The New York herald., 1922-06-09
Selection of Publisher or
Former Governor Would
Mean a Split.
JUDGE WAGNER FAVORED
Tammany in a Quandary Over
Naming Candidate for
( Governor.

PoUGHKEEPsIE. June 8.--Mayor Hy-
Ian has cleared away some of the fog
enveloping the Democratic political
situation by his definition, of the issues
and his description of my type of a
candidate.
When the State Conference of
Mayors broke up this afternoon after
three day session it was the opinion
Of the officials from sixty ,nunicipali
ties in the State that Hylan had made
a mistake injecting politics into their
meeting, but that these two facts had
been brought out pretty clearly as a
result Of his activities:
Mayor Hylan and William r.
Hearst are in hard and fast COM
bination to override Tammany in
picking candidates and centering
the fight on Gov. Miller as the one
big campaign issue.
The bitter antagonism between
the Hearst and AL Smith factions
in the Democratic party indicates
mean split in the party. There is
a growing belief that the only way
out is to forget both Hearst and
Smith. and In the compromise talk
Z the names heard are Mayor Hylan,
Justice Robert F.. Wagner and
Mayor George Lunn, in the order
named.
Clearly Against Hearst.
There is no mistaking the antipathy to
Hearst up State. 1t was expressed over
and over during the last two days.
David Hirshfield. Commissioner Of Ac-
counts. came here as Hylan's advance
agent to spread the Hearst propaganda
among the Mayors. The conference was
believed to be a fertile field and from
this conference was to radiate a state
wide movement for Hearst.
But 1t died before 1t started. Even
some OF the Democratic Mayors whom
Hirshfield is said to have approached
told him to keep hands off. They
frowned on his propaganda and quite
plainly told him to forget 1t. so 1t is re-
ported.
Then when the Mayor came he made
a sincere effort TO boost his friend
Hearst. The response was frigid. There
was hardly a hand clap, and 1t was
noted that for every shout which came
from the Hylan camp for sHearst there
were two for Hylan.
One thing on which the Democratic
Mayors and other municipal officers ap-
peared to be in complete agreement
was that their communities. whom they
are supposed to know pretty WELL will
not stand for Hearst. They say 1t with
great emphasis. They will support Hy-
Ian, Smith, Wagner or any one Tam
many wishes to name but they will not
take Hearst.
May Hold Rump Convention.
The suggestion was heard half dozen
times in the last two days that II Tam
many and Charles F. Murphy give way
before the Hylan-Hearst combination
and nominate Hearst for Governor an
effort will be made to call rump con-
vention and name another Democratic
candidate.
Sober minded Democrats doubt
whether the opposition would go that
far; they think It would not and that
IL would simply be carried to the polls
But such threats are interesting as in
dicating the temper OF the upstate
the real attitude IL would be wasted
time 10 nominate n man who was as
good as beaten before named.
But the Mayors notice to Tammany
that It will not be enough TO name a
merely good natured person" who has
not won scars by fighting aggressively
the battle of the people is accepted AZ
meaning that the Hearst-Hylan com
bination viii not accept Al Smith. The
prevailing opinion Is that while the anti
Hearst sentiment and the threat OF a
revolt may eliminate Hearst. the Mayors
bitter antagonism to Smith will put the
one time Governor out of the running.
Probably nine out of ten up State Dem
ocrats want Smith but are willing to
an any one IL Hearst Ia de-
clarcd out OF II.
It Is the understanding here that the
Mayors declaration of his stand. which
is regarded somewhat of an ultimatum
from the Hearst camp to Tammany, was
prepared with much care. II is said TO
have been approved by John II. Me-
Cooey, Tammany leader In Brooklyn.
but whether or not that is true cannot
be known.