Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-09
POLITICAL THEORIST
TO ENTER PRACTICAL
REALM AT THE CAPITAL.

The Philadelphia Inquirer to-
day prints the following edito-
rial:
New Jerseys student-Governor.
We shall watch the public "a
reer of the student-governor of
New Jersey with a great deal of
interest. From the dreaming OF
political dreams In the comfort
able chair of a library, from the
entertaining pastime of weaving
theories of government, DR.. VIII
son has passed into the realm of
practical politics.
In the seclusion of the library
DIR. Wilson is a supporter of the
Constitution. From the Consti-
tuition he learns that there is n
way in which United States sem
ators can be elected, and that Is
through the votes of the members
of the Legislature. But when II
comes to practice. DR.. Wilson
discards the Constitution. He
told the people when he vas a
candidate for governor that IL
they elected him he should be
their leader" They elected
him, therefore he, not the writ
ten document, is the Constitution.
according to his own opinion.
Even before he has taken office
he says to the members of the
A-t.1a f,,H. A.ftralxy dtGnn hin
their Constitution-gtven rights,
IT have a candidate for senator.
You must elect him."
DR.. Wilson insists on the selec-
tion Of a man who would be dan
gerous in the extreme to the citi-
zenship of New Jersey, because
Nh. MARITIME is himself extreme
in his views. Could the MARITIME
Views be enacted into law, the
principal occupation of the work.
ingmen of New Jersey would be
hunting for free soup kitchens.
Yet the student-governor-elect
snaps his whip over the heads
OF the members Of the Legisla-
ture and orders them to abandon
their right of free thought and
free ballot and follow him In
sending to Washington a danger
Gus politician who has been
hunting for office ever since he
was old enough to get into the
political game.
The tendency to assume the
powers OF a political boss is a
very interesting point in the evo-
luton OF the student into politi-
cal office. But more interesting
Is the method taken to assert his
authority. It Is not at all orig
inal. Long before his cay the
evil Of exaggeration has been the
important element In any at
tempt to stir the into
revolution. Thus we find the
student-governor prone 10 clutch
at the rumors of the winds and
to lift them into the dignity of
truth with the stamp of his OFF,
cial authority. To destroy a po-
litical enemy, he charges Mar
tines opponent, Mr.. Smith, with
comforting with the Atlantic City
boss, Commodore Kuehnle, and
with David Baird, Of Camden.
the inference which no wishes to
convey being that Kuehnle and
Baird, both Republicans, are
dealing with Smith ever the SEN
atorship. But no sooner Ia the
charge made than both kuehnle
and Baird deny positively that
they have ever seen Mr.. Smith
since election, and DR.. Wilson
finds himself in turn charged
with deliberately circulating mis-
information for the purpose Of
gaining political advantage.
Up to date. DR.. Wilson has
succeeded in doing one thing
most admlrably--that OF splitting
the Democratic party into ugly
factions. We are inclined to
agree with Mr.. Baird when he
says that the Democrats are al
ready fulfilling his prediction
that they are not capable of
ruling.
So we shall watch with interest
the attempt OF the student-gov-
ernor OF New Jersey to person
ally conduct the affairs Of a
great State.