The New York herald., 1922-08-25
COHALAN ACCEPTS
CALL AS CANDIDATE
Surrogate in Reply to Law
yers Announces Campaign
as an Independent.
OTHERS ASKED TO QUIT
Bar Committee Writes to
O'Brien and Coleman They
Have No Other Course.
sNONPARTISANS' SHAKY
Phillips Resigns and Other
Regular Tammany Men Are
Expected to Follow.
sNONPARTISANS' SHAKY

Turned down for denomination by
Tammany Hall and refused an in
Zation, Surrogate John F. Cohalan last
night made formal announcement that
he is a candidate for reelection.
The announcement was made in a
letter to George l.. Shearer, chairman
of the Non-Partisan Committee of
Lawyers, which had called upon the
Surrogate to run. Earlier in the day
Shearer wrote to John P. O'Brien,
Tammany candidate for the nomina
ton. and to Justice Frank j. Coleman,
manding that they decline the desig
nations and insist that Surrogate Co.
halan be substituted in their place.
AS the Cohalan committee was or
ganized soon after the bar associations
had indorsed him for reelection and be-
fore the action of the Democratic and
Republican leaders, it contains a num-
Der of organization men, some of whom
might be expected to be embarrassed by
continuing on the committee. Among
these are Representative Bourke Cock
ran, Tammany candidate for reelection.
and Roy Weller, who has been desig-
mated by Tammany for Congress.
Tammany Man Quits.
For this reason 1t was reported yester-
day the committee mad begun to disinte-
crate, several designations having been
received. The officers of the committee
united In declaring the only resignation
received was that of N. Taylor Phillips,
,aw partner of jeremiah Mahoney. Tam
many leader of the Fifteenth district.
James J. Dooling, son of former Rep
resentative Peter j. Dooling, one of the
Tammany leaders of the Fifth Assembly
District, a secretary of the committee,
sent a letter to Leslie Tompl1ins. the
treasurer, saying he intended 20 remain
on the committee.
Surrogate Cohalan never intended to
run in the primaries. but because he did
not file petitions for that some people
though he had abandoned his fight. 1t
nounce Immediately he would be an in
dependent candidate for election. His
letter follows:
Dear Mr.. Shearer: I have this day
received the resolutions of the Nom
Partisan Committee of Lawyers OF
which you are chairman, calling upon
me to submit myself as a candidate for
reelection TO the office of Surrogate of
New York county.
Deeply sensible of the great honor
done me in this request and conscious
of the duty which / owe to the people,
the bar and myself. j unhesitatingly
accept the call, and I hereby, through
YOU, announce that / am candidate
for reelection and shall do all that in
me lies to defend the principle enunci-
ated by your committed: namely, the
preservation of the independence of the
judiciary"
Unprecedented Move.
SO far as politicians could remember
last night the letter sent TO the regular
designees of the dominant parties ask
ing that they withdraw from the race
was unique in political annals. 1t was
written by Mr.. Shearer and the same
text was sent to each candidate. 1t
says in part:
Section of Article III, of the Canons
Of Ethics adopted by the New York
State Bar Association In 1909, reads In
part as follows
1T is the duty OF the bar to en-
deavor to prevent political consdera
tions from outweighing judicial fitness
In the selection OF Judges
For a long period OF years the bench
and bar of New York city have in
sisted upon the principle that where o
Judge has demonstrated his fitness for
tho bench. and by years OF experience
has gained the technical knowledge and
wisdom which accrues therefrom, he
should be reelected.
ION June 5. 1922. the Bar Association
OF the City OF New York. the New York
County Lawyers Association, and the
womans Lawyers Association of New
York, adopted resolutions recommend
ing Surrogate Cohalan for renomina-
tion and reelection.
"Disregardng the action taken by those
best fitted to know the needs Of this
community, the dominant parties have
refused TO renominatc Surrogate Co
haian and you have been named as
candidate by your party to succeed him.
You are a member Of the bar of this
state and Of this city. IT you believe
in the principle OF retaining good judges
IN office and II you subscribe to the
canons OF ethics OF the bar, there Is
but one course open TO you. which Is to
insist upon the withdrawal OF your name
as a candidate for this judicial honor
and demand that p'our party shall name