Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-09-04
LEFK0WITZ
Democratic Split
Aids 6. P. Hopeful
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NHNS ~ ~
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get out. The only thing I don't
like is losing time. Let's move.
Otherwise I might as well stay
home"
Thus, the Attorney General
of the State of New York, the
honorable Louis j. Lefkowitz,
hustles along in pursuit of the
improbable goal of election as
the Republican mayor of New
York City.
The last Republican in City
Hall was Fiorello LaGuardia.
He got there because he was
a Fusion candidate, backed by
Republicans, labor and many
liberals and because he was
a man who could, as he
Dragged, beat that bunch of
buns" meaning the organi-
cation Democrats, ION a laun-
dry ticket"
Mr.. Lefkowitz is running on
the Republican ticket, with the
possibility he will also be
named on a letterhead Civic
Enterprise" slate for those who
cannot bring themselves to
vote the Republican line. But
he is not a genuine Fusion
candidate and he is not kid
ding himself about the odds.
LefkOwitZ Is Realistic
This is a Democratic CITY,"
he said. Nobody has to tell
me that. But even in a Demo-
cratic city, there comes a time
when people are fed up"
The possibility that this time
may be at hand is what makes
Mr.. Lefkowitz more interesting
than the normal Republican
candidate for Mayor, who
draws perhaps 80 per cent of
the vote. The long-dominant
Democrats are engaged. in a
bitter primary fight, which
may leave irreparable scars
for the general election.
The exchange of insults be-
tween Mayor Robert F. Wag-
ner, the choice of reform
Democrats, and State Controll-
er Arthur Levitt, the candidate
of the regular organization. ap-
pears to have left many voters
with feeling that there must
be some alternative to voting
for either of them.
Republicans hope Mr.. Levitt
wins party nomination Thurs
day, that Mr., Wagner contin-
ues in the race as an indie
pendent, backed by labor and
the insurgent Democrats, and
that two other independent
Democrats - City Controller
Lawrence E. GeroSa and form
err Police Commissioner Ste
phen P. Kennedy - also join
the fray in the general election.
With a three or four-Way
splintering of the Democratic
vote and a continued airing OF
the scandals of the past Demo-
cratic administration in City
Hall, Mr.. Lefkowitz could come
home the winner.
See Big COP. Vote
That, at least, is the judg-
ment of Gov. Nelson A. Rookie
Teller, who put Mr.. Lefkowitz
in the race and is backing him
with the full array of Rookie
feller-financed writing, re-
search, promotion and manage
ment talent.
This situation is made to
order for U.s." a friend of the
Governor commented. 1--WE
might win a lot and we can't
possibly be hurt. At the very
least, we'll cut heavily into
Wagners 1857 margin of 90O,-
900 votes; we might even win.
Either way, we will show we
know how to improve the Re-
publican vote in the big city
and that's a priority item for
the whole party.
Look at the ticket, too. 1t
has Jew at the head; an Ital-
ian, Paul Fine "a Bronx Con-
greSsman) and an Irish Cath
Ole, John Gilhooley. Speaking
for them and, even better,
electing them, will help the
Governor in his own run for
reelection in 1852"
Mr.. Gilhooley's presence on
the ticket, incidentally, is an
other sign of the close politi-
cal alliance between Gov.
Rockefeller and former Secre-
tary of Labor James P. Nit
chell, now the Republican can
didate for Governor of New
Jersey. Mr.. Gilhooley was an
assistant secretary of labor I'M
der Mr.. Mitchell, helped run his
primary campaign last Spring
and was recommended to Gov.
AWE TVCENEENTW1