The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-07-31
A STATEMENT
BY MR.. DRYDEN
Defines the Issue IN this Cam
paign as It Stands Be-
fore the People.
LOCAL AND STATE ISSUES

The pf0Dtem seems TO me very
plain and simple one," replied Sena-
tor John f. Dryden to the question Of
the Herald" correspondent as to
how he regarded the Senatorial CAM
paign in this State. 1t is whether
the people and Legislature Of New
Jersey think they made a mistake in
selecting me to fill the unexpired
term Of the late General Sewell in the
United States Senate. IL not, if /
have met their reasonable expecta-
tions and have served them accepta-
bly,, approved political usage suggests
nv reelection. This personal phrase
Of the matter is one into which, of
course, / cannot enter. The people Of
New Jersey must examine the record
and Judge for themselves. can only
say that their examination Of that
record is invited without misgiying.
1t is open before them, and cannot be
misrepresented. But this | may at
least proudly claim, that the record
made by Congress during the peroid
that I have served in the Senate will
bear comparison with that Of any SIM
iliar period in the country's history.
The achievements of the recent ses-
sion were more notable and imp portant
than any since the Civil War and re-
construction periods
And these triumphs involved ire
mendous struggles with enormous ad-
verse interests. The railroad rate
bill, the inter-oceanic canal, with its
prodigious and far reaching influence
upon the worlds commerce; the pure
food legislation, the naturalization
and immigration bill, the meat in
spection bill, the alcohol bill and sew
eral other great enactments were only
won after long and doubtful struggles
with vast corporate powers. The
country regarded the fight in Con-
gress with these combined and f0rmid-
able influences with profound misgiv-
ing, and listened to the predictions Of
the final triumph Of the rights and
interests of the people with cynical
incredulity. 1t was claimed and gem
orally believed that the big corpora
tions would prove too powerful for the
President and Congress to overcome.
The final and complete triumph that
was won astounded almost as much
as it delighted the country The
chief fear was that the Senate would
block these proposed reforms. 1t was,
in many quarters, plainly intimated
that this American House Of Lords,
or Millionaires' Club, as it has var
iously been termed, was not truly rep
resentatiye of the great body Of the
people, as against powerful financial
and business monopolies. There was
doubt and fear and lack of confidence.
But all these misgiYings are now
shown to have been groundless. They
were largely founded upon the calum-
nious clamor that has lately filled the
current literary world with its din,
teaching the dismal doctrine that
everything in American business and
political life is unworthy and unclean
1t is not inappropriate for me to say,
and / am sure that it is absolutely
true, chat the Senate Of the United
States, as now constituted, leaving
out, of course, my own personality, is
composed of as higha class of men, OF
as exalted patriotism, of as great wis
dom, Of as transcendent ability as ever
sat in that body Uninfiuenced by
cruel and misinformed critics, rising
above the dreadful chorus of detrac-
tion that has assailed them, l have
seen these great men calmly and con-
scientiously performing their duty to
the country as they understood it. If,
therefore, have failed in any partic-
ular or in my entire course as a Sena-
tor, | have failed in company with
President Roosevelt, the House of
Representatives and the United States
Senate, for / have stood for and sup
ported by voice and vote every great
measure that adorns the matchless
record of the recent session.
sAs to the future l have no rash
pledges to make Of being certain to
bring about an early millennium in
either politics or business. My tenn
perament and instincts are toward
conservatism, and while fully realize
the characteristic evils Of our time /
am disposed, while seeking to provide
an adequate remedy for them, to
guard with care the ancient and time
honored foundation of business and
politics. 1t seems to me that the mem
tai attitude of President Roosevelt
toward public questions Of our day IS
a fine blending of broad and cOur-
ageOus pr0gresSiyeneSs with a wise
and Steadylng conservatism that IS al
together admirable.
E You ask me what is my attitude
toward the questions confronting the
people of this State. / do not know
that United States Senator, as such,
can properly have an attitude toward
questions OF q purely State character
that do not come within the sphere Of
his action as q National legislator
but this can say without reserve
that the work Of the last Legislature
in point OF Importance and progressive
legislation is without precedent Ia the
history Of the State, work we can all
be proud Of. There are enactments
which place New Jersey tn the van