The New York herald., 1922-07-09
SMITH-HEARST FEUD
MAY KILL Off both
BEFORE CONVENTION
Compromise Candidate Talk
Is Heard as an Echo to
Knitting Threats.
MURPHY In BADLANDS
Can Control Situation, but
Must Placate All Demo-
cratic Factions.
PRIMARY A BIG FACTOR
Hearst to Concentrate Cam
paign to Control the New
Committeeman.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
SYRACUSE, July s. Footing up ac-
counts to-day In the inventory of
Democratic assets the party managers
In this State found that their pre-
convention pow-wow, held here for the
last two days. had added little to their
political wealth. The fact is they are
in a bad way.
Summed up as definitely as can be
in such an involved and complicated
situation, the result appears to be that
the State organization is pretty near
to an open split: that the bitter con-
fiict between Alfred e. Smith and
William r. Hearst has divided the
State into two hostile camps, either
Of which Is quite willing to kill off the
other regardless of what may happen
to the party itself, and that Charles
F. Murphy Is caught out in the bad
lands between the two. The thought
waves set up In the Syracuse confer
ence may reach Good Ground. L. l.,
and spoil the big chiefs golf
One rather important factor In the
situation and one which apparently the
anti-Hearst managers had overlooked is
that there Is to be primary on Septem-
Der 10. when there will be chosen an en-
tirely new State Committee. new county
committees and delegates to the State
Convention. There will be an entirely
new deal before the convention is called
in the last week of September.
Hand Picked Conferences.
The conference Of Democrats here was
hand picked and assorted with the great
est care. None but anti-Hearst men
who had stood the acid test were sum-
moned.
The Hearst men now announce their
determination to concentrate all their
energies on the primaries. They Will
carry the fight for delegate into every
upstate county. William Church Os-
born in his criticism of Mr. Hearst de-
clared that by the distribution of
wealth" an attempt was being made to
purchase the nomination. II money Is
used IL will be in the primary fights.
The Hearst men are going to try to
sweep the primaries.
Even should Hearst be successful In
sition to dominate the convention or
party. All he could do is to make
trouble. Murphy would still hold the
situation in hand. The FIVE counties of
New York, under Tammany control. will
have twenty more delegates in the State
Convention than all the upstate coun-
ties combined.
The final checking up to-day showed
that twenty-seven counties had declared
represented. Others were for Mayor
Lunn for Governor, or any good Demo-
crat.
Kninng Is Threatened.
In answer to the threats of the Smith
camp to knife Hearst IL he should be
nominated comes the challenge from
the Hearst lieutenants that they will use
precisely the same kind OF warfare IL
Smith is nominated. The result is that
Hearst and Smith may kill Off each
other before they are through and force
u compromise.
There is much talk OF compromise
heard already. Why ruin the party
because Of the personal conflict between
Hearst and Smith?" many are asking.
They question whether either would
have much chance of winning with each
side threatening to carry the fight to
the polls. The names of possible com
promise candidates suggested include
Mayor Lunn, whom Hearst might sup
port, Justice Robert F. Wagner. Judge
Frank Irvine and Martin III. Glynn.
Murphy will have rare opportunity
TO display political sagacity In trying
TO lead the Democracy out OF this mess.
He must keep peace with Mayor Hylan,
who Is the ally and friend OF Hearst.
and who demands the nomination of
Hearst: he must placate the Tom Foley
AL Smith faction. which threatens to
bolt Tammany and split the party wide
open II Hearst is named he must make
II possible for John McCooey-hls
Brooklyn leader--to keep In with Hylan
and stay In the Tammany camp he
must prevent the revolt OF the upstate
who say they will quit In
Hearst is named; he must keep the
support OF the Hearst press for whoever
Is named, and last and most important
he must get the money somewhere 70
run an expensive State campaign. II
Is not any wonder that Mr. Murphy's
golf game Is bit Off, as has been re-
ported.