Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-22

ley.
This Is a story of two men who are fight
| ing one of the greatest political duels In the
presidential campaign, and they are foemen
worthy of each others steel. They are
| Governor Franklin Murphy of New Jersey
and former United States Senator James
| Smith, jr. They are fighting for the twelve
| electoral votes of their state and for the
control of the state government, which was
| for many years in the hands of the demo-
| Gratis, and was only wrested from them
after they had reached the zenith of their
power and believed they had intrenched
themselves beyond the possibilities of dis
placement after the election of 1892.
Both are very big men in Newark Both
were born in the city where they live, and
| the skillful manipulation of each was the
| foundation of his political fortunes in the
state. Both were members of the common
| council of Newark. Both contributed to the
making of governors before they had be-
come known in politics outside of their
| own localities.
| James Smith, jr. reached the height of
his political prominence through making a
! governor and then taking a United States
| senatorship that the governor he had made
| was after
| FRANKLIN Murphy reached the pinnacle of
| ms party fame through making a United
| states senator and then contenting himself
with accepting the governorship.
They are both essentially business men in
| a large sense.
James Smith, Jr.
| Mr.. Smith started in life as a poor boy
| He was of Irish descent and his parents
Cvoth
| medal presented to him by the Catholic
| knights of America most worthy MEM
| Der of the church in New Jersey Early in
| life he cultivated a placid good-natured
demeanor He was never known to lose
| his temper. Today he is a big portly man
| with face that is a stranger alike to
! wrinkle or scowl, and with a deep musical
| voice that attracts attention the moment
| he speaks.
| lie entered the dry goods business as
| young man, and soon thereafter abandoned
that and became interested in the leather
| business. He now owns the largest es
tablishment of its kind in New Jersey. and
one OF the largest in the world.
Mr.. Smith takes life easy. When h..
| mas troubles he let's no one know it. When
| he has joys he desires all of his friends to
| participate In them. He is an adroit politi-
clan, and he has held his own against fire.
| quent and overwhelming odds
No one knew that Mr.. Smith had auv
high political ambitions when he made
| his first dash at the primaries in his own
| ward. This dash was successful and then
| his opponents were after him to become
a member of the common council. He was
| smooth IN his manner and always a peace
maker. 1t was suggested to him one day
That he run for mayor. He could have
had 1t for the asking, and he could have
| been elected, because things were demo-
cratic in most parts of New Jersey at that
time. But he said:
mo. Make Haynes your candidate"
Power Behind the Throne.
Haynes was made the candidate and
Haynes won. and Smith was the power be-
hind the throne. He was already a mem
Der of the common council. He now be-
came the head of the board of public works
of Newark, and the head of the board of
public works of Newark was in time. I'M
der Mr.. Smiths manipulation, to swing the
politics of the state. Mr. Smith became
a member of the state committee Then
for the first time the members of the state
committee became acquainted with the man
who had for many years been sending them
good-sized check in each campaign, sign
ed James Smith, jr.''
Time ran on, until the great contest of
1892 in the democratic party between Hill
and Cleveland. The late Judge Leon Alb
bett was governor and still the political
power in the state He and the powerful
head of the board of public works had
already worked together. Albeit decided to
send delegates to the Chicago convention
instructed for Hill.
Very WE'LL, said Mr.. Smith, I'VE can but
try
What do you mean?" asked Gov Albeit
II mean just what say said Mr. Smith
I'VE can only try, but / have my doubts"
Smith tried and Albeit tried. But the
democracy of New Jersey would listen to
nothing but Cleveland. Hill was strong
with the politicians, he was weak with, the
people when Cleveland was in the race.
What folly" said Smith, finally, Ito try
to beat back that great army with a
SWITCH
But Albeit would not listen, and Smith
turned away quietly and went to work. He
led the Cleveland movement. and the New
Jersey delegates were instructed for Cleve-
land.
How He Became Senator.
Gov Albeit then decided to go to the
Senate Mr.. Smith refused to say whether
he had a candidate. The governor was the
leader of the state in name only, but he
did not realize it. The real leader the
head of the board of public works of New
ark, and James Smith, jr., knew he was
leader. When the time came to elect a
senator it was all done just as quietly as
the selection of the mayor of Newark many
years before, only this time Smith said:
MAKE me your United States senator"
Thus in ten years an alderman haG be-
come a member of the United States Senate
and he had done it simply by shrewd and
quiet manipulation.
Mr. Smith, although plain business man
and no orator, was a conspicuous figure in
the United States Senate. 1t Is a fact that
every newspaper sketch of Mr.. Smith print
ed when he was elected concluded with a
paragraph like this: THE new senator from
New Jersey Is not speech maker, and viii
not be heard from much in debate; but he |
will shine in committee work.
Mr. Smith decided to fool the newspapers |
and he made a number of speeches that |
were commented on widely. He supported |
President Cleveland in his Venezuelan mes |
sage and opposed him on the income tax /
feature of the Wilson bill.
He bolted Bryan in 1896 and went to Eu-
rome He came out for Bryan in 1900. and |
held his organization in the state both |
times. He went to st. Louis in 1aOi, urg-
ing Mr. Cleveland for President, although |
the delegation was solid for Parker. and he |
held letter from Mr.. Cleveland forbdding |
him to present his name to the convention;
and still he held his organization. When /
the Parker tide became too strong to be
resisted in the convention he voted the del
egates for Parker and less than month
later turned UP in the inner councils of his
narty as a member of the executive, or
campaign, committee of the democratic ma
tionaI committee.
Governor Murphy.
Governor Murphy is small in stature and
large in generosity and in fortune. He
left school when he was sixteen years of
t. y. N~nrrrt