Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-10-29
THETRENTON
LETTER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
OF THE PRESS

cal year for the State government, there
will be the sum of Sl,760000 in the
State Treasury free and clear of all OBJ
legations. The actual amount of money
which Comptroller West will notify Gov
ernor Fort as being on hand will be
81. 100000, but against this sum there
will be outstanding debts of approx
mately 100000 which must be liqui-
dated to determine the actual free bal
ance. These debts are made up of sums
due on contracts for work at State in
stitutions authorized by State Legisla
ture and expenses incurred by the STATE
road department and the State Inland
Waterways Commission. Governor For1
yesterday afternoon expressed himself
as highly gratified at the condition oi
the State finances and declared that the
SI,760,000 free balance, which will be to
the credit of the next gubernatoral adj
ministration, is just about three times
the balance that was left in the State
Treasury when he assumed the office of
chief executive. At the close of the
Stokes administration the available cash
balance for State purposes was 1884,
S0S.S6.
Over the personal signature of former
Assemblyman William 2. Martin, who
was the progressive candidate for the
Republican gubernatorial nomination,
workers in the progressive ranks are as
sured that he appreciates the fight made
during the recent campaign i'll New
Jersey for progressive principles in the
Republican party and on my behalf"
Mr.. Martin also adds: I'VE did not sue
ceed as completely as the progressives
in New York seem to have succeeded
under the Coloners leadership, but we did
make conspicuous progress. The result
of the last primaries has left us inn
mensely stronger in the counties that
have been our chief battle grounds and
has put us in a position to do better
work in Morris, Union, Burlington and
several other counties The fight is
going right on and | trust that you will
do everything possible to strengthen
and encourage the progressive organiza-
ton i'll your county, ward and district. Z
Governor Fort will divide his political
speeches equally between New Jersey
and Massachusetts in the present cam
paign. Besides speaking in Camden on
the personal invitation of David Baird
at the same meeting to be addressed by
Vivian NJ. Lewis, Mr.. Fort yesterday
accepted an invitation from County
Chairman Frank H. Smith to deliver
political address at Republican mass
meeting in Proctor's Theatre in Eliza
beth on November 4th. following his re-
turn from Massachusetts where he will
make speeches in behalf of the re-elee
tion of Governor Draper in Taunton and
Springfield.
Woodrow Wilson, Democratic candi
date for Governor of New Jersey, yes
terday afternoon sent a long letter to
George L. Record, Of Jersey City, leader
of the progressive Republicans and can
didate for Congress i'll the 9th district,
in answer to the nineteen questions
propounded by the latter with view to
fixing the exact position of Mr.. Wilson
in reference to the important issues in
volved i'll the gubernatorial campaign.
The correspondence between Messrs.
Wilson and Record is regarded as the
most important development i'll the pres
ent campaign and marks all epoch in the
affairs of the Democratic party III New
jersey The exchange of letters be-
tween Messrs. Wilson and Record was
compromise from the original idea
that they should meet each other i'll
public debate.
Naming former Senator James Smith,
Jr., James Nugent and Robert Davis a.
Democratic bosses who are i'll the same
class with the Republican leaders who
are known popularity as the Board OF
Guardians Mr.. Record, i'll his letter, in
sisted that DR.. Wilson should answer
what his relation would he, if elected
Governor, to Smith, Nugent and Davis.
This question, considering the activity
of Smith, Nugent and Davis i'll behalf
cs DR.. Wilson's candidacy before ard
Stree the State Convention, was regard
ed as the most important of the inter
regations submitted by Mr.. Record. In
his letter to Mr.. Record, which the lat
ter made public today, Dr. Wilson de
scribes his position in the following
language:
You wish 20 know What my rela
tions will be with the Democrats whose
power and influence you fear, .'i1uIl |
be elected Governor, particularly N such
important matters as appointments and
signing of bills, and | am very glaI to
tell YOU lf~elected. | shall not, either
in the matter of appointments to office
or assent to legislation, or in shaping
any particular of my administration,
submit to the dictates of any person or
persons, special interests or organiza
tions. | will always welcome advice
and suggestions from any citizen, wheth-
er boss. leader, organization man, or
I ,h,1 IA
the advice of influential and disinterest-
ed men, representatives OF their com
munites and disconnected from political
organizations entirely; but all sugges-
tions and all advice will be considered
on its merits, and no additional weight
will be given to any mans advice OF
suggestion because of his exercising or
supposing that he exercises some sort
of political influence or control. | shall
be myself fearfully disgraced should
i'll even the slightest degree cooperate
in any such system or any such trans
actions as-You describe in your charact-
erzaton of the boss system. | regard
myself as pledged to the regeneration Of
the Democratic party"
DR.. Wilson's answers to the other
questions propounded by Mr.. Record
with reference to the boss system are
as follows:
Question lido you admit that the
boss system exists as / have described
it? If so, how do you propose to abolish
it?" Answer:-"Of course | admit It.
Its existence is notorious. | have made
it my business for many years to OBJ
serve and understand that system, and
| hate it as thoroughly as 1 understand
it. You are quite right in saying that
Il il hi-nartisan: that it constitutes the