The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-10-29
WILSON'S FRIEND
IN STATE SENATE
New Jersey Governor Failed to
Act la FItzherbert Case.
DID NOT END the DISGRACE

Executives "one Track Mind" Get on
Crooked curVs-Not Only Hls
Own State, but the Entire United
States, 10 Entitled to an ExpIana-
tIon = One Was Promised six
Months Ago.
Why has Woodrow Wilson, Gov.
srnor of New Jersey and candidate Of
the Democratic party for President Of
the United States, been suptns. pass
i've and silent for more than six
months In face Of a. black legisla-
tive scandal az ever beclouded the
fair fame Of q sovereign State?
Strike" bills are unhappily not novel;
ties in State capitals and If public im-
pressions are In accord with facts New
Jersey has been q prolific field for
that sort of harvest The BLACK
Horse cavalry" Of Tweed's time were
not more ravenous, according to re-
port, than some of their lattsr-day
imitators west OF the Hudson, and ~
many large corporations have their
headquarters or plants, or both. in
New Jersey 1t IL not difficult for the
striker to find an easy mark" for his
stand and deliver"
Hardly necessary Is 1t to say that
the victims, as a rule usually deem 1t
cheaper to hand over than to put up
a fight, and it might be supposed.
therefore, that a mcnopolist Of Official
righteousness. such as Woodrow VIII
son processes to be. would seize an OPP
portunity not merely offered but
thrusting itself upon him. for making
an example Of the criminals.
Herein Woodrow Wilson has utterly
failed to measure up to the standard
of a conscientious dare-to-do-right ex-
ecutive. Six months and more have
passed since the Senate Of New Jer-
sey, by vote of IL to .. found Sen&-
tor Richard Fitzherbert guilty OF an
act inconsistent with the trust and
duty of senator In that he had me-
gotiated for the payment Of the sum OF
$1,000 by the Commercial Acetylene
Company of New York as a consider
alton for the withdrawal by the said
senator of Senate bills 70 and ITO
therfor introduced by him"
On March IL. the day before the
vote convicting Fitzherbert, Governor
Wilson said that he was looking into
the testimony" and on March IL he
had a conference with the Democratic
senators, and said that he would issue
a statement. No Statement was then
or has since been forthcoming, al
though, to quote from the state Ca
zette" of Trenton, from the time that
he first appeared in the political arena
as candidate for the ONCE Of governor
woodrow Wilson's greatest effort has
been to impress the people OF this ana
other States with the idea that he 10
the head and front Of the Democratic
party and the adviser and guide OF the
people"
On March Is, 1912, two days after
FYtzherbert's conviction Mr.. Oscar =.
Ostby in behalf of the Commercial
Acetylene Company, appealed to Gov
ernor Wilson to take some action that
would put an end to the public scan
dal and the menace to legitimate bust
ness involved in the presence of q
man with F1tzherbert's proved record
in the Senate of New Jersey. Govern
or Wilson replied under date of March
20: 81 quite agree with what you say
as to the extreme seriousness OF the
Fitzherbert incident / shall certainly
try by every means within my power
to see that no matter Of this kind IL
covered or condoned."
And that more than six months ago,
was the last of 1t. so far as Wilson 10
concerned. The promised statement
by Wilson has never been made. F1tx-.
herbert has not resigned or offered to
resign, nor has any suggestion been
made that Wilson has asked him to.
The conclusion IL obvious that
woodrow Wilson is q reformer only
in spots, and that his one-track mind.
az he calls It himself, Is as curved as
the Horseshoe Bend when personal
advantage is to be gained in making
the curve. Fitzherbert has been q
steadfast supporter of Wilson In hls
plans for the uplift of New Jersey, and
a little matter like the holduD OF the
Acetylene company is not permitted
to mar their oneness of moral and po-
liticaI aims. 1t is possible-nay. prob
able-that the public at large may
take a different view Of executive OBJ
legations, and may conclude that q
governor with such contracted sense
Of official duty is untitled for the far
more important ONCE of President Of
the United States.