The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-04
Down BOSSES OR
POPULAR RULE IS
DEAD, SAYS FORT
Governor Declares Republic Is
Threatened Through Com
troll by Few.
LEADERS WHO THROTTLED
PRIMARIES ARE MENACE
Refuses to Mention Names, Say
ing Bosses OF Both Parties
Are Equally Bad.

Governor John Franklin Fort, Of
New Jersey, declared yesterday in an
interview with a New York newspaper
man that unless boss rule in parties
is overthrown it will result, in his be-
lief, in the overthrow of popular gov
The Governor plays no
favorites in the matter of party bosses.
He believes hat Republican bosses,
who have throttled the direct pri-
marles and prevented the New Jersey
Legislature from enacting into legisla-
ton the party pledges, are a menace
to the republic just as much as Demo-
cratic BOSSES.
In a recent speech in Newark the
Governor told of party bosses sitting
In the seats OF members OF the Legls-
lature and telling those members how
TO vote and what to say in order to
defeat legislation demanded by the
people.
Governor, what prompted o to
make your attack on the bosses the
other night?' he was asked.
prompted it? l believe the time is
ripe, and the people should know the
true condition of affairs" was he re-
ply.
What, In your opinion, will be the
ultimate outcome IL boss rule is con-
tinued?" was asked.
I'm the end boss rule. IL it is not
stopped, will lead to the overthrow of
popular government" was the reply,
so quickly 1t showed the Governor had
long since arrived at this conclusion.
Asked IL the bosses in the Repub-
lican party are not quite as bad as
those in the Democratic camp, the
Governor replied:
Undoubtedly. There is not the
slightest difference, and the end Of
each is the same. Upon any question
vital to their power they make it a
matter of mutual concern"
Replying to a question as to the
source of the pressure that caused
members of the Legislature to vote
against their convictions, the governor
said:
There are two reasons for so voting.
The first was to protect the bosses, who
control political nominations; the Sec
ond was because the interests hat fur
nish the money to enable bosses to hold
their power desired that the members
should vote as they did. If the mem
bers of a legislature were left to do
as their consciences dictated, they
would be found right on all popular
questions" IN
Asked to name the bosses who had
been the worst offenders, the governor
answered:
II prefer not to get into personalities.
There Is very little difference In bosses,
except In degree. Some are more poten-
tial than others, but all have the same
object in view"
wherein has New Jersey lost all
semblance of representative govern
ment?" was asked the chief executive.
I'm control of county machines by
county BOSSES" said the governor.
"They dominate the election machinery
Of both parties and control the prima-
ries. largely through the influence of
the citizen who fails to vote, There Is
no cure, except in awakening the
thoughtful man to the true condition.
1t was largely for this purpose that l
made my speech in Newark
When asked to suggest reforms or
remedies, the governor replied;
II believe that the best remedy is
the direct primary; the strongest proof
of this is that every boss is against
the direct primary, and every other
measure that undertakes to increase
the power of the citizen in the making
of nominations
Replying to the question how the Re-
publican party could rid itself of It's
corrupt bosses. Governor Fort said:
"Only In one way, that l can see:
that Is to overthrow them by public
sentiment shown at the ballot-box, and
the first place for this sentiment to ex-
press itself is the primary.
III the people could be brought to
realize the full import of the fact that
in a representative government the
primary is the real source of power
which the boss understandable result
would soon eliminate bossism.
There is a defect in the present pri-
mary law. in that, by the consent of
the bosses and judges of election,
whom, under our law, they appoint,
the ballots of one party are voted in
h box of the other party, thereby
enabling one boss to make a nomlna-
ton through the boss of his political
opponents,
Il hope / have made clear the idea
of one boss assisting another of an op-
posite party. That feature must be
prevented by legislation before the
direct primary law can be effective"