Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-09-09
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SEA GIRT. Sept. 9.-In a statement
issued at the Little White House
Governor Wilson mixes in the
torial fight, defining his attitude n
the matter of the candidacy OF
former United States Senator James
Smith, jr.
Although the Governor has given
partial voice to the Senatorial situa-
t,on he refused to express MS
opinion concerning the candidacy OIL
Judge .John W. Wescott, Congress
man william Hughes, George w.
Young. William c. Gebhardt or FRANK
McDermit, Notwithstanding the de-
| sire of the supporters of these In
dates to know his preference.
If is not believed that n of the
s;x Demooratic candidates for the
Senatorial nomination will withdraw
from the race. According to the law,
the announcement of a withdrawal
would have to be made today TO
Secretary of State David S. Crater.
Governor wilson's statement fol-
lows:
"Mr. Smith has. of course. a perfect
right to offer himself at the primaries
as a candidate for the Democratic
nomination for Senator OF the United
states. He is acting frankly and in
the spirit of the new law, and. If he
10 nreferred at the primaries, it will
he the duty of every Democratic
member of the next Legislature to
vote for him when "a Senator Is
chosen. But I feel that l ought to
speak very frankly about the signih-
canoe of his candidacy.
"It is not only my privilege as a
citizen. but my duty as the leader OF
my party, to point out just what is in
yolved in this matter for the Demo-
cratic party of this State and for the
party In the nation. When l was
elected Governor, I put myself under
the most solemn and explicit pledges
to the people of New Jersey. a
told them during the campaign, in
which l sought their support, that L
would understand my election TO
mean thai they commissioned me TO
act as the leader of my party. and as
the spokesman of all the people OF
the State; that | would deem 1t my
duty to keep them advised concern
ing every important matter that af-
fected their political welfare n
safety; and that I would give them
the best and frankest counsel l could
with regard to every public matter
in which my advice might be of ser
vice to them. Those are promises
which I cannot in conscience ignore.
ut is very distasteful to me to be
obliged to make public comment upon
Mr.. Smiths candidacy, but it is an
obligation which 1 cannot honorably
escape. interests of the greatest
consequence, both to the party and
to the nation, are involved. and l
cannot be silent. The fact thai / am
at present the responsible leader OF
my party in the nation as well as in
the State makes my duty all the more
clear and imperative.
"Mr. Smiths selection al the Demo-
cratic candidate for the Senate would
be the most fatal step backward that
the Democrats of the State could pos
sibly take. 1t would mean his restora-
ton to political leadership in New
Jersey the moment my service as
Governor ended and, with his restora-
ton, a return to the machine rule
which so long kept every active Dem
ocrat in the State in subordination to
him and prevented every progressive
program conceived in the interest of
the people from being put into effect.
"I speak with knowledge in this
matter because at every turn of my
administration, since I became Gov
ernor, I have found his hand against
the new plans Of the party-his in
huence working steadily but covertly
against everything hat has substi-
tuted hope and pride for discourage
ment and shame in the politics of
New Jersey during the twenty months
during which l have been permitted
to serve the people of the State.
1T is of particularly sinister i'm
port that Mr.. Smith should seek to
return to the Senate Of the United
States at this time. He was sent to
the Senate once before when the
tariff had been the chief issue of the
national campaign and when the
Democrats had, for once in a genera
ton, an opportunity to relieve the
people of intolerable burdens and the
industry of the country of the tram
mels which bound it like q strait
jacket. If the tariff could have been
revised then we might have been
spared some part, at least, of the
crop of trusts and combinations
which now rule and circumscribe our
markets.
Mr.. Smith was one of a small
group of Senators, calling themselves
Democrats, who, at that critical n
hopeful juncture in our politics, ut
terly defeated the program of the
party. His election now might bring
the party face to face with a similar
disaster and disgrace and would I'M
questionably render the satisfactory
administration of the federal func-