Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-17
DECLARE SMITH
GETTING READY
Expect His Announcement as
u. S. Senator Candidate,
fFrom tho NEWS Corre,pondentJ

From the NEWS Correspondent.J
Trenton, Aug. 17:-The rumor
persists in state political circles that
former United States Senator James
Smith, Jr., is preparing to enter the
ace for the United States Senate to
succeed Frank o. Briggs, and that
he will soon issue a statement an
nouncing himself as q candidate.
The announcement from Newark
two Or three days ago that he was
going to be a candidate was re-
garded by some of the state house
politicians as premature, but 1t was
learned today from a political au-
thority that is reliable, that without
q doubt Mr.. Smith was considering
the proposition of running again.
II would not be surprised" declared
this state Democratic leader, ito
hear his announcement any day"
Wilson Leaders Not Surprised.
Such an announcement will not
be surprising to the Wilson leaders.
In fact they have been rather ex-
pecting that Mr.. Smith might get in
; the race. The fact that three or
four Wilson men are seeking the
nomination is bothering the COVER
nor and his chief lieutenants consid-
erably for the very reason thai 1t
weakens their chance to land the
s%enatorship and opens the way for
this very move on the part of the
former senator. Senator Smith Is
known to be a very wise and astute
politician and the more progresstves
who get in the race the more he will
be pleased. In the past, as Is well
known, one of his favorite political
schemes has been to induce men to
become candidates against him In
order to divide the enemy, making 1t
easy for him to walk off with the
prize. He tried this game in the last
senatorial fight when he induced
Frank McDermit, the Newark law
yer, to run at the senatorial primar-
les in order to discount the candi-
dacy Of James e. MARITIME. 1t was
the hope of Senator Smith thus to
make the whole primary contest RI
diculous. 1t has always been sus-
pectsd that he had two objects in
view, one to defeat the governor on
the senatorship issue and pave the
way for entering the race himself.
He counted without his host, how
ever, and went down to defeat be-
fore the Governors determined
fight.
That contest settled the primary
issue and no candidate will now
dare attempt to aspire to a seat in
the United States Senate without go
Ing before the people at the Septem-
Der primaries. If, therefore, Sena-
tor Smith does announce himself, he
may be expected to file a petition to
place his name on the primary tick
ct. He has until September 4 to file
such q petition.
Bitter Struggle Expected.
If Senator Smith shall enter the
contest the bitterest kind of a strug-
gle may be expected. The fight will
center in Essex and Hudson coun-
ties where the Smith influence would
be the strongest. The presidential
primary election in May showed that
the former senator still controls Es-
sex county to a considerable extent
and that his machine there is still In
fair condition, but It also showed
that he lost much of his grip in most
other sections of the state. The
general opinion around the state
house is that the only way he could
possibly win the nomination would
be for the opposition to be hope
lessly divided, as now seems to be
the probability.
The Wilson leaders, including
State Chairman Grosscup and Ma
tional Committeeman Hudspeth, re-
alize the gravity of the situation and
it is their hope to effect a compro-
mise so that the progre5sives may
get together on one candidate and
present a solid front to the enemy.
There are several bothersome ele-
ments confronting the leaders, how
ever. One is that Congressman
William Hughes, of Paterson Sena-
tor Gebhardt, of Hunterdon, and
former Judge W~estcott, of Camden,
all seem inclined to insist upon re-
naming in the field. Thus far at
/ tempts at q conference for the pur-
pose of a compromise have failed.
South Jersey for Westcott.
South Jersey, of course, is stand
ing up for Westcott, and this is sup
plemented by the determined fight
which Sheriff N. Peter Wedin Is
making for the Camden man in Hud-
son county. Sheriff Wedin's advo-
cacy of Westcott is largely for per-
SOndl TtdSOuo ia ~
helps to complicate the situation.
The sheriff Is backing Judge West
colt mainly to help him in his fight
against Mayor Wittpenn, of Jersey
City, for the party leadership In
Hudson county. Eugene Kinkaid,
one of the Hudson county congress
men, and other leaders in hat u
ty are for Congressman Hughes for
the senatorship, and Congressman
| Scully, of the third district, Is also
working for Hughes. Sections of
North Jersey are strong for Hughes
and just now his boom seems pref
ty strong up there. 1t is claimed,
though, that he would probably be
injured as a candidate because he
has held onto his Job as congress-
man Notwithstanding he has been
Judge in Passaic county several
months and has drawn both salaries.
| Some say it is not becoming in him
now to seek a third political job.
1t Is not regarded as likely that
Senator Gebhardt will make a strong
show as a candidate. He claims to
be a simon-pure progressive, more so
than many others among h Wilson
leaders, but his local option stand Is
looked upon as a handicap, particu-
larly among the north Jersey voters.