Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-23
Loaio Of senstorshin situation.

Logic of SenafOrshfp Situation.
To the Editor of the Evening Star:
l have read with interest the &C
counts of the controversy regarding the
senatorial problem of the present time
in this State. and, though l am inc
have always been a Republican, / have
watched rather closely the trend of af-
fairs in this particular matter. 1 will
make a plain statement of my opinion
of MI. Marines position. n the line
of defense OF the same assumes by his
supporters He stands on a plat
form which cannot In any fair and
reasonable light be regarded as firm.
It is but a shell, for it lacks the very
fundamental requisite of guarantee of
support by the legislators named OF
the same ticket at the same time, and
on such platform. His support cannot
I come from any n man. It must come
from the legislators, whose votes shall
determine in the present instance the
fate of each aspirant for the honor of
representing New Jersey in the upper
house of Congress. His claim Is that
certain people voted for him, he having
received more votes h his opponent
on the same ticket. That is quite true.
Nevertheless his choice cannot be
called an expression of popular feeling.
If it is anything, 1t is an indication
that the majority of the people do not
approve the plan in its present stage,
and this is as it should be. Had the
people approved such plan, even with
some 40. 900 votes for Mr.. MARITIME, those
people would have demanded of the
legislative candidate that he pledge
himself to support the said platform
- 1871 - - Al1A H.. H. al7ataA
Of this 49, 900. But the people sought
no such promise.
Mr.. MARITIME stands before the public
in defense OF himself, and has not Of
fered a single sentence that could show
that he is blessed with the capacity
necessary for his making q creditable
showing as the representative of this
mighty State. He says his personality
Is of no account. Not many people Will
disagree with that in n sense, and a
lot will agree with It In another sense.
II he means he has none, he does not
do himself credit, and he does not offer
any encouragement to those who might
think he has some right in the prem
ises. II he means, on the other hand.
that his opinion Is that the personnel
of the Senate is subservient to the
necessity 90 of abiding by the choice
Of the great minority, he is again In
error, for as men In the Senate must
cope with large problems, so, too, must
the men be of large oalibre, II we are
J to have substantial support In the
/ management of this, h greatest OF
governments.
His supporters claim that he, IN
dividually, is not to be considered IN
our deliberations as to hi may pe
the proper course in the present IN
stance. This is an admitted
Of the cause they profess to foster
How can an Intelligent man expect TO
successfully champion the cause OF one
for whom he must passively apologize
because he cannot claim for his candl-
date the capacity requisite to the I'M
portant task he aspires to assumeY IL
is against all common sense that we
shall accept an incapable man for any
place, when 1t lies within u power
to secure a capable one. The case al
issue is not one OF township govern
ment or borough control, but one OF
vast Importance to this great United
States government. Were the crisis to
accrue, where a vote night be close on
a vital matter, poor Judgment, or lack
of good judgment, or lack of ability to
fathom the depths of this nations
needs, might cause an incapable man
to vote to throw the majority IN favor
of that which might be opposed to the
proper interests Of our country at large.
He might commit such action innocent
ly, but intentional or unintentional as
his act might be, the effect would be
the same for good or evil, according to
x-l.ia .ryo ln oTannnna tn Nf0tn Mn
cannot afford to run the risk of hay-
ing men who must vote in the dark"
through lack of ability to see the case
before them In its true light. This
seems to me to make 1t u%ndeniable
that the personal status of the candi-
date Is paramount.
The primary law which Mr.. MARITIME
claims as his shield amounts only to
an optional obligation, and such being
the case, really imposes no obligation
whatever. The result of such primary
could be ratified only by the Legisla-
ture which is to choose the next United
States senator Such choice can be
made In no other way than under the
Constitution of the United States. The
Constitution dictates the election to be
by the Legislature; the primary gave
oPPO bdiiity AW CAPlC ooAOi W OpAillob
as to choice" The legislative candi-
dates did not agree to ratify the re-
suits Of the primary, even were such
results to indicate conclusively any GER.
tain trend of opinion. The people did
not ask for such ratification. Yet, some
claim that the people will have cause
for grief if such primary choice of the
minority be not ratified. I, personal
ly, think that the people Will have
much greater cause for grief II the
choice of the primary be ratified by
the election of the gentleman mem
toned. His position would be hazard
GUS during all his term, fer he might
be expected to fall short and be found
wanting in the event of a nation wide
contest covering our standing among
the powers of the world.
In small places, such as the postal,
revenue, customs and other services of
the United States; In all State service,
and In all local service, we require that
aspirants shall qualify duly by passing
a civil service examination. Shall we
discard the requirement of qualification
in the case of aspirants to membership
Of the senate Of the United States?
Such action would not seem to be con-
sistent, to say the least.
1t is possible, Of course, that someone
baouIog Mr. Martina'a o1a{po daaa 90