Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-08-21
SAYS FORT and
ATLANTIC CITY
WERE IN ACCORD
Newark News Publishes SisV
Of Politics BsfOn Election Con-
CsIHlHg Atlantic City.
KATzENBAGH REFUSED
Hotel Men Declare They We're
Given 10 Understand BY Fort
Thsv Would Be Let Aliens.

In the Newark Evening News, last
night, Herman B. Walker, who has
been in Atlantic City for several days
investigating the condition of affairs
there for his newspaper, had e sensa-
tional story to the effect that before
election Governor Fort had given the
Atlantic City politicians reason to be-
lieve that he would let that resort
alone IL he should be elected, and
that he would reappoint to the coun-
ty bench Judge Higbee, who was
known to be lenient with the law
breakers. Mr.. Walker also states
that the machine tried to make a
deal with the democratic party along
these lines, but that Mr.. Katzenbach,
the democratic candidate, would not
be a party to 1t.
Mr.. Walkers story, In part, is as
follows:
In plain English, the present de-
fiant and rebellious attitude of the
hotel men and officials in Atlantic
City toward Governor Forts demand
for law observance is due largely to
the belief of these men that they
we're assured before election OF pro-
lection and sympathy, In return for
their votes and the votes they could
influence on election day. These men
now accuse the governor of having
broken faith with them, In order to
pIacate the temperance and church
people in other parts Of the state,
who are clamoring for general en-
forcement of the bishops law" and
especially of its Sunday closing fea-
ture.
Governor Denies It.
In advance of an official denial |
from the governor, 1t may be said
that he diselaims ever having been |
a party to any such deal or agree |
ment. Within the last week he has
said In writing, to. at least one citizen |
Of Atlantic county, that he has at no
time made any promise to anybody |
that In any way hampers him in de-
manding full and complete enforce
ment Of the. law.
Mr.. Katzenbaeh has frankly admit |
ted such q proposition, as above de-
scribed, had been made to him, and |
he had refused to consider 1t. This !
proposition, he said, had come to him |
from such source and In such a way, |
that he had no doubt It was author !
lied by men who had it in their pow
er to carry out their share of the pro-
posed deal.
Katzenbach Rejected Offer.
1T is a matter / would rather not
talk about" said Mr.. Katzenbach, |
but / cannot deny such a suggestion |
was made to me. l was told plainly |
that certain South Jersey republic |
ans, and especially the republican |
leaders in Atlantic county, were not |
satisfied with Mr.. Forts attitude on |
the excise question, and that IL III
would assure shese men / would take |
q liberal view Of this matter, and |
would make such appointments as
they wanted, l could depend on q |
large majority for myself from that |
county. / refused to entertain the |
proposition, and told the man who |
brought 1t to me, and whom / be-
lieved to be a friend acting only in |
my interests, that II l could not be
elected without going into such a |
deal, / did not want to be governor. |
The one condition of this propos- |
al that was most Htrenuously insisted |
on" said Mr.. Katzenbach, was that
should bind myself vita positive |
promise to reappoint County Judge
Although he refused to discuss
this phase of the matter, l have GER
tain inforamtion that during the |
campaign it was also suggested to
Mr.. Katzenbach that "Davy'' Baird |
the Camden republican boss, was not
enraptured with the Fort
and would like to meet the |
democratic candidate for a talk. This
suggestion brought no result, but
later in the campaign q definite prop
osition was made to Katzenbach that |
If he would agree to the reappoint- |
ment of Baird to the State Board OF |
Assessors, the republican machine in |
Camden would lie down on Fort"
Newark Man Go Between.
Through Charles N Bell, of New |
ark, a wine agent, Delaney opened
up negotiations with the democratic
state leaders. James R. Nugent. the
Essex county democratic boss, went
to Atlantic City and had confer
ence with Delaney, at which a tenta-
tive agreement was made by which /
Delaney was to deliver enough votes
to give Katzenbach majority In At
lantio county. The one condition in
sisted upon by Delaney was Katzen-
bach's promise for the re-appoint-
ment of Judge Higbee. With this
promise secured, the understanding
was that former Senator James Smith /
Jr., was to see enough money was
put into Atlantic county in Katzen-
bach's interests to enable Delaney to
carral the votes necessary to deliver
the election result. The amount
said to have been named in these
conferences for this purpose was