Evening star., 1922-07-11
PRESIDENCY MAY
SWING ON RACE
FOR N. Y. GOVERNOR
CONTINUED from First Page.>

renewed courage and hope through
his personality and success.
New York democrats feel this way
also. and the sentiment is an urge to
ambition and to effort. Enthusiastic
supporters of William r. Hearst see
in the drift of events an opportunity
for him to step into the breach and
enter the pathway of possible
presidential nomination. Opponents
Of Mr.. Hearst apparently are cog
nizant Of the possibilities and are
feverishly at work to try to stop him
at the threshold by preventing his
friends nominating him for the gov
ernorship this fall.
Would Head on Boom.
! Friends Of other presidential possi-
bilities are busying themselves seek
ing to head off the Hearst guberna-
torial boom and advance their own
favorite political prospects.
Supporters of former Gov. Alfred
e. Smith. who has retired from poll
tics and now Is In business in New
York, placed the first serious obstacle
in the way Of the movement engi-
neered by Mr.. Hearst's friends when
they called meeting OF some ZoO
upstate democrats at Syracuse last
candidacy was most bitterly assaiied
1t was the purpose of the control
ling element in that meeting to make
an apparent showing of opposition
| to Mr.. Hearst among upstate demo
Gratis. sufficient to warrant doubt OF
his ability to carry the state II nomi-
mated. His alleged failure to sup
port democratic candidates in the
past was recited, and a resolution
| was adopted declaring that in the
opinion of this conference, the COM
| ing state convention should nomi-
nate only democrats of proved stand
| ing for the high offices Of governor
and senator"
The unofficial poll Of the meeting
showed an overwhelming sentiment
for Alfred L. Smith for the guberna-
! torial nomination. There is said to
Gratis want Smith. and believe that
he stands a good show of carrying
| the election in November for the gov
ernorship. with the possibility OF
taking along the United States sena- /
torship II a Smith landslide can be
started.
Smith on-Committal.
Mr.. Smith himself says nothing at
this time. He is attending to his
business affairs here. said to be sue
cessful, and deprecates political &C
| tivity on the part of his friends. The
best belief in political circles is that
he would>not decline the nomination
II it were given him. If elected he
would be classed as a possibility for
the presidential nomination. despite
some religious prejudice which might
be put forward against him.
Boss Murphy of Tammany Hall is
playing his familiar role Of sphinx
He says the state convention will
decide" which is only an excuse for
giving him time to look over the
field, watch the trend and then exert
his influence in the end. Many well
posted democrats here believe that he
would not hold out against Mr.. Smith
and that he may even possibly have
him in the back of his mind. his ST.
lence due to the desire to avoid in
viting attack by supporting him Sc
early in the contest Mayor Hylan OF
New York city is for Mr.. Hearst
while Boss Murphy is not.
This Is the open season for state
politics. and. while the nominating
period is weeks of, there Is unusual
activity in all democratic circles.