re-
ceived several hundred thousand dol
lars in fees in the four years he has
been head of the Tax Appraisal office
under Comptroller Travis, in addition
to his $4,000 a year salary. Friends
of Gleason said yesterday that he re-
ceived less than $4,000 additional in
these extra" fees. These fees are
within the law.
with reference to The Brooklyn
Times publication of charges against
nv administration of the Office of State
Comptroller, desire to Offset any. false
impression by saying l am not candi-
date for any public Office during the
coming campaign. l say this because
/ value my honor too highly to enter
any campaign that will make it the
subject of political attack"
Swami Investigates Charges
District Attorney Swami has the in
vestigation of the charges now under
way He said yesterday that he did
not have all the material which had
been collected by the Investigators. He
also criticized those who knew of the
charges a year before they were made
public. The charges were printed in
"The Brooklyn Times" on the eve of
the paper were given to the New York
State delegates to the national conven-
ton.
81 would like to defer the investiga-
tion until after the election" said Dis
trict Attorney Swami, "but it does not
seem feasible. Entirely aside from this
case, l think it is regrettable that a
mans political enemies should wait
until a psychological time in his career
this"
The publication of the charges has
split the Republican party in Kings
County wide open. Travis was being
groomed zealously by Jacob A. Liv-
ingston, the Kings County chairman,
for the Governorship. This was op-
posed by William NJ. Calder, United
States Senator, who, incidentally, has
been fighting Livingston for control of
the Brooklyn machine. When the
charges were published, it was said at
the Office of the State Comptroller that
Senator Calder was behind them.
eve knew that this was coming for a
long time" was the comment.
Editor Is Former Press Agent of Calder
The editor of "The Brooklyn Times"
missioner of Parks in Brooklyn. Har-
mon in 1916 was the press aghnt of
Calder when he was running for United
States Senator and toured the state
with him, giving out copies of his
speeches to the newspapers.
At Chicago Calder's friends were
boasting Of his master stroke" which
they said had put Travis out of the
running.
The fight between Calder and Living
ston will continue, despite the elimina-
tion of Travis. Livingston, according
to Brooklyn leaders, will make an is
sue of the attack on Travis, and de-
mand that Senator Charles C. Lock-
wood, who is backed by Calder for the
nomination for State Comptroller, be
shelved and that a man he names be
designated by the State Convention at
Saratoga. From friends of Livingston
last night it was said that his candi-
date would be Senator Alvah Burlin-
ora,,nn Of PRO nlrl,r,,