Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-22
lFsom a stan Correspondent,

tFrom a STAFF Corfespondentl
TRENTON, Dec. 22-Thirty-six of
the fifty-one Democratic members of
the incoming Legislature have given
positive assurance that they will vote
on January "a for the return to tho
United States Senate of former Senator
James Smith, jr. With the exception of
Senator Osborne, of Essex, none of the
ship. and the Indications today are that
when the joint ballot is taken the
requisite forty-one will be cast for the
former senator. James E. MARITIME may
receive the remainder. but even that is
doubtful.
DIR. wilson Confesses weakness.
Following the Princeton conference
last night, at which Governor-elect
Woodrow Wilson used every persuasive
argument at his command to divorce
five Of the eleven Essex assemblymen-
elect from their written promise to
support the former senator. it became
known th-t Dr. Wilson confessed weak
ness in his light.
DR.. Wilson's public declaration and
the only battle thread upon which he
stands Is that 1t is "the duty of every
Democratic legislator to keep faith
with the people by recognizing the
enacted law and voting for Mr.. Mar
tine"
DR.. Wilson admitted to the five Essex
Assemblymen-eIect that the Essex
eleven were not bound by the primary
law.
In the face of the fact that the only
enacted law that DR.. Wilson could
possibly refer to in trying to outline
the duty of the legislators in the pri-
mary enactment, permissive but not
mandatory, the governor-elect in adj
mitting to the Essex quintet that the
Essex men are not bound by the
primary law" shows a weakening of
his position.
Looking for Complete Surrender.
That weakness Is being construed by
the former senator's supporters today
as the forerunner of a complete sur
render.
Tor three hours the governor elect
drilled into the five Essex men. 1t was
not until he discovered that he was not
making a favorable impression with
the assem- mblymen-elect that he admit
ted his weakness by telling them that
in his opinion the Essex eleven were
mot bound by the primary law" 1t
was argued by DR.. Wilson's guests that
none Of the ffty-one Democratic legts-
lators were pledged to support Mr..
MARITIME, except Senator Osborne.
The governor would not mako
any admissions along those lines ex-
cept in SO far as the Essex delegation
itself was concerned, although it was
pointed out to him time and again
that of the $4,000 votes cast for the
democratic members of the legislature
there were only $4,000 voters who ex-
pressed preference for MARITIME on
primary da5 che Essex men re-
peated and repeated to DIR. Wilson that
the wishes of the one hundred and
sixty odd thousand Democratic voters
who expressed no MARITIME preference
must be respected when 1t came time
to vote for the United States senator
ship.
The Essex men who accepted the
invitation of the Governor elect
were Assemblymen Boetner, Balentine,
Mylod, Brown and Macksey. These
We're the only members of the
Essex delegation who we're asked
to come to DR.. Wilson's Prince
ton home to discuss the Senatorship
with him. He has invited others to
meet him at the Collingwood Hotel,
New York this afternoon. Those
he will not meet today he will in
terview on his return from ST. Louis,
for which place he will leave next
Monday.
Legislators-elect from other counties
of the State have been invited by DR..
Wilson to meet him. when he returns
from the West.
DR.. Wilson expressed himself along
the same lines he has already taken in
advocating the election of James E.
MARITIME
There is nothing for me to say as
to the result of the conference" Dr.
Continued on Second Page.)
"a a.