Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-09-21
WEDNESDAY. SEPT. 21, 1910.
THE REPUBLICAN LINEUP.

Lewis to set aside for the time being
his ambition to be governor, In
order to allow John Franklin Fort
to be named, was carried out in full
at the republican state convention
yesterday. With Lewis in the gov
errors chair the people can expect
no change from the way things have
been run at Trenton under the pres
ent republican control. Lewis is in
perfect harmony with the machine.
II he were not he could not have
received the nomination yesterday.
He has held several state offices, all
by the grace of the present state
house ring" He is recognized as
a good fellow and a perfect gentle
man. He is popular with those who
know him, but hat is as far as he
goes.
Promises made by the republicans
mean nothing. The platform three
years ago was full of promises. The
people took the party at its word
and returned it to power. Efforts
were made by the progressive wing
of the party to fulfill some Of the
pledges, but the Board of Guardians
worked tooth and nall to defeat the
attempt. Every voter knows this.
Some of the republican machine
papers were even frank enough to
declare that no m expected a party
to do all the things set forth in its
platform. How, then, can the party
expect the people to take any stock
in the platform adopted yesterday?
Mr.. Lewis says he is in favor of
giving the public utility commission
power to regulate railroad rates.
Governor Fort said the same thing
and he worked hard to bring this
about. The republican platform
three years ago promised a utility
commission with adequate rate
making powers, But the bosses, the
so-called party leaders-those who
control legislation at Trenton when
the republican party is in power
fought against this feature with all
their might. They prevented the re-
publican party living up to this
pledge for two years, but finally, at
the last session, through the force
of public opinion, they permitted a
sort of public utility bill to be pass
ed. But that it does not possess
adequate power to fix rates was
proven when the commuters went up
against the recent increase In fare
on all the railroads.
The split in the party during the
Fort administration was caused by
the governor trying to carry out the
promises made to the people In the
platform upon which he was elected,
while the bosses were determined
to prevent these reform laws being
passed. The same bosses were in
control of the convention yesterday
and all the glittering promises they
make in the platform can be looked
upon with suspicion. More than
that, tits well known that Lewis is
not the~fghter that Fort is and
when we realize the great struggle
the present governor had in order
10 accomplish ever the little he has,
what is there to expect from a man
of Lewis's temperament
The fact that the men in control
fought SO hard for a stand-pat plat
form yesterday and were only will
ing to grant concessions to the
progressives after Lewis had threat
ened to refuse to run, shows how
those in control feel about the pro-
gressive plarks in the platform just
adopted. Even if Lewis could fight
as Fort did he could accomplish
little as leng as the machine dictated
legislation in the assembly and
senate.
You cannot fool the people all
the time: The voters have had SIX
.perienee enough to know that re,
publican promises are not to be
rSstea np0n