MUDDLE GROWS APACE wadsworth says he was never more confident of hie election than now new york dec 21 interest in the contest for the ottie new york abate assembly tonight largely centered upon the interview given out by ex governor odell republican state chairman in which he accused president roosevelt and governor of a deliberate attempt to wreck the republican party of this state in order to further their personal ambitions assemblyman wadsworth mid tonight 1 I believe governor higgans statement that president roosevelt did not dictate my candidacy and I 1 think governor is abundantly able to take care of himself air wadsworth said he would not attend the conference of the republican assemblyman assemblymen assembly men called in this city tomorrow although he had received an invitation tonight mr wadsworth Wada worth said he recognized the conference originated with his opponents and added i 1 I was never more confident than i am this minute that I 1 will be elected I 1 have received assurances that make it absolutely certain assemblyman merritt tonight gave out a statement in which he baid governor haggins ia quoted today aa still of the opinion that the dent will not interfere in the selection of a speaker of the assembly at the same time he seeks to convey the impression that the election of bis nominee mr wadsworth will be especially pleasing to the president seeking I 1 suppose to get the benefit of the presidents great personality for hll candidacy by indirect means in a previous interview he admitted that he told me he did not include roe in the list of men choso whoso election waa for any reason improper or not for the beat interests of the state in our interview he reserved the right to op pose the nomination of such persons discussing the question generally but stated that this would not occur in my case every experienced member of the assembly resents this and has a right to resent the naming of mr wadsworth by governor haggins for the the situation Is unheard oc in the history of political parties of the state mr it is claimed did not know that I 1 was a candidate until governor told him so at that alma he was under obligations to As aam blyman hooker to support him to the end of the canvass at this t tune moment when the fac 0 hla preference was announced to mr rUi mr hooker hy a singular coincidence was on the scene he thereupon conveniently withdrew abany N Y dec 21 governor tonight replied in part to the statement made in new york today by former governor B B jr chairman of the republican state committee in reference to the governors action in proposing assembly man james W wadsworth of levingston county for speaker of the abate assembly the governors statement was made verbah ly but dictated with more than ordinary care and deliberation to the group of correspondents ha said 1 I have read the statement of governor odell sent out this afternoon from new york and published n the evening papers in which he states that I 1 said that I 1 would not be tor any candidate tor speaker of the assembly from cither the large 0 the state I 1 think he must have forgotten our last conference in new york last friday previous to my going to new york I 1 had learned through several members of the assembly that called on me hat governor odell was using my name for the purpose of securing pledges for mr merritt for speaker I 1 asked him by what authority be was using my name he told me he thought at a conference a month previous he said to that mr merritt wab the proper man for the place I 1 then asked him it he would agree upon any other candidate any man in tho lalure he told me he would not that he was pledged to mr merritt Merrl tt and mr merritt would not withdraw I 1 do not care to with gov arnor adell through tho press bues ions of honesty or dishonesty so far as the fullie of the alcan pa ty la concerned 1 think that it can safely be trusted with the press and tire people as to my action is wise or unwise in the course ot an interview tonight mr odell asserted that it was president roosevelt who persuaded him to come out for ex governor frank S black for united states senator to succeed senator chauncey AT depew and that the result of the presidents influence probably led to blacks downfall 1 I went to washington said odell to see the president and have a talk with him about the new york political situation which we had in the lall ot 1904 and the question of sena came up and tho president said it was a pity to have the otate of new york represented by two almost old men new york he said ought to haw some man to speak for it on the floor of the senate who would command attention and reflect credit on the state he said that ex governor black vaa the kind 0 a man who would represent the state I 1 asked him if I 1 was to inter from his remarks that he would like to see governor black elected to succeed dupew he said he would then you wish me to be tot black I 1 asked 1 I hope you will be he replied 1 I told him that I 1 would I 1 came back to new york saw governor higgins and told him what the president had said and haggins endorsed it all we were making great headway when senator putt called a conference in the interest of depew that conference was practically dominated by friends of the president and the governor the leading federal officeholders of now york were there and all declared for depew as against black I 1 was amazed when I 1 convinced myself that the president and the governor were not willing to stand tor the proposition which each efthem had ask edme to carry out I 1 concluded that I 1 would not stand for it alone