Evening star., 1925-09-16
NEW YoRKRESU[T
I IS SMIEH-YICIORY
Hylan Would Have Won With
out Governors 0pposi-
o. ton, Is View.
By ROBERT r. SMALL.

BIZ ROBEhI L. SMALL.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September 16.-"Al"
Smith still reigns supreme. Any
doubt as to where he stands with the
Democracy of Greater New York
which is the Democracy Of the Empire
State-has been swept away. The
governor made good his promise to put
Hylan and Hearst "in the ashcan."
1t has been made plain that third
party ticket, headed by Hylan and
financed by Hearst, will have no
backing at all within the Democratic
organization. The most loyal of the
Hylan leaders have announced their
intention of staying regular" and
getting behind Senator Jimmy"
Walker, the nominee, whom Hylan
tried to belittle as "a Broadway
butterfly"
There is but a single note in the
city today. 1t arises alike from
Democratic and Republican sources.
1t is a pean of praise to Gov. Smith
for his work in the campaign. With
out his opposition 1t Is frankly ad-
mitted that Maylor Hylan would have
been renominated and reelected. Re
publicans in their joy over ridding the
city of "Hylanism' are intimating only
in a roundabout way that they are
hoping to defeat the new Tammany
candidate at the polls in November
with their candidate, Frank. D. Water
man. pen manufacturer, who says he
would give the city it's first business
administration" in half score of
years.
G. o. p. Victory Unlikely.
1t may be possible that the Republi-
xr-r he oil n
ber, but it Is not probable, even If the
defeated Hylan and Hearst combina-
ton do their worst to upset the
Tammany applicant.
Among the enrolled voters of the
city the Democrats outnumber the
Republicans by something more than
100000. OF course, this does not
mean quite as much as appears on
the surface. An enrolled" voter is
one who on registration day eX-
presses his party preference in order
that he may vote in the party pri-
maries. Enrolment is not compul-
sorry and is avoided by tens of thou
sands Of voters. The Democrats of
the city are greater organization men
and women and. therefore. are more
consistent in their enrolment. How
ever, there can be no doubt of the
overwhelming Democratic sentiment
of the big city and 1t will take much
more Of an upheaval than appears
on the horizon today to defeat the
Tammany- Smith candidates at the
coming. election,
Dirtiest Campaign on Record.
It is quite remarkable the manner
in which the city has accepted the
primary verdict after what is gen.
orally conceded to have been the
dirtiest campaign New York ever
has known. There was no red fire
of the old Tammany days of victory,
no big chiefs" dancing about the
PROSTATE victims, no signing OF hot
time in the old town tonight. Tam
many took the verdict for granted.
The victory exceeded expectations in
the completeness of the sweep and
naturally today there is smile on
the face of the Tammany Tiger. for
Hylan is inside. He def1ed the king
of the political jungle and all his
works. The king took sweet revenge.
But it is not Tammany that inter-
ests the people of the city and the
State. 1t is AL Smith. He staked
his all in this campaign. He knew
that it meant being the target for
an unprecedented singing of mud,
but he took his coat off. waded in.
and at times sent back as good as
he was given. The governor told
his friends 1t was only the old story
over again of fighting the devil with
fire.
Clears Way for Senate Race.
But now the challenge of Smiths
authority in the Democratic party has
been met and defeated. The way is
clear for Al to run for the Senate
next year and he will take up the
cudgels against Senator James Wads-
worth. This fight is expected by the
governors friends to open the way
for his nomination for the presidency
in 1928. This is looking rather far
ahead, but the Smith followers, al
ways enthusiastic, are on the top of
the wave today. They feel the gov
ernor has won the greatest victory
Of his long political career.
AL Smith has proved himself
stronger than Tammany. Tammany
could not have defeated Hylan with |
out him. Therefore his leadership has
become a living thing. II Jimmy"
Walker is elected mayor. the gov
ernor will he held responsible and his
voice and influence will be heard and |
felt in all city affairs. The papers of
the city today say that New York is
about to be released from bondage.
They contend that Hylan has blocked
progress in every direction because
of an inability to grasp big affairs. |
He has built no subways and the
conditions in the present ones have
become exceedingly dangerous. The |
people have not believed that the |
mayor alone could maintain the
five-cent fare. After eight years of
a Hylanism which amounted almost
to a superstition the ash can has
claimed it's own.
Another aspirant for a third term
has found the people with thumbs |
turned down.