Evening star., 1922-09-27
DEMOCRATIC SPLIT
CONTINUES IN n. Y.
Factions Wide Apart on Eve
of New York State
Meeting.
SMITH AND HEARST ISSUE
Boss Murphy of Tammany Hall
Is Holding Balance of
Power.
SMITH AND HEARST ISSUE
by y. O. MESSENGER.
Staff Correspondent OF The Star

STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.
SYRACUSE, y. V, September 81
hwo groups of angry democrats are
facing each other here today on the
eve of the democratic state conven-
ton. which meets tomorrow, each de-
Irrmined upon nominating. if pos
Sihle their choice for governor. Thus
an opening is presented for a COM
promise candidate.
Former Gov. Alfred Il. Smith and
William l.: Hearst are two men
about whom the contest RACES. Mr..
Smith does not desire the nomination.
hut is irrccuaciiably opposed to its
going to Mr. Hearst. The latter does
want il with all his heart. and is
seeking to prevent its going TO Mr.
Smith, if he cannot get il.
Between these two elements stands
one who at the moment is the un
happiest man in Syracuse. Charles F.
Murphy. boss of Tammany Hall.
Tammany's Position.
Through the delegates he controls
he holds the balance of power and
can swing the nomination to one or
the other. He realizes that in MAX
ing a choice he runs the risk of split
ting the democratic party wide open
and threatening the loss of the state
i'll the November elections. 1t is the
ugIiest condition which has confront
ed the democratic party in many
wears Fractional feeling is running
high intense bitterness prevails even
seeming to OverShadOw at times the
Spacter in the background of dl-
Nided democracy. in violent contrast
with the harmony prevailing IN inc
republican ranks. as voiced IN the
republican state convention III Ses-
sion at Albany today. intent upon re-
nominating Coy. Miller. admittedly a
strong and popular candidate.
Unless a compromise agreement is
reached out of court. which Is MI.
Murphy's present hope and endeaEor.
the alternative threatens of Il fight
ON the floor OF the convention. the one
thing EoSs Murphy wishes most to
avoid For if 1t comes to that the
friends "f former GOV. Smith say
they will a:tHrk MIR. Hearst in un-
hridIed language and the supporters
Of the publisher promise to ret"rt in
Kind.
Two names are prominently Men
toned as possibiiiti-S in case of
compromise. Mayor Lund of Sche-
uectauy and Mayor H%lan Of New
=
managed to steer 4 middle course be-
tween the Hears; and Smith factions.
He is a good deal of a radical. and
as such deemed acceptable to the
Hearst forces. Many democratic
leaders believe that this is the day
OF the radical and that with the
republicans nominating conserva-
tive. such Gov. Miller. the demo-
Gratis should name the antithesis
Mayor IIyIan is acceptable to the
Hearst hut nrSfprrp1 bN
Boss Murphy.
4 candidate for United States SEN
ator. 20 run i'll the elections against
Senator Calder is also to be nom
mated. but the senatorship Is sec
ondary to the governorship and will
not be taken up until the subernato-
rial nomination is settled.
Talk of Presidency.
4 suggested compromise which
would have Mr. Hearst and Mr. Smith
divide the sovernorship and the
senatorship between them is rejected
by MIR. Smith. who declares he will
not run on ticket for any Office on
which Mr.. Hearst is candidate.
There is Il squint toward presden-
iial politics in 1924 in the contest
staged here. 1t is generally conceded
hat If Mr.. Hearst should be nom
IHdteu ana carry lne STAKE IN NONenl-
her he would at once he considered
presidential timber. This prospect is
not pleasing to Boss Murphy either.
II Mr.. Smith were nominated and
elected governor. he likewise would
he deemed available for the presi-
dency. except for religious conSidera-
tions which might be raised by demo
Gratis elsewhere.
At this hour the order Of the day is
conferences" amos factiOnal leaders
. b. Il u
tenants. seeking way out of the
nomination tangle. Work on the
platform is held in allegiance until a
line is obtained on the possible NOM
inee of the convention. If Mr.. Hearst
is to be ii. one kind of a platform
would have to be written. which
would not suit the case IL MIR. Smith
is to be the choice of the convention.
Several tentative drafts have been
drawn. however. and are in cold stor-
age until the occasion arises for Sc
lecting among them. The convention
is otherwise interesting in national
sense. For the first time in ten years.
the primary system of nominations is
10 be abandoned and there is to be a re-
turn to the old convention methods.
All over the country. and especially In
states which are considering return
ing to the convention plan. the action
at Syracuse will be closely followed.
IT has been predicted by the advocates
of the statewide primary plan that
their claims will be justified and that
the spectacle will be presented of
hoss-ridden convention. as in the
palmy days of old, when bossism was
in flower.
Democratic Line-Jp.
1t may turn out so. at that There
Is no question that the redoubtable
chieftain of Tammany Hall. Charles
F. Murphy. is the potential figure in
the proceedings and can direct them
to ends he desires, either negative or
positive.
The way the forces are aligned is
this: There are 7S4 delegates in the
convention, requiring 36S to nomi-
nate: Mr.. Murphy is credited with
controlling outright. 1877. which is
10 say 142 in Manhattan borough and
55 in the Bronx. Mr.. Hearst is con-
ceded 133 in Brooklyn and Kings
county and 40 in Queens county, and
his lieutenants claim, but not con-
ceded by the opposition. 40 upstate.
AS it stands now, it is a very
pretty quarrel. with vast potentialities
of more trouble and at the same time,
if Boss Murphy can hit upon the
happy compromise, il possible of blow
ing over like an April shower