The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-09-28


Che local county committees. 1t seems
strange that as soon as man gets to
be chairman of a county committee he
seems to think that he must be re-
! sponsible for everything political. 1t
| Is wrong conception Of county
| committee Craftsmanship. Neither the
county committee nor its chairman
should have any part in selecting
nominees for office, except to issue the
call for that purpose. The committee
must conduct the campaign for the
| election, and its chairman should be
| left in a position where, whomever is
nominated, his impartiality will not
be questioned. His chief function
should be to secure party harmony,
not party strife. Let the Republican
voters make the nominations without
dictation Of any kind and the county
committee conduct the campaign for
their election. We shall then have
party harmony and an equal chance
for every Republican who wishes to
try to represent the people.
The Importance of electing proper
men to the legislature this year can
not be overestimated No man should
be supported at the primary who does
not openly declare where he stands
and whether he win stand for the full
fillment of the party pledges. Any
candidate who does not announce his
position should be defeated for nomi-
nation. The bosses will not only OPP
pose new laws next winter, but they
will seek to repeal existing laws. This
statement applies to the whole state
Sleepless vigilance is essential to lib
erty.
A candidate not willing to declare
his position is a representative of the
boss system and will not be true to
the people. Write to the candidates
personal letters and ask where and for
what they stand. One not willing to
tell you is against you. During my
administration so far / have striven
only for the good of the whole peo-
pie 1t would have been easy to go
along with the tide. 1t would have
strengthened me personally and aided
me politically with the machine had l
done so. l have conferred and recon
ferred with these gentlemen; have
done my best to convince them where
duty lies. We cannot agree. Our
ideals are quite different. With me it
is not a question of what will help
the party or some person or corpora
ton or myself. but the state alone.
Urges Good Men.
The eleven so called progressive Re
publicans in Essex county have openly
declared where they stand. They de-
clare they can be depended upon to
support all the measures to which
have referred Their success will be
an object lesson in Trenton, and these
eleven men in the legislature will mean
that the governor will have legislators
to hold up his hands. / appeal to the
men of Essex county, to those who love
the party of Lincoln, Garfield, Roose-
welt and Taft, to rally at the primary
for men who will keep the party
pledges. If you wish to put heart into
the men in other parts of the state,
like Crosby, Nichols, Smalley, Vreden-
burgh and others, fight with us against
the power of money and selfish inter
ests, work for this kind of men and
assure their success at the primary.
know of no way in which you can serve
your state better. A triumph in Essex
at this time will mean the beginning
of the end of bossism in New Jersey.
The chief battle-ground is here.
For this speech | realize that all the
dogs of war of the bosses and plat
form breakers will be let loose upon
me. But l rather enjoy that. When
you are right it does not trouble you
what people say. Governor Hughes,
who is making a splendid fight in New
York, said at WATERFOWL last Friday:
have been criticised for going before
the people in person and pleading the
cause of direct nominations, but it is the
privilege and duty of a governor to make
recommendations to the people as well
as to the legislators, who are the servants
of the people. l had rather go to the
people and give them my ideas of what
is best than sit in the back room and
dicker for political votes. 1 will not do
that.
It is in this spirit have made this
speech, and If in the making | can
awaken the people of New Jersey to
the true conditions of defiance of the
party by the political bosses and can
prevail upon them to defeat the nomi-
nation of men who last winter were
false to the party pledges. and obeyed
the party boss long step forward
will have been made.
Selfishness is the curse of our poll
tics. If man would rise above it and
care for only the public veal what a
prosperous and well governed state we
should have! There is everything in
New Jersey to invite people and to at
tract them after they reach here. If
you expect a great future for the state
you must give your support to the men
who are fighting those who would
make your state politically personal
possession. The battle is hard, but
right will triumph in the end. If we
all do our duty the final victory is
sure. ~