Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-09-19
TO MAKE CONCESSIONS
Vivian NJ. Lewis to be Nom
mated for Governor--Ha
the Votes.
FIGHT OVER PLATFORM
Lewis is Said to be willing
to Put In Progressive
PIanks.

Trenton, Sept. 19-When Atlantic
county is called in the republican
state convention tomorrow it will
give way to Passaic, and former
Governor Griggs will take the plat
form to nominate his neighbOr,
Vivian M. Lewis, as the gubernator-
ial candidate Of his party. The or
ganization is united on Lewis as the
man to lead the campaign against
Woodrow Wilson. Favorite sons
will get mplimentary vote on an
informal ballot, and the progressive
republicans will make, in behalf of
William P. Martin, real fight, even
If a hopeless one.
On the platform, however, the
progressives believe they cannot be
defeated with impugnity. A victory
for the organization on that issue
will be Pyrrhic victory. Edmund
B. Osborne, president of the Pro
gressive League, was asked last
night what he thought of the nomi-
nation Of Woodrow Wilson by the
democrats. His reply was signifi-
cant.
"The democrats have nominated
their strongest man in Woodrow
Wilson," he said HE is the easiest
candidate for them to win with and
he is the hardest candidate for the
republicans to beat
There is but one safe course for
the republican party. They must
adopt a clean-cut, progressive plat
form, free from ambiguity, that dis
pels all suspicion of control by spec
ial interests, and we must nominate
candidate for governor whose rec
ord is consistent with the platform.
No machine candidate. no boss Sc
leeted, stand-pat candidate will do.
You can't put new wine into old
bottles A progressive platform de-
manIs a progressive candidate"
The regulars" have 1t in their
power to give no voice to the pro-
gressives in the committee on reso-
lutions, which is made up of one
member from each county delega-
ton. In no case are the progressives
strong enough to sway a county
caucus and thus make themselves
felt in the all-important committee.
Frank H. Sommer, however, is a
member of the state committee and
he will be on hand at the Trenton
Republican Club this afternoon when
the state committee meets to lay be-
fore that body the Ideas Of the pro-
gressives on the sort of platform
that should be adopted. Mr.. Os-
borne, who is to make the nominal
ing speech in the convention for
Martin, will go to Trenton today also
with a strong progressive delegation.
They will try hard to have their
architectural opinions adopted in
the building Of the platform. 1t
would be a strange proceeding, how
ever, the progressives believe, If they
were given no representation on the
committee on resolutions.
In the last republican state con-
yention the platform was put into
final shape on the floor of the con
vention, many amendments being
offered after the report was made by
the committee on resolutions. A
rule had been adopted to submit
amendments to the convention as a
whole instead of putting them to
sleep by reference to committee, as
had previously been the custom.
Will that rule of last year be revok-
ed tomorrow? In the progressive
view, such a course would be gag
rule" 1t would mean stiff fight.
There are several drafts of plat
form in existence. The progressives
have one; former Governor Edward
G. Stokes, who is confident that he
has secured the senatorial endorse
ment, has another, and there Is one
which may be considered a composite
of ideas of members of the state
committee. Stokes is said to prefer
q progressive platform on account Of
his senatorial aspirations. Mr.. Lewis
Is understood to be in favor of max
ing large concessions to the pro-
gressive republicans and the adop-
ton of a platform that will largely
reflect their views.
AS things are shaping themselves
it may be predicted that the platform
will be progressive despite what the
state committee would do If left to
It's own inspirations.
Just what the voting strength Of
William P. Martin will be in the con-
vention is problematical. He has
eighty votes from Hudson, an equal
number from Essex and few from
Bergen, Union and Passaic counties.
Hudson will give ninety-three
votes to Prosecutor Garven on the
first ballot, Somerset will cast its en-
tire delegation for Senator Freling
huysen, Bergen will give a compli-
mentary vote to Wakelee, and there
will probably be a few votes for
Chancellor Mahlon Pitney. On the
first formal ballot Lewis will be
nominated.
For temporary chairman of the
convention three names are under
consideration, those OF Moses Taylor
Pyne, of Princeton; State Senator
Wakelee, of Bergen, and Attorney
General Wilson. That point will be
settled at the state committee meet
ing this afternoon.
The convention will be called to
order in the Taylor Opera House,
Trenton, at neon tomorrow by State
Chairman Franklin Murphy.
There will be a caucus of the Es-
sex delegates at republican head
quarters in this city tonight.