The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-18
Lobby Wants Gov
ernOr-EIect to Make Recon-
mendatiOn in Inaugural.
RECOGNIZED
Adoption of Direct Nominations
System in New Jersey.-"Few
Political Representatives"
Said TO Be Now Nam
ing Delegates.

An open letter to Governor-elect j. f.
Fort has been sent by the Peoples
Lobby through the new secretary, for
mer A~ssemblyman Edward II. Wright,
jr., requesting that he recommend the
direct election of delegates to the ma
tional conventions of the great parties.
The letter in part says:
THE Presidential campaign now inn
pending will be one of the most important
in years. Great and vital questions of
government are 10 be decided. How they
shall be met and settled depends largely
upon the action of the Democratic and
Republican National conventions, whiell
in turn win depend wholly upon the opin-
ions and affiliations of the delegates.
1T is common knowledge that certain
great financial and special interests whose
operations have been detrimental to the
public good and general prosperity, and
whose methods have been the cause OF
much scandal and distress, are soheming
10 control the conventions of both these
great parties, with a view to securing the
nomination of candidates for the presi-
dency who shall be acceptable to these
special interests. In no State OF the
Union, if common report is correct, has
this conspiracy been more carefully
planned than in New Jersey.
The carrying out of this purpose can
be successfully accomplished only through
Il delegate convention system which de-
prives the majority of real voicec or IN
luence. and permits the ega TO the
national conventions to be named and in
structed by Il few political representa-
tiVes and agents of these special interests.
rhe preventive for such betrayal of repre-
sentative government lies in Legislation
outlined below
Reference is then made to the prin-
ciple OF direct nomination as recognized
by both parties. The letter goes on TO
say:
by statutory utterance the State OF
New Jersey has decided that IL IS not
proper or expedient for delegates TO in
tervene between the will of the Individ-
ual voter and the selection OF local noml-
nees.
.'Still. under our present system national
nominees a:e selected, not directly by the
voters of the party, nor by delegates
whom the voters directly select, but by
delegates chosen in conventions by other
delegates, who in turn are elected at party
primaries, controlled exclusively by party
organizations, where the ballot is not
even protected as in a primary for nomi-
mating constableS and ward Offices, and
where tie officers who have charge of
the balloting are subject to no State law
or supervision.
be charged by the Constitution to for
ward to the Legislature communications
for the benefit of the State, and to recon-
mend such measures as o deem ex-
pedient.
In order TO correct the wills of the
above system it is respectfully urged
that as Governor of New Jersey you will
strongly recommend TO the Legislature
the enactment Of a law which will per-
init the voters of the parties, both in
the Congressional districts and in the
State-at-large, to express by direct vote
in official party primaries. their choice
between such candidates as may present
themselves as national delegates and for
Presidential electors, without the inter
ventlon Of conventions, and will give TO
the voters a further right TO indicate on
their primary ballots their first and sec
ond choice for President and Vice-Presi-
dent"