Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1910-09-03
STOKES VIEWS
WITH CONCERN
Effort on the Part of Some
Leaders to Discredit
the Primary.
THE ISSUE AT ELECTION
Sees In 1t an Attempt to
Defeat the Purpose of
the Law.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

Special to the EVENING NEWS.
Trenton, Sept. 3-As a candidate
for the United States senate under
the direct primary system, former
Governor e. G. Stokes is deeply con-
cerned over the report that an effort
is being made by certain party lead
ers, notably David Baird in South
Jersey, to induce republicans not to
vote at all in the primaries on the
question of naming successor to
John Kean, the idea being to weak
en- the effect of the primary choice
upon the legislature.
Discussing the reported attempt
to defeat the choice of a popular
expression on the senatorial ques-
tion, Mr.. Stokes today said:
THAT question touches the funda-
mental issue in this campaign. The
senatorial contest is not alone a con-
test as to who should be elected SEN
ator, but primarily a contest as to
how he should be elected.
"Individuals are not absolutely
essential to good government; poll
cies are, and the most important
thing in this contest is the question
of whether the United States sena-
torship shall be selected by the
people themselves or by a few self
appointed directors of affairs.
"The law upon the senatorial sue
cession was passed by the legisla-
ture of this state in good faith and
should be observed in good faith.
There Is no more reason why the law
providing for the selection Of the
party candidates at the primaries
for United States senator should be
ignored, than there is that any other
law upon the statute books should
be ignored. In more that thirty
states, senatorial candidates are Sc
lected by the voters, either at the
primaries or the polls, and the legis-
lature ratifies that choice, Just as
Presidential electors do the choice
of the voters at large. In only one
case, SO far as l know, has the will
of the people been ignored, and that
was in the case in Illinois, which,
with its revelation and corruption,
is not a happy illustration to those
opposed to the right of the people
to have voice in the selection or
senators.
'"The law under which we are
operating In this campaign provides
that upon the primary ticket shall
be the names of those who have
properly filed their petitions as can
didates for the United States senate,
and when the voter goes to the
primary he will erase the names of
all Of those for whom he does not
care to vote, leaving the name of
his choice upon the ballot
ION primary day, he will find the
EnInrnnp ~,
gresham Fowler and myself, and he
will vote for the one of the three he
prefers. The total vote at the pri-
maries will indicate the choice of the
republican voters, and that choice,
as Governor Murphy said in his
open letter. should become the ac-
credited candidate Of the party and
should have the support in good
faith of all the other aspirants
Even before the passage Of this
act, every candidate for United
States senator has at least pretended
that he had public sentiment back of
him and has offered that as the rea-
son why the legislature should elect
him.
This law gives an authoritative
and official expression of public SEN
timent and has been regarded as
binding in all the other states of the
union where it has been tried. Sure
ly New Jersey will not be an excep-
tion to the rule.
Under this law the people hav in
their hands the power for which
they have been asking for years This
campaign will In a measure settle
tho 0upStiOn aa tn whnthar tho will
Of the people can be defied
"If men can be elected United
States senators who boldly say that
they will not ask the peope for their
support and submit their candidates
to the popular vote. then govern
ment by the people, for which Lin
coin pied at Gettysburg. ceases to be
more than a name"