New-York tribune., 1922-09-19
Collalall Fight
Forces Murphy
Over. TO Hearst.
'Tarnmany Boss Must Name
Editor or Man of His
Selection for Governor,
Leaders Now Assert
Primaries To Be Ignored
Chief Faces Peril of Being
Deposed if He Permits
Smith To Be Chosen

Politicians said yesterday that 1t
mattered little how the contests be-
tween the Hearst and Smith men for
control of the delegations TO the Syra-
euse convention In fve of the upstate
counties turned out in to-day Demo
cratic primary, since they believed that
Charles F. Murphy, who will decide
who is to be nominated, will hsye little
choice except to name Willism Ran
dolph Hearst, or whoever the editor
politician selects.
This belief is based largely on the
revolt started against the Murphy
regime within the organization as the
gate John P. Cohalan for denomination
after Cohalan haa been Endorsed by all
the bar associations Of the city for re-
nomination and reelection because OF
mis- E'honest, fearless, able and efficient"
administration OF the widows and
orphans court.
Now at Hearst's Mercy
To-day Murphy completes his TWEEN
tieth year as leader of Tammany Hall,
and is in his sixty-sixth year. His in
Inmates dec'a that had he known the
fight which he would have had on his
hands when, with the aid of Samuel
s. Koenig, ne turned down Cohalan, he
woIld not have done it.
The Cohalan incident, in the opinion
o. Democrats, has placed Murphy in
"a position where he cannot oppose
Hearst's demand for the nomination, as
ne did four years ago when "Al"
Smith was nominated over the joint
protests of Hearst and Hylan.
This is worrying Smiths friends, but
they are counting on the former Gov
ernor making personal attack on the
vention, thus ending, in their opinion,
Hearst's drive for the governorship and
the Presidency two years hence.
Democratic politicians who have been
following the political plays since the
Murphy-Koenig deal, declare that with
Murphy's vigor far from what it was
when he took control of Tammany
twenty years ago, a real fight waged
by the Tammany leaders who have an
nounced that they will support Cohalan,
backed by Hearst and his friend Mayor
Hylan, would mean the speedy elimina-
ton from politics of the Tammany
chief.
See Murphy Slipping
Having this picture in mind. promi-
nent Democrats said yesterday that
Murphy would not dare to refuse to
support Hearst for the Governorship,
or If he could not deliver the nomina-
tion, that he would have to do the next
best thing-name Hearsts man.
The proddIngs that Murphy has re-
ceived lately have awakened him to his
danger. The news that the Democrats
had not named candidates for Congress
or the State Senate in six Senatorial
and four Congressional districts up-
state has had it's effect. Yesterday
the Tammany leader sent out word
that the Democrats in these districts
must write in the names of some one
80 that there will be some sort of 4
man named on the Democratic ticket
this fall
Democratic leaders yesterday said
that the failure of Murphy. who is the
actual state leader of the Democratic
party, TO see TO it that candidates for
Congress and he state Senate were put
up in every district was unheard of
before Murphy's day, and that it never
happened under Hill or Cleveland. The
Murphy critics declared that this neg
lect meant that nineteen counties of
the sixty-one throughout the state
we're without any sort of a virile organ.
izat orr and that this was equivalent
TO filing certificate of political in
solVency.
Murphy's representative admitted
that in many of the upstate districts
Tor many years back under Murph,
that no effort has been made to norni,
nate candidates for the state Leeisla.
ture and for the national Legislature
by the Democratic organization, ant
that IN many instances the local Demo
cratic organizations, or what passef
for them, indorsed the Republican nom
inees,