Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-14
FORT To LEAD
JERSEY MOOSE
Former Governor Elected
Chairman of Roosevelt Party
fFrom the NEWS Correspondent

from tho NEWS Co~rTeSpondenfJ
Trenton, August 1.-THE cam
paign of the New Jersey Bull Moosers
to put this state in the Roosevelt
column a formally launched here
yesterday afternoon at a meeting of
the party leaders who were constf-
tuted a committee for the purpose at
the Asbury Park convention. For
mer Governor Franklin Fort of Essex
was elected state chairman, as was
expected. He also presided at the
conference. Following his election
as chairman, he declined to accept
the position of New Jersey member
of the National Committee, and it
was agreed that Borden d. Whiting
should be chosen for this post. This
will conciliate former State Senator
Everett Colby and it was claimed after
the meeting would heal the breach
caused by the selection Of Mr.. Fort
in place of Mr.. Whiting at Chicago.
The other officers elected were:
Vice chairman, State Tax Commits
sioner Frank B. Jess, who left the
ranks of the Camden Regulars to fol-
low the Colonel; secretary, Frank ].
Higgins, of Jersey City; treasurer,
Irving K. Taylor, of Essex county.
A resolution vas adopted hat a
third party ticket be placed in the
field in every Congressional District
and every county. 1t was decided to
plan a vigorous campaign at once and
Chairman Fort was authorized to ap-
point an executive committee of
seven members to conduct it. The
committee will be appointed later.
The feature of the conference was
a strenuous speech made by former
Congressman Charles N. Fowler, Of
Union, who was present by special
invitation, not being a member Of
the committee. The meeting was
held in the Y. NJ; C. A. building be-
hind closed doors, but Mr.. Fowler
got so insistent in behalf of his con-
tentfons that at times his voice could
be heard through the doors. He
urged that the Progressives have
nothing to do with local tickets
where no national issues were at
stake. He stood pat, to some degree,
on disposition taken at the Asbury
Park convention which was that re-
forms should be sought through the
medium Of the Regular Republicans.
1t was the impression of at least some
of the P~rogressives present, however,
that Mr.. Fowler showed somewhat
more inclination to forsake the Taft
ticket than he has heretofore done.
The former Congressman's PROPOSE
ton was not received with much ia
vor as the adoption of the resolution
showed.
The question of state Headquarters
and other campaign details were left
to the executive committee. Speeches
in favor of the Third Party move
ment were made by State Assessor
George L. Record, Mr.. Molby, Assem-
blyman John E. Gill of Mercer, and
James e. Bathgate of Somerset.
The committee is composed of one
member from each county and nine
members-at-large appointed since the
Asbury Park gathering. The mem
bers-at-large are: Ex-Governor Fort,
Mr.. Colby, George M. V. Moy Of I'm
ion; Mr.. Jess, of Camden; Mr.. Gill,
of Mercer; Edgar B. Bacon, of Hud-
son; Henry NJ. Bailey, of Bergen;
Harold j.. Rowland, of Esser, and
Henry C. Whitehead, of Passaic.
Some of the other members pres
ent were5 Edgar A. Knapp, Of I'm
ion; Mayor Farmer, of Burlington;
IT. D. Potter, of Cumberland; Ed
|mund B. Osborne, of Esser; former
|Assemblyman James c. Blauvelt, of
Passaic: and A. Grocer Reeves, Of
Mercer.