The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-26
FORDYCE RESIGNS
PEOPLES LOBBY HEAD TO
FIGHT IN MIDDLESEx.
Meeting will Be Held Tomorrow to Fill
the Vacancy and Consider
other Matters.

Edmond A. whittier, secretary of the
Peoples Lobby of New Jersey, announced
today that he had received n letter OF
resignation as president of the organization
from Colonel Alexander r. Fordyce, Jr.,
and stated that a meeting of the exc
cutive committee would be held tomorrow
to consider this and other important mat
tiers.
Colonel Fordyce's letter is as follows:
80 Wall Street. New York City, September
%. 1907:
Dear sir-I herewith tender my reslg-
nation as president Of the Peoples Lobby
OF New Jersey. This resignation l hand
In with regret, but 1 feel that inasmuch as
] expect to take an active part In the
Republican campaign this fall, snch a
course would be Inconsistent with the, Of
fice as president Of an organization wnlch
is non-partisan. -
has been in existence II cannot be denied
that its influence has been effective and
influential in the State. By merely read
ing the platform of the two political. par
ties one will find therein the chief planks
of the platform issued by the Peoples
Lobby at the beginning of the last Leg
SThanklng my fellow officers and the
member OF the general committee fer
their confidence in and aid to me wnile
president of the organization, and TENDER
Ing 10 the organization my. assurance. OF
its continued and increased usefulness dur
Ing the coming years, i am, very truly
"ALExANDER r. FORDYCE. JR.v
mo one who knows Colonel Fordyce,"
said Mr.. Whittier, will be surprised at
his action on his part. A situation has
developed In his home county Of Middle
sex in which Colonel Fordyce deems it his
duty to take an active part in the interest
Of clean politics and good progressive gov
eminent. With the same delicacy of feel
Ing and rare tact which have contributed
~ . ill., IAhBayfc
work and influence he is unwilling that
his partisan or fractional activity should
by any possibility injure an organization
to which he has devoted SO much of his
time and In the continued usefulness of
which he is so deeply interested
other matters to come before the COM
mlttee are the reports of committees on
the records OF legislators which will short
" be published, and the preparation bf
questions to candidates on subjects in
which the peoples lobby is interested.
ut will be remembered said Mr.. Whit
tier, that the organization at the start
decided to oonfine Itself respecting new
legislation to the advocacy of such meas
ures as it deemed essential to securing the
fullest possible expression of the popu-
lar will. Per contra, it has consistently
opposed legislation and conditions which
In its Judgment tended to thwart or OBJ
struct the people in the control of their
own government. Believing that the favor
seeking corporation in politics has been a
fruitful source Of the evils and buses in
recent political methods in this State, the
lobby Endorsed unequivocally the principle
of thorough going regulation of public
utilities, and commended specifically the
so-called Hughes bill passed by the New
York Legislature as a model. The state
ment sc far reported on this question by
both gubernatorial candidates either in
their speeches of acceptance, or other ut
terances, nave failed to satisfy many OF
the most prominent members Of this or
ganizatiou and it is quite likely that the
executive committee will be asked to in
terrogate both gentlemen specifically on
the many phases and features of this most
important question"