Urges All Groups to Combine on Lehman Candidacy As Best Available for Office of Governor

The Democratic party of New York State is urged to drop its bickerings and make Lieutenant Governor Herbert H. Lehman its choice for governor of New York State as the best man available, in a letter which appeared in the “New York Times” of Monday in its column “Letters to the Editor.”

The writer of the communication, Louis Eugene Tepp, of Elmsford, New York, says that no Lieutenant Governor has had a greater or even an equal progressive and constructive record of service.

Colonel Lehman is hailed as a philanthropist, arbitrator between capital and labor and a man of courage and simplicity in the manner of Thomas Jefferson.

The writer refers to the controversy within the Democratic Party and the possibility that Tammany Hall may oppose Colonel Lehman in order to square its debt with Governor Roosevelt in connection with the investigation of Mayor James J. Walker which led to the latter’s resignation from office.

Lieutenant Governor Lehman is the personal choice of Governor Roosevelt as his successor to the governorship of New York State. Rumors have been current that Colonel Lehman’s candidacy will be the price Tammany Hall will compel the governor to pay for the Walker resignation.

Mr. Tepp’s letter says in part :

“As we look carefully into the situation we see that, to date, three candidates have been mentioned as Democratic possibilities for Governor—Lieut. Gov. Herbert H. Lehman, Mayor John Boyd Thacher of Albany and Public Service Commissioner George R. Lunn. Messrs. Thacher and Lunn are both estimable men, and under other circumstances each might be considered as well fitted for the office of the State’s Chief Executive. But why choose one of the second best when the best is available?

“Lieut. Gov. Lehman has served ably and well, even beyond the highest hopes of his most fervent admirers. He is not only entitled to the nomination on his record, but also, if the party is to be true to itself, he must be the standard-bearer. What Lieutenant Governor has made himself more felt, has had a greater, or even equal, progressive and constructive record of service?

“There is no man in the party better equipped in these trying times to arbitrate the differences between capital and labor. There is no man of equal breadth of vision who can so adequately grasp the problems of the unemployed laborer and the worried manufacturer, or the equally harassed business man.

“A man of wealth, with the simplicity of a Thomas Jefferson; a man of intelligence, with a sympathetic understanding of those whose lot is a hard one; a philanthropist, yet without the fanfare of trumpets that usually precedes and follows most philanthropy—in short, a real Democrat in the best sense of the word.

“The people of the State of New York placed their seal of approval upon him in 1930 when he was elected Lieutenant Governor by a majority in excess of 560,000 votes. In that year there were three tickets in the field—the Democratic, the Republican and the Law Preservation. While three men were named for Governor on the respective tickets, the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor was favored by receiving the endorsement of the Law Preservationists. And yet, in spite of the fact that the opposition was consolidated, Mr. Lehman received a majority of well over half a million.

“His courageous stand during the recent prison revolt will go down in history. His “there must be no compromise with the underworld” will always be green in the memory of all upright and conscientious men.

“If the Democratic party is to live up to its true traditions; if it is acting in good faith by saying to a most deserving public official, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant, well done,’ it must also add, ‘You have been faithful in all your various tasks, and therefore we will now give you the opportunity of leading the people of the State of New York to higher ideals, nobler deeds and greater achievements.”