The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-01-20

Sssssyasno, ~ firing executive
during the three
years that he has served the public
has been his discernment of the spirit
of the times. He has reflected stead
tasty and consistently, many times
militantly. the dominant note of pres
ent day political ife-pledge keeping
lie has fought good fight. He has
kept the faith. He turns over tht
office of governor of New Jersey e
one of Americas great citizens. Wood
row Wilson. with three year RECORD
of square dealing by the people to his
credit.
Mr.. Fort as governor has made sunt
mistakes. ReirospeetiVely he new ap
prehends the fact that if he had acted
differently in some circumstances he
would have come nearer to an error
less administration But 1t is axiomat
ic that we all make mistakes. OF
course governors are human, and Mr.
Fort is no exception to the rule. His
severest critics have been those who
have tried TO put him upon a pedesta
and paint him as n "holier than thou
character They have called him .
demagogue, said he was unstable an6
full of exaggerated egotism. The writ
er's experience with him, fairly in
innate one In a newspaper way, has
proved him to be the antithesis of such
IA conception. He has not been polit
ically knaYish. officially Incompetent o,
morally false In any OF the work OF his
administration. He has been honest II
his political professions and square and
able In all of his official transactions
Personally MIR. Fort has made hosi
of friends as governor Here and there
some of the friendships that were clost
and cordial in the days before he be
came governor are now bit strained
Among the latter the difficulty has
been that the governor declined TO per
init consideration for friends to inter
pose 10 the disadvantage of the inter
ests of the state
All through his administration II,
has been subjected to the charge that
he was trying to build up persona
political machine but he leaves the
governorship absolutely free Of such
an ENHANCEMENT. Whatever strength
he possesses in a political way today
is centered in the people on the basis
of appreciation undirected by political
organization.
If the writer We're asked to name the
most popular Republican in New Jer.
sey today he would select Governor
Fort for this honor This opinion l.
purely personal and VIII doubtless
meet with vigorous disputing as 10 IFS
being fact Be that as 1t may il
cannot be successfully denied that
Governor Forts political declarations
and acts harmonic in "A marked de
gree with the policies to which his sue.
cessor in office. DIR. Wilson. commit
ted himself during the campaign. With
the tremendous support accorded &c
DIR. Wilson on the basis of his prom.
Used course in Office is II not fair &c
argue that by the same token the pop
ularity of Governor Fort may be meas
ured?
The failure of the Republican party
In the legislative branch of the gov.
eminent TO heed the advice and warn.
ings of Governor Fort, who couched
them in plain, blunt English I'm Official
communications, not to say anything
of the counsel he uttered on the sub
ject through public speeches, consti
tuted the great opportunity for Or
Wilson and the Democratic party in
the last campaign. II the Republican
majority during the last three years
no vtnll .a 70 ha f.,l
concentrations Of Governor Fort il is
certain that the New Jersey Democ
racy in the recent campaign would
have had to make its fight along diff
ferent lines from those that prevailed
and possibly with less serious results
TO the Republican party.
Just at this time, when not only New
Jersey. but the whole nation, is intense
iy interested over the magnificent fight
that is being led by DIR. Wilson for the
Democratic party to keep faith with
the people. 1t IS pertinent to note that
Governor Fort in his inaugural adj
dress made on Jan 81 1908. said:
Every promise made to the people
in the platform of the party prevailing
in the last election must be kept Thl.
Is duty which both the Legislative
and executive branches of the govern
ment must regard as obligatory"
Here was evidence of keen appre
citation Of the spirit Of the times. And
here. let it be noted further. was
where Governor Fort fell out with In,