New-York tribune., 1922-08-20
Non-P artisan Bar [ commit
tee to Place Surrogate's
Name on Ticket; Action
of Bosses Denounced d
Threat to Defeat
Koenig's Brother
Murphy's Effort to Clinch
Courts Control Arouses
Leaders of Profession

:
| Murphy and Samuel S.. Koenig, will be
a candidate for reelection, it was an
, npunced by his friends yesterday.
The formal announcement of Surro-
gate Cohalan's candidacy will be made
either Tuesday or Wednesday after
the meeting of the non-partisan law
yers' committee, of which George L..
Shearer Is chairman. 1t is expected to
| meet within forty-eight hours. The
formal call will in all probability be
issued early tomorrow.
Prominent lawyers. both Republican
and Democratic, continued yesterday
their denunciation of the attempt to
retire Surrogate Cohalan.
Several prominent Republicans tried
to reach Mr.. Koenig to demand that he
New York Republican County Com
mittee together at once to reconsider
its action of Wednesday and nominate
Surrogate Cohalan on the Republican
ticket, as was done three years ago
when Supreme Court Justice Neu-
berger, another Tammany judge was
turned down by Murphy.
Petition Filed in Haste
These Republicans who wanted the
executive committee called together
were checkmated by the action of one
of Koenig's lieutenants yesterday, John
Neville Boyle, who filed the petition
designating the local Republican
judiciary ticket.
The petitions, which are generally
held up to the last hour when they
may be filed, were handed to the Board
of Elections yesterday morning as soon
as the Office was opened. The law pro-
vides that petitions may be filed up to
Tuesday midnight.
1t was obvious that the petitions
were filed, in great haste, as only a
bare hanNeul of enrolled Republicans
less than $1,000 signed the petitions.
The total Republican enrolment in
New York County is 154,730. This rep
resents less than per cent of the en-
rolled Republicans. N
The filing of the petitions means
that the executive committee cannot
act in the case. The only way Cohalan
can be placed on the Republican ticket
now is for Frank j. Coleman, named by
the Republicans, to decline the desig-
nation. Then the committee on yacan-
cies could substitute Cohalan in Cole
mans stead.
Murphy's friends threaten that if
nominate Cohalan, the Tammany lead
er will put another candidate in
the Democratic primary against Koe-
nig's brother, Judge Morris Koenig,
who received the Tammany indorse-
ment, and defeat the nomination.
Blows at Widows and Orphans
Thousands of letters and kilograms
have poured in on Surrogate Cohalan
1royiy tn Sto ir,
of them were from lawyers.
Robert j. Robson, Of Elliott, Robe
son & Dean, 277 Broadway, said:
III Surrogate Cohalar is not re-
elected the Surrogates' Court will be
under the complete domination Of
Charles F. Murphy. He now controls
half of it. But this does not satisfy
Mr.. Murphy. He wants to control it
all. Mr.. Murphy could not control
Surrogate Cohalan, SO ae is attempting
to shelve him with the aid Of Samuel
S. Koenig, the Republican boss of the
county.
aThe turning down of Surrogate
Cohalan is not only a base betrayal of
the bench and the bar, but it is blow
at the widows and orphans of this
county. To the Surrogates' Court is
committed the custody Of the estates
of the dead. These estates must be
administered by court that is not
controlled by political leaders, whether
their name be Murphy or Koeilig.
"The attempted shelving of Surro-
gate Cohalan is q blow at all that is
fundamental in maintaining the in
tegrity Of the courts, and the decent
citizenry of this county have no choice
but to see to 1t that Surrogate Cohalan
is reelected"
Called Attack on Courts
M. L. Maleyinsky, of the law firm
Of O'Brien, Malevinsky & Driscoll,
Fitzgerald Building, said:
"All the assistance can give to
Surrogate Cohalan shall be given. The
people have no choice but to re-elect
him.
after all is said and done, the
perpetuity Of our government depends
upon the respect and love our people
have for our own America. Our courts
are the foundation Of American gov
ernment. They should not be made
the plaything or prey of politics. The
politicians will destroy US if we do
not stand guard"
Former Surrogate Ketcham, Of Brook
lyn, after expressing regret that he
was disqualified because OF residence
from joining with the lawyers of New
York from working for the reelection
Of Surrogate Cohalan, said:
Surrogate Cohalan has my gratitude
and admiration for his earnest and
sagacious interpretation under great
difficulties of the statute by which the
Surrogates' practice was revised in 1914,
This was q labor Of special Importance
imposed upon the Surrogates of the
cf INT IN rtyhf u ~