Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-31
WAKELEE WINS
FIGHT TO KEEP
SOLONs IN SESSION
Bergen Senator HUNDRED and
Legislature Will Adjourn
April 8.
fFrom a stan Correspondent

ltrom a StaI correspondence
TRENTON, March 31.-The Legis-
lature of the State of New Jersey
which consists of sixty assemblymen
and twenty-one senators, will, by the
grace of Senator Edmund W. Wakelee.
of Bergen county, adjourn sine die next
Wednesday, April 6. Majority Leader
Edge had brought about the unanimous
adoption in the House of a concurrent
resolution fixing this afternoon at )
o'clockas the time for final adjournment.
A majority of the senator's also favor
ed today's wind-up. But Wakelee de-
creed otherwise. and so ii shall be. 1t
may be that President Frelinghuysen
and Senate Majority Leader Alderman
see Wakelee's political finish and wants
to humor him in his dying days.
The Republican senator's caucused
on the adjournment question. Wakelee
insisted upon another week, and they
agreed. The Senate held a brief bust
ness session late yesterday afternoon
and then adjourned till this afternoon.
Wakelee. who is serving his fourth
consecutive term and who is a MEM
Der of the Republican State Committee,
showed tina he dominates the present
Legislature. He also showed his DOM
ineering ability when he forced the pas
sage of his public utilities bill. The
EVENING STARS expose of the tele-
phone monopoly brought to light the
fact that Wakelee was a 'go-between'
in a telephone deal, and Wakelee's far
sightedness prompted him to introduce
the utilities bill.
There were hours and hours of de-
bate before the bill finally went
through. Men wrestled with knotty
questions. Amendment after amend
ment was beaten. The Governor read
the bill, the Senator's met in long on
situations, but when the bin was fin
ally passed it was the original Wakelee
public utilities bill with one slight
change which the author had decided
to make himself.
WakeIee's Career.
The gentleman from Bergen was
elected TO the Senate for the first time
in 1900 by a plurality of 2,163. He
served a year Of an unexpired term and
then ran for reelection. He was elect
ed by 1921. He ran again in 1904 and
was landed in the Senate by grace OF
the Roosevelt vote. He won out again
in 1907 by the smallest Republican
plurality given in many years in Ber-
gen County. He suffered a thousand
or more cuts, his plurality being SIS
votes, less than one-third of that he
received when he vas first chosen.
! despite the fact that the State Repub-
Hcan organization and other powerful
Influences were at work in his behalf
He received less than so per cent. of the
total vote cast for the several candi-
dates for Senator in 1907.
Mr.. Wakelee does not talk of seeking
reelection. He has had his ear to the
ground. From Bergen county comes the
Information that many Republicans
have signifed their intention of support
ing Colonel Dan Fellows Plat, or SOM
other Democrat of his calibre, for Sen
ator Last week a score of Bergen
County Democrats, under the leader
ship of ]. Spencer Smith. of Tenaf1y,
| came to Trenton and frankly told OF
the plan to eliminate Wakelee.
1--WE expect to win this time" said
Mr.. Smith. THE time is ripe. Year
after year the commuter vote has
| saved Wakelee. We propose to rouse
! the people this year"
Senator William j.. Bradley. of Cam
den. who for years was the big figure
in the Senate. has taken a less active
part in Republican c~ounsels as Mr..
Wakelee's strength in the legislative
halls has grown. Mr.. Bradley was
present at none of the conferences or
public utilities legislation this year and
has been conspicuously absent when
other important questions have been
debated.
Wakelee's the Boss.
Mr.. Wakelee, after considering all
sides of the question, has decided that
the Legislature may go home next
week. The senators have been in ac-