New-York tribune., 1922-09-21
Publishers Agents Try to
Belittle Primary Rout by
Saying S'Al'' Is Too Til
to Lead at Syracuse
God Willing, g, I'll Be
There He Replies
Conners Disguised at Loss
Up State; Tammany Is
Anxious, Hylan Cheerful

Word was spread in political circles
yesterday by agents of William Ran
doiph Hearst that the defeat of his dele
gates in Albany and Erie counties, where
considerable Hearst money was used,
meant less than it might, since ex-
Governor Alfred E. Smith, whose dele
gates carried the primaries, was i'll in
bed and would be unable to attend the
Syracuse convention and lead his forces
in person.
When this story was repeated to Mr..
Smith at his home last night he said
in challenging tones:
Il shall be at my office at the United
States Trucking Company on Friday
morning, and unless God wills other
wise I shall be at Syracuse next week,
in sufficient time before the Democrat
ic State Convention formally meets, to
confer with my friends"
Before The Tribune representative
spoke with Mr.. Smith, his friends
characterized the Hearst talk as plain
bunk, and said that the former Cover
nor, while he had been resting up for
about week from slight attack of
rheumatism, would show Hearst next
Wednesday, when the Syracuse con-
ventlon meets, that he is there with
few more knockout blows since he
delivered his famous Carnegie Hall
speech. Smiths friends went so far
as to predict his nomination.
Hylan Feels Blow
The rout of the Hearst delegates
was staggering blow to the Hearst
supporters here, especially to Mayor
Hylan, Hearst's local spokesman, who
is held responsible by many for hav-
ing his Corporation Counsel, John p.
O'Brien, put up by Charles F. Murphy.
as part of the deal to destroy Sur
rogate John P. Cohalan.
The Mayor on arriving at City Hall
yesterday contradicted William j. Con-
ners, Hearst's campaign manager, and
Hearst's lieutenant in Albany by de-
claring that the delegates put up bv
Conners and McCabe were not Hearst
delegates. The Mayor made the veiled
charge that the Hearst delegates in
these counties had been put in the pri-
maries by the Corporation news
papers,"
The Mayors statements were made
Ah ASPiJ w tne question::
DO you regard the defeat of all
Hearst delegates in Erie and other up
state counties as meaning the defeat of
Mr. Hearst for the Gubernatorial nom.
ination 2"
No" said the Mayor. "There were
no Hearst delegates running in any
county in the state. There were no
authorized Hearst delegates running in
any county in the state. The corpora
tlon press spread the false impression
that such contests were being made in
Erie and Albany and couple of other
counties, although knowing that nc
such contest was being made.
"Kept Aloof," Says Hylan
"The determination" continued the
Mayor, whether Mr.. Hearst should be
a. candidate has been purposely kept
aloof from local contests relating to
local leaderships.
"The decision as to whether Mr.
Hearst should be a candidate, follow
ing such course, can now be had from
the delegates after due consideration. "
When McCabe, the Albany County
boss Of the Hearst forces, was asked
yesterday what effect the complete rout
of the Hearst delegates by the Smith
ticket would have on the Hearst fight
against AL Smith, he said:
81 can't say. The showing was sc
measly that it seems to me l ought tc
shut up and say nothing. 1t looks as
If we hadn't done anything at all"
In Erie County, where Conners per.
sonally directed the Hearst fight fo1
delegates, he was able to elect only
three Hearst men to the thirty-fve
elected by the Smith forces, and this
in spite of the fact that he owns two
newspapers in Buffalo and employs
enterprises in Erie County.
Conners was too disgusted to talk
lCnn4inuah m nnxt nanel