Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-08


dominant factor in New Jersey in
the presidential contest, and it is said
that the state machine may line UP
against Roosevelt. Laboring men
in New York will ask the President
to retract his remarks about Meyer,
HAYWOOD and Debs. Former Gov
ernor Odell, when asked if, in his
speech at the Critters Club Satur-
day, he was referring to Roosevelt,
said that if the cap fitted him he
might wear it.
NEW YORK, April S.-A series of strik-
ing incidents, state and local, of the last
week has produced the impression among
New Jersey politicians that if the railroad
and anti-rairoad rivalry foreshadowed by
White House talk is to be the dominant
feature of the struggle for the control of
the next republican national convention,
the New Jersey state republican machine
may line up against Roosevelt.
One of these incidents is the reappoint-
ment by Governor Stokes of Theodore
Strong of New Brunswick to the state rail-
road tax board and of Col Samuel D. Dick
inson of Jersey City as secretary of state
1t was said, before Strong was renamed,
that the governor was put under enormous
pressure by the railroads to give him an
other term. Colonel Dickinson is looked
upon as one of the most unbending of the
railroad champions. The two appointments.
coming within a week, against overwhelm-
ing opposition on the part of the anti-cor-
poration republicans led by Colby and Fa-
gan, have drawn sharply the line between
the railroad and ant-railroad republicans
of the commonwealth, and are quoted by
the Colby men as an involuntary confession
by the governor that he is on the side of
the railroads.
The reported attack made upon President
Roosevelt by Attorney General Robert H.
McCarter at the banquet of the Mercer
County Bar Association Wednesday night
is another incident in the corporation fight
that has caused a great deal of talk. Mr..
McCarter has denied that he made any at
tack on the President, but be that as it
may, he Is classed by the reformers as
against the railroad agitation. He is a
forceful and important factor in the state
machine, and is a brother of Thomas N
McCarter. the president Of the public serv-
Ice corporation, which controls practically
all the electric light, power and transporta-
ton facilities in the state Another of his
brothers, UZal II. McCarter is the head of
the Fidelity Trust Company Of Newark,
which is SO closely interlocked with ex-
Senator Drydens Prudential Insurance
Company and other of the ex-senator's
financial enterprises.
The new senator, Briggs, in the event of
the controversy between the White House
and the railroads would, 1t is declared, I'M
doubtedly be against the President. Sena-
tor Briggs is still the chairman of the re-
publican state committee, and SO in con-
troll of the machinery that produces state
conventions.
A third incident was the sensational re-
fusal Of the Essex county grand jury to OBJ
serve the special charge of. Chief Justice
Gummere concerning the indictment of the
public service corporation for alleged nom
feasances and misfeasances of various
kinds. Sheriff somers, who drew the grand
jury, Ia one Of the chiefs Of the Colby forces
in Essex county. Mr.. Colby's fight has
been chiefly with the public service. His
special charge to the grand jury has done
quite as much to force the railroad issue
in Essex county the appointment Of
Strong and Dickinson has done to rouse the
anti-corporation fighters throughout the
state.
1t Is argued from this string Of occur
rences that If President Roosevelt persists
in his railroad crusade all of the state
machine influence will be exerted against
the nomination by the national convention
next year of the candidate whom the Presi-
dent may favor to carry his anti-corpora-
ton fight through.
Ask Roosevelt to Retract
NEW YORK, April S-President Roose-
welt was attacked by Albert Abrahams Of
the Press Feeders Union, socialist dele
gate, at yesterdays meeting of the Central
Federated Union for saying that E. H.
Hartman was as undesirable a citizen as
Meyer, Haywood or Debs. The socialist
and the unions take the stand that Meyer
and Haywood should be held innocent I'M
til they are proved guilty, and the unions
have been acting and collecting money for
their defense as if they believed them in
nocent.
Abrahams declared that President
Roosevelt's utterances We're very unfair.
He had nothing to say about Debs, who
was not on trial for his life.
But" he said, Mr.. Roosevelt has no
more right to condemn Meyer and Hay
wood. who have not yet been tried, than
he has to condemn any of US. His utter
ances should have the unlimited con-
domination of all fair-minded people. This
one-man power might be looked for in
Russia or Germany, but 1t should not ex-
list in the United States. If it is to 20 on,