Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-05-20
THE BAIRD DINNER.

Lawyer McCarter's complimentary
dinner to "Davy'' Baird, last Saturday,
must have been harmony affair with
big H, because around the board
were both factions of the G. o. P. of
our cOunty-Senator Gaunt, former
Banking and Insurance Commissioner
Watkins and ex-senator Avis. 1t is
significant that Governor Fort, though
in the State, was not there.
Geo. L. Record, of Hudson county,
made this comment on the gathering,
published in the upstate papers on
the morning of the event. He said:
The attention of all persons inter-
ested in real politics will be conferred
to-day upon the dinner given at the
Thomas N McCarter summer home
on the Rumson Road, to David Baird,
this afternoon. The ostensible purpose
of the dinner is ofcourse only con-
venient pretext for a gathering of the
Old Guard After the downfall of
Dickinson and Lentz, Mr.. Baird was
by far the most conspicuous remaining
representative of the system of cor
porate control of politics.
When Gov. Fort, contrary to the
confident expectation of all of the man
ayers of the system, failed to send
in Mr.. Baird's name for reappoint-
ment upon the State Board of Asses
sors he in effect issued a challenge
to the whole system of running politics
which has prevailed in this State for
a generation. Instinctiyely the system
recognized the tremendous signifi-
canoe of the Governors action.
They now realize that it is not
battle in which they are engaged,
but war, and this dinner is moth
ing but roundup of every represen-
tatiye of the special privilege of the
State. When the people are able to
scan the list of the men who attend
this dinner, its full significance will
appear.
1T is a good guess that this par
ticular showdown of the allied forces
of the system will reveal conspicuous
and influential politicians in both
political organizations. The system
works through both parties, and when
it flies its signals of distress the in
Huential leaders of both parties throw
off the party mask and make COM
mon cause for it's defense. OF course
the dinner is a huge political blunder.
If these corporate representatives
and politicians had the slightest con-
ception of real politics, to wit: the
science of influencing public opinion,
this dinner would never have been
held. The occasion and the place, all
the surroundings are not only insig-
nificant, but almost dramatic The
host himself, six or seven years ago
a poor man, now a millionaire, gives
the function in palatial summer
home reputed to cost half mill
lion dollars, all of which, with millions
besides is taken from the public, with
out proper return, in trolley fares, gas
and electric light charges, made pos
sibIe by the failure of the peoples
representatives to enforce the public
partnership rights in these enterprises
e Around the board will be gathered
men of great wealth, all of which has
come from special corporate privi-
Ieges granted by States and munich
palities without adequate compensa-
ton for the privileges granted.
SIT is a great dinner and its effect
upon the public mind will be tremen-
dous. It's an historical OCCASION: It
marks the lining up in the open Of
the forces Of privilege against the
public interest It's Belshazzar
feast, and every man Of imagination
will be able to read upon the wall Of
this baronial banquet hall the doom
of special privileges written by an
aroused public opinion, and which
this feast OF privilege will only serve
to hasten