, 1904-10-26

the year before. The next year saw
him in the Legislature again, but this
time he was in the upper chamber.
He was one of the youngest men that
ever sat in the Senate, being just two
years wei the age required by the
Constitution for admission to it. He
rapidly pushed to the front rank In his
party, and he had not been in the
Senate long before he became one OF
the recognized leaders of the state. He
was elected three times to the Senate
and in 1895 was the president of that
body.
One of the first political friends that
Mr.. Stokes made in the Legislature
was Foster M. Voorhees,, also Assem-
blyman and then Senator. He was
very active IN bringing about the nom-
nation of Mr.. Voorhees, for Governor
and worked hard for his election.
When the Union man became Gov
ernor MI. Stokes was one of his
staunchest supporters both in and out
of the Legislature, and for his services
he was given the lucrative position of
Clerk in Chancery.
in the business world Mr.. Stokes
has been equally successful. He rap
idly rose from a bookkeeper to the
cashiers desk of the Millville Bank
and is now the president of the Me-
chanics National Bank at Trenton.
Mr.. Stokes has for the past few years
occupied a prominent position in the
councils of his party in this state. In
1890 he was chosen vice chairman of
the Republican State Committee and
he is virtually its head today. 1t is
expected that before long a successor
to Governor Murphy as chairman will
be selected and Mr.. Stokes has no OPP
ponent for the position. He was vir-
tually the manager of the party in the
last campaign.
Mr.. Stokes friends say that he has a
mortgage on the next Republican nom-
ination which cannot be questioned
Last year Q901) when some of the
most practical leaders of the party
questioned the wisdom of the nominal
ton of Franklin Murphy for Governor
and were looking about for a candidate
upon whom all factions of the party
could unite, a serious movement was
started for MI. Stokes which his tact
and firmness alone prevented from
proving disastrous to Mr.. Murphy's
aspirations. Mr.. Stokes constituents,
together with the Republicans of the
neighboring counties, gave him a re-
ception to celebrate the end of his
eleven years. service in the Legislature
and this started a boom which he
killed on the spot by declaring en-
for the nomination and was heart and
soul in favor of the candidacy of Mr..
Murphy. The present Governor has
not forgotten what he owes to Mr..
/ Stokes and all the influence of his adj
ministration will be exerted in behalf
of the young man from Cumberland.
Last winter, in the bitter fight fol-
United Senator, when the opposition
to John F. Dryden saw all hope OF
defeating the Newark man disappear
it united upon Edward G.. Stokes,
But the young statesman was adverse
to defeating Mr.. Dryden and he re-
luctantly allowed his name to be used
as a candidate. No one knows better
than Senator Dryden how different
the result of that contest would have
been if Mr.. Stokes had made a deter
mined, energetic fight for the position,
and when the young man comes to
want delegates from Essex county in
the Gubernatorial convention, all that
the junior United States Senator can
furnish will be his to command. Thus
it appears certain that Mr.. Stokes will
be the next Republican nominee un.
less he sees some reason, himself, tc
withdraw from the field.u