The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-18
REFUSES
TO Be BOUND BY
HIS PARTY CHOICE
Assemblyman Says District
Leaders Should Choose Can
didate for Shrieyalty.
DECLARES SELECTION OF
WILSON IRREGULAR
Will Continue Fight Until Repubs
lican Voters Have Expressed
Their Will.

Bitterness over the outcome of the
conference of the Regular Republican
executive committeeman last Friday
has not been decreased since the meet
ing, and this found expression in a
statement issued by former Assembly
man Ralph B. Schmidt, In which he
doubts the fairness of the plan adopted
by the Regular organization of picking
out the man to support for sheriff. He
says he Ices not feel bound by the ac-
ton of that conference.
In his statement he declares for an
expression OF opinion from the district
leaders of the county committee first,
and II they cannot settle the PROPOSE
ton then to have the executive COM
mittee pick out the man who mas the
greatest number of wards aud town.
ships behind him.
After stating that the man chosen
should be able to help the national can
didates. even to the point of self-sacri-
flee by the local candidates, Mr..
Schmidt goes on to say:
Way to Choose Is Provided.
while the statutes Of our State pro-
vide a way for determining III the
candidate for office shall be, the GUS
toms of our party organization also
provide a method. Divided, as our
scheme of organization is, into dis
tricts, 1t is a fair assumption that the
leaders and sub-leaders of The party
are qualified to express the opinions of
the voters they represent, and If this
method were followed out, as it has al
ways been intended that it should be
followed out. l feel the wishes of the
Republican voters of Essex County
could easily be determined.
IF his resulted in favor Of a number
of different candidates, then the eXeCu-
tive committee of the organization
should select the candidate having the
greatest number of wards or districts
behind him, and l would feel bound by
this selection. In the case in hand.
however. no such thing was done.
MANY men who ave been selected by
the Republicans of certain districts to
represent them In the county commit
tee were not invited to attend the con-
ference that resulted in the selection
of the Republican candidate. and in
marfy instances these men happened to
belong to a branch of the Republican
party leu ny oeildlcT ,Oipg as opIOScu
to Mr.. D%alrymple, the county chair
man.
"Of the fifty odd members who were
entitled to sit in that conference but
thirty odd were present, and in view
of the fact that there had formerly
been a number of conferences at which
1t was impossible to make a selection,
1t Is a fair assumption that the men in
vited to the conference Friday We're
only those men, a sufficient number of
whom could be counted upon TO agree
on a candidate. Nor did that selection
have q majority of the votes present.
Meeting Not Regular.
1.-The meeting of Friday afternoon
was not regular nor was it an evidence
of fair dealing, and the rules of party
organization cannot and do not bind
me to recognize any action taken
thereat. 1t is apparent that the
methods of the organization, custom
airy in the selection Of candidates, have
failed and that there Is no opportunity
to secure an expression Of the will
of the Republican voters In this way;
therefore,, there it left the method pro-
vided by statute. ]. e., the casting of
votes at the party primaries, and [
propose to continue my campaign for
the nomination until hat time, or at
least until action is taken by a con-
vention Of the party representatives
at which all men who may be entitled,
are present"