The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-10-23
Letter From George wi1des.

appeared letter over the signature
George Wildes. AS there has not bee
any objection or denial entered it must b
taken for granted that the publication wa
genuine and authorized by the man who's
name it bore. We give it:
''It is my determination to give tn
people as fair an opportunity as is posi-
BILE under the existing conditions to ex
press themselves at the polls that has i'm
PEELED me to come forward and take thi
independent method, and to strengthen
this determination | have my known op
position to the Gang rule in county affairs
reaching also into all of our township anC
ward nominations, and to the results 0
this influence when carried into our Stat
appointments, and especially to that of gu
county Judge, who however unimpeacha
| bic his personal character may be, still
ofends my sense OF propriety when learI
that at the September term of CamdeI
County Court his firm, as corporation
counsel, had thirty six cases out of forty
five in the term
Il believe that appointments have beer
made with an eye single to the strengthen
J ing of the machine and with an increased
expenditure to the county
4 D6ll6V6 LHdG Ju6 Urinary EIecCIOI
law, while perhaps intended for good, il
very complex and really obstructs a fires
expression of the voice of the people
which will undoubtedly be aggravated al
| the election by the use in some localities
of voting machine. for the introduction
of which some of us have never understood
who was responsible nor who was espe
cially benefited.
THE political Machine or Gang in the
county above alluded to would be com.
paratively powerless for evil were they
not organized with and closely allied to
similar machines in other counties reach
ing over the State, and the whole to be
kept oiled and in running condition by
some gigantic institution, corporation or
trust, which in turn, through these very
methods, is now largely controlling and
reaching out still more to control all legis
lation in the State without regard for the
interests or the wishes of the people, ex.
cept when their demand becomes too loud
and outspoken, when some small con
cessious may be granted.
Il am irrevocably opposed to reward
ing the heads of such institutions and
trusts with the very highest office in the
gift of the people.
1--WE haye, for instance, the spectacle
presented us in this State of an individual
almost stranger in the politics of the
State six years ago, drawing salary of
$65, 900 per annum as the head of a col
ossal institution, built up in thirty years
from the contributions of the people, tens
of thousands of whom perhaps are poor
people, and who at present are paying for
four-page advertisements for the United
States Senator with stereotyped likenesses
in our magazines and periodicals at cost
of say, not less than $500 per page per
issue.
I'm closing, for myself, l simply say l
would rather go down in everlasting de-
feat than accept nomination or position at
the hands of the Gang, whoever they may
be, with all the entertainments and Bondage
it would entail. | have never had their
favor, and they are perfectly excusable
for this.
II have held Office as free man, free
to serve the will of the people, and such /
intend to remain. If elected, l have no
future beyond serving them to the best of
my ability; and not being lawyer, l can
not be compensated with a iudgeship or
promoted to corporation counsel at a big
salary and as reward for services faith
fully, quietly and respectfully rendered to
the great powers which are surely and
not slowly reaching out more and more to
shackle the whole State.
GEORGE WnDEs."
Mr.. Wildes in the above letter, does
what he has been doing for years, abusing
everybody who does not see as he sees and
does not think as he thinks. He makes
big talk about independence and free
thought and speech, but if there is man
or set of men in this county who are more
dictatorial or more determined to have
their own way than George Wildes we
would like to hear of them. He is espec-
tally severe on what he terms "bosses" and
is very solicitous about the dear people"
and says he would rather go down in
everlasting defeat than accept nomination
or position at the hands of the gang, who
ever they may be. Did he always feel
that way2 The leadership in the Repub-
lican party has not changed much in the
past few years. George Wildes has been
given political preferment and he may
take whichever end Of the discussion he
prefers If the gang" was in power
when he first made his bow as a candidate,
then he was recipient of favors from that
source. If the gang" was downed, then
the people spoke and Georges assertions
that the people have had no show are
false.
In 1904 George Wildes was before Re-
publican convention to nominate can.
didates for Assembly from this county
Assemblyman Robbins was chairman of
the convention. The other candidates
were Micajah E. Matlack, August Stecher,
George N. Winner and Charles Wright.
Wildes was nominated on the first ballot.
The same delegates which gave Mr..
Wildes this honor, were compelled to take
two or three more ballots before settling
on the other candidate, finally choosing
MIR. Matlack. Was it the gang" that
controlled, or did the people speak :
Take your choice
Mr.. Wildes was brought before the CON
vention, and stated that he had not had
any intention of being candidate until
within three weeks before the convention.
He said that in view of the past history of
the party it was beyond doubt that it
would not do to allow malice or personal
spite to be factor ia any way. What
ever his ability was-and he feared it was
over-rated-he would serve the people.
In 1895 Mr.. Wildes was again before
the convention. and again he was honored,
Joshua E. Berton being his running mate.
Mr.. Wildes was given 104 votes, MI. Bor-
ton 100 votes being chosen over three
others. Did the gang" or the people do
this2 Take your choice again.
In 1896 Messrs. Wildes and BortOn were
renominated by reclamation. Once mere
you may take your choice.
In 1897 convention was held for nomi-
nation of candidate for State Senator.
Mr. Wildes was named but his name was
withdrawn before the balloting began.
From the day that the Republican party
did not give George Wildes the nomina-
ton for State Senator he has had a griev-
ance against that organization and has
never lost chance to air it. What more
natural then, that the Colbyites in this
county, looking for man to help them
pull their chestnuts from the fire should
center on George Wildes, and what more
natural that the old gentleman should 90
easily have the wool pulled over his eyes
and get hope-we were going to say an
insane hope-that he would at last reach
the goal of his political ambition
The people did not respond at the pri
maries for Wildes. They had not been
shown to their satisfaction that great evils
and abuses existed. In the words OF
Wildcs before the convention of 1894 they
felt that in view of the past history OF