Evening star., 1926-09-26
Fate of Senator WadsWorth
in Balance as Convention
Delegates Gather.
DEMOCRATS EXPECTED
TO FIGHT FOR WAGNER
Republicans Cast About for Candi.
date for Governor, With Rep
resentative Mills Likely.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,
Staff CorresnCnSArt Of Tive star

staff Correspondent Of The star.
NEW YORK, September 25.-Polit-
ical history that may be national In
effect is to be written at the Repub-
lican state conV, ntion opening mere
tomorrow morning. Two years ago
the Democratic party. nationally. went
on the rocks in the old Madison Square
Garden. Tomorrow the Republicans
tempt fate in the new Madison Square
Garden.
AS the delegates to the Republican
convention gather here tonight there
is much doubt and bitterness. The
rncl> ~, which the Republican bark
threatens to split is prohibition.
The underlying issue in the struggle
among the Republicans is whether
Republican party leadership in the
Empire State shall be wet or dry.
Drys Claim Preponderance.
The drys say emphatically that the
Republican party OF New York state
must be dry. Many of them. certainly
the professional drys, are willing to
cast Senator James w. WadsWorth.
a Republican leader Of the Senate and
at present State leader. into the outer
limbo in order to prevent the wet
element retaining the party leader
ship in this State. The drEs insist
that man for man and woman FOR
woman. the dry Republicans consider
ably outnumber the wet Republicans
in this State.
They do not want, they say. the
tail to wag the dog. That is one ex-
cuse that will be given for throwing
over Senator Wadsworth.
These dlys. who are lacking State
Senator Franklin w. Cristman for
the senatorial nomination against
Wadsworth and will run him as an
independent in the general election
in November. while not saying 1t
publicly, would prefer to have Robert
F.. Wagner, who Is slated for the
Democratic senatorial nomination.
even though he is wet. too. elected
to the Senate for the next six years
and continue as leader Of the Repub-
lican party in New York.
Wadswortll Is Target.
Democratic party leadership in New
York is lost to the drys. They know
it. This makes 1t all the more inn
portant from their point Of view to
hold the Republican party dry and
to prevent it from being swallowed
up also by the wet interests" They
visualize control of the Republican
party by the vets in New York as
possible starting point for a great
drive to have the Republican party
throughout the country espouse the
wet cause. So they are centering
their heaviest artillery in New York
this campaign and their target is
Senator Wadsworth.
1t would be idle to minimize the
seriousness of the situation for the
Republicans and Senator Wadsworth
Unless there is a great getting to-
sether of Republican forces in this
State within the next five weeks the
Republican rout Is likely to be com
plete Indeed. some of the upstate
leaders, coming from dry territory
declare that today things are In
frishtful mess. and that the best the
Republicans can hope for Is to hold
control Of the Assembly. They re-
gard the governorship as gone al
ready II Gov. Al Smith is nominated
at the Democratic State convention
in Syracuse, which also opens to-
morrow.
Wadsworth Is Confident.
They fear for Senator Wadsworth,
although thew believe he has a better
chance of winning than any guberna.
torial candidate the Republicans put
forward will have against Al Smith.
This sounds pretty pessimistic, but
the Republicans under the Wadsworth
leadership have not given up the
fight by long shot.
Senator Wadsworth himself be-
lieves he will be reelected. He be
lieves that after the nominations have
been made in convention here and the
party platform adopted. the Republic
ans will get together again. He be-
lieves that loyalty to party will play
big part in the final outcome. and that
rockribbed Republicans upstate will
still be found voting the party ticket.
4 strong appeal will be made to the
Republican voters to support the Cool
idge administration. 1t will be heart
ilv indorsed in the party platform.
Efforts will be made to convince the
voters that the reelection Of Senator
Wadsworth Is essential If the Repub-
lican party Is to retain control of the
Senate in the Seventeen Congress.
Will Play on Prosperity.
Republican prosperity Will be played
to a fare.you-well during the cam
paign. The hope is that not only will
the solid Republican interest of the
State, many OF them tremendously
wealthy. but also many wet Demo
Gratis and Democrats of substance.
some of whom have voted for Wads-
worth in the past, will cast their bal
lots for him in November. in part
offsetting the desertion of Republican
drys.
A great danger to Wadswerth. how
ever. lies in the fact that the Demo
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