Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-08-18
STOKES TODAY
IN STATEMENT
LAUDS MURPHY
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

fFS u D
trenton, Aug. 1.S:-Former Gov
ernor Edward C. Stokes, in a state
ment given out today, lauds former
Governor Franklin Murphy in decid-
ing to follow the formers example
and file a petition for the purpose of
having his name placed upon the
primary tickets for the purpose of
having the republican voters express
a choice for the successor to United
States Senator John Kean. While
Governor Stokes does not mention
the names Of Senator Kean or David
Baird, he at the same time takes a
fall out of both gentlemen by the
way of ridiculing their reasons for
not filing petitions. He also raps
both of these gentlemen on their
contention that the law is not bind
ing upon the members of the legis-
lature once the voters express their
choice. He also insists that the
party will benefit by the senatorial
contest which Is sure to arouse en-
thusiasm which will aid the party at
the polls.
Statement In Full.
The former governors statement
follows:
Il am very much gratifed at the
turn of affairs. Governor Murphy's
attitude is most satisfactory. In q
special message to the legislature l
recommended the enactment of a
law providing for primaries for can
didates for United States senator,
and drafted the present act, which
Vas passed during my administra-
ftnn uynC thn Grot tn annn,noa =, "
determination to submit my candi-
dacy for the United States senate to
the republican voters at the primar-
les. The endorsement of an expert
enced and tried party leader like
Governor Murphy, therefore, is a
compliment which l make no pre-
tense of undertaking..
Moreover, every loyal republican
must rejoice in Governor Murphy's
action. Party interest was dead. 1t
is now awakened. The interest that
will be created at the primaries by a
healthy senatorial contest will
arouse an enthusiasm which will aid
party victory at the polls. Nothing
could have happened more conducive
to our party success this fall.
Candidates who object to making
the people the arbiters in the
torial contest do so on two grounds.
First, that the law is not binding
upon the members of the legislature.
This view is entirely erroneous. The
law is absolutely binding upon all
fair and sincere members of the
legislature. 1t is far more specific
in its obligations than the custom
which binds the presidential electors
in their choice for President and
vice president. No one would dream
of these electors violating the ex-
pressed wish of their constituents as
expressed at the ballot box. No
more would we expect the members
of the legislature to violate the ex-
pressed wish of the people as voiced
at the primaries on the question Of
the United states senatorship. Those
who intimate that the law Is not
binding reflect upon the good faith
of the members of the legislature of
this state. They are representatives
Of the people, and to intimate that
they would not be bound by the law
is to say that they will misrepresent
the people.
1.-THE second suggestion Of the OPP
ponents of this act, that they are
following constitutional methods as
outlined by the fathers, is a plea in
avoidance. The law providing for a
senatorial choice at the primaries
does not change or attempt to
change the constitutional method Of
electing a United States senator. 1t
is not unconstitutional to permit
the people to say whom they want
to serve them in the United States
senate. II is simply granting to the
people the right Of petition which is
guaranteed by the Constitution and
which John Quincy Adams said be-
longed even to a slave Under this
law, the candidate for the United
States senate goes to the doors of
the legislature with the credentials
of the people behind him. By what
rule or logic Is it that a candidate for
United States senator who refuses
to permit the people to say whether
they want him or not is a constitu-
tional candidate, and the candidate
whom the people say they do want is
unconstitutional?
Surely, the republican party OF
this state will not attempt to go into
the thI6 ldll upOl any pidI-
form that by expressed terms or
even by inference denies to the peo-
pie the right to choose their repre-
sentatives in the United States SEN
ate. Such a policy would be an un-
pardonable slight to the people
whose votes we need in order to win.
This Issue Is o well defined,
and 1t is a question of whether, as
one of the candidates expressed 1t,
the senatorial question shall be at
tended to after the legislature is
elected, which was the case in I'LL
nois, or whether the people shall
have the right at the ballot box to
pass Judgment on the various candi-
dates for the high honor in question
and say who shall represent New
Jersey in the United States senate.
The state is on trial and the right
of the people to rule is the issue"
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