Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-07-01
ARE C0MakSy
xssc.el 20 tAs EVENING NEWS.

ards the persons responsible for the
anonymous attack made upon him in
a circular pamphlet mailed from
Harrisburg, Pa, to many New Jer-
sey politicians. The substance of
the charge against Mr.. Stokes was
that he had violated his oath of Of
fee by accepting a position in the Of
fee of the clerk of the supreme
court, drawing salary therefrom
while he was still a representative
of Cumberland county in the state
senate. In his reply Mr.. Stokes saids
An anonymous political COM
munication, mailed at Harrisburg,
Ia being extensively circulated
through the mails In this state, stat
Ing that from January, 1898, to
April, 1899, l received pay for ser
vices as an employee In the Office of
the clerk of the supreme court while
at the same time / was q state SEN
ator and that under the provisions
of the constitution prohibiting dual
Office holding, / was not entitled to
this compensation.
while anonymous communica-
lions are usually beneath notice,
there Is no reason why the people
Of the state should not have the
facts. They are not new.
II was employed during the time
mentioned as one Of the assistants
under Mr.. Riker in the Office of the
clerk of the supreme court at the
request OF the governor and Mr.. Ri
ker, and ! performed the duties
there and received pay Just as any
one else does for services rendered
in any capacity. The question of
whether such a petition was within
the prohibition Of the constitution
was thoroughly and fully discussed
at the time / took the position, after
most careful consideration by the
legal authorities of the state, and
their opinion was that 1t was In no
wise incompatible with my office as
state senator.
Governor Griigs, who was then
governor, approved OF the compensa-
ton. Comptroller Hancock, a most
careful and exact official, paid the
salary, and Attorney General Grey,
after clearly stating the difference
between a mere employe, under a
public officer, and a public officer,
gave an opinion in which he said:
I'm my opinion, II the clerk of
the supreme court should employ
you as one of the necessary assist
ants In his Office under contract with
him, upon compensation settled by
that contract,> andn1f you should ac-
cept that employAq and enter up
on the discharge Of your duties as
necessary assistant to the clerk, /
do not think you would hold Q pub
lie office, nor do I think you ~eald
| IoI1 nH1az 4P nrna4 nndar fha
government of this state
There was nc concealment of my
employment as one of the assistants
in Mr.. Riker's office. 1t was pub
lished and discussed In the papers OF
the state, and during the time ! was
employed in the office ! was nomi-
mated and elected state senator by
the votes OF Cumberland county,
with their full knowledge of the sit
uation. Moreover, ! have since been
elected governor of the state, with
a full knowledge of the facts and
with my record before the public. In
both OF these campaigns, In which
my political opponents took advant-
age of every weakness, my right to
earn a living in the office OF the
clerk of the supreme court was not
questioned. 1t was left to these lat
ter day political methods to endea-
vor to make capital out of this mat
ter.
"All of these anonymous circulars
are mailed under the Harrisburg,
Pa, postmark, for the reason that
under the laws of New Jersey their
circulation in this state would be a
misdemeanor. The law Of 1903 pro-
vides:
whoever writes, prints, posts or
distributes, or causes to be written,
printed, posted or distributed a cir
cular or poster which Is designed or
tends TO injure or defeat any can
didate for nomination or election to
any public office, unless there APP
pears on such circular or poster, in
a conspicuous place, either the
name of the chairman and secretary,
or of two officers OF the political or
other organization Issuing the same,
or of some voter who Is responsible
therefor, with his name and post Of
fee address, shall be guilty Of a mis-
demeanor.
Desperate must be the situation
of men who dare not fight In the
open, who, in order to make an at
tack upon me, are compelled TO VIC
late the criminal statutes of New
Jersey, and take refuge in another
state to escape the penalty Of their
unlawful methods. Desperate must
be their condition when they used
the government malls to violate New
Jerseys laws, and desperate the
cause of those who resort to clan
destine means and anonymous com
munications to make charges toe
trivial to stand the test of publicity
and personal responsibility. / had
supposed that whatever contest there
might be for the senatorship of this
state would be a contest OF gentle
men conducted in an open and an
honorable way, with the desire to Sc.
cure a free and untragmeled eX-
preston OF the peoples choice.
1T would seem, however, that
this is to be a campaign of nameless
towards, who rush to the cover OF
another state TO fight their battles In
secret and at long distance. 1t if
rather surprising to find such meth
DDS as those among republicans, and
II these are 10 be the tactics of some
of those who are opposed TO me
while / shall lot myself resort tc
such methods, / shah know how tc
meet them, and l am content IL
trust my cause to the fair-minded
people Of this state"
NOTICE OF REssovAn.
DR.. j. L. Macdonald (eye, ear
anoa and 4broafA hae moved his