The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-04-24
FORT OR MURPHY
TO Be BACKED FOR
V|CE-PRES|DENT
State Committee Will Back For
mer if He Will Agree to
Resign GOvernorship.
EXECUTIVE ASKED FOR
COMMITTEES ADVICE
Murphy Believed to Be Bearer
of Message from President
Roosevelt and Sec. Taft.

That President Roosevelt and Secre-
tary of War William H. Taft are de-
sirous that the nomination of the cam
didate for 'vice-President at the Chi
cago convention should come to New
Jersey was the impression given to
members of the Republican State Com
mittee at the meeting yesterday after
noon at Republican county headquar-
tiers in this city.
If Governor Fort will not accept the
place, former Governor Franklint Muir
ply can have it. Either man will have
the support of the State committee, but
if the Governor accepts the nomination
he will a V to agree with the State
committee to resign as Governor after
the Chicago convention, so as to per-
nit the Republican party in the State
to name a candidate for Governor, who
may make the run in the fall campaign.
The reason Tor the State committees
attitude. which is practically unani-
nous, is that 1t desires to have all the
prestige of a presidential campaign to
aid in the fight for the gubernatorial
candidate.
Governor Asked for Invitation.
The meeting of the State committee
was called practically at the request of
Governor Fort, who also asked that he
be invited to attend it. He is said to
have had a talk with Chairman Murphy
and to have sought his advice on the
question of resigning the ~governorship.
Mr.. Murphy is reported to have told
him that while he had his own opinion
| of what the Governor SHOULD do, he did
not think it quite proper that the Gov
ernor should act on his advice alone
and thai it might be advisable to ascer-
tain the opinion of the members of the
State committee.
The Governor thought this a good
proposition, and asked that he be in
vited, as he desired to be guided by its
action.
After it's advice was given that he
should resign, the Governor is reported
to have told the members in the meet
ing that while it was their opinion he
should quit the Trenton office if he took
the vice presidential candidacy, that he
would not accept this, but would take
further time to consider.
Johnson's Pertinent query.
When Governor Fort announced that
he would not be guided by the opinion
of the State committee, former Assist
ant Postmaster General William M.
Johnson, of Bergen county, inquired
what he would do il the committee
adopted a resolution not to support
him for the vice-presidential nonina-
ton unless he would agree to resign.
To this the Governor gave no reply.
His determination will decide the
way in which the influence of the
State committee will be thrown in the
State convention. Unless he agrees to
resign, it is likely that the convention
will be asked to indorse former Gov
ernor Murphy.
Stokes Not seeking Place.
Former Governor Stokes, it can be
| stated positively, is not q candidate,
though his name has been mentioned
for the place. He is willing to support
Governor Fort.
Murphy Opens the Ball.
1t was then that the question of New
Jersey and the ice-presidential nomi-
nation was taken up. State Chairman
Murphy is the New Jersey member of
the National Republican Committee, in
! WHICH lie Is lllSHly IcSdIQCu.
He called attention to the fact that
New Jersey had the opportunity of
having a successor to Carrot A.
Hobart as vice-President. and that as
the man brought forward for the place
was the Governor of the State, it was
proper for the State committee to con-
slider what the consequences would be
ii the Governor accepted the nominal
ton for the national office, n to pro-
vide for a successor to the Governor.
The propriety OF tho Governor re-
signing. if he accepted the nomination,
W then suggested by former Gov
ernor Stokes, who said a nomination
from the national convention should
rot be denied.
1t was generally understood that If
the Governor refused to resign that tho
influence CT the State committee would
be thrown against his nomination at
Chicago and that Mr.. Murphy would be
nominated in his place.
Dickinson for Pure Primaries.
Secretary of State Samuel Dickinson
and James w. Mccarthy, of Hudson
! County, the latter a Faganite, who had
the proxy of Edward Fry, both of
whom have united to make a fight
gains County Chairman Rotterdam,
who succeeded Dickinson as leader in
Hudson, tried to have the State COM
mittee adopt a resolution that the Hud-
son County chairman n committee be
instructed that 'at the primaries next
week all ballot boxes shall be exposed
prior to the polling, ito be sure that no
stl1fing was done.
The State committee refused to do
this on the ground that it would be a
reflection on the Republican party in
Hudson County.