New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-28
ALL Jersey AROUSED
FOR PRIMARY TODAY
Stamping Tornado Has EIeCtr'-
fled Citizens-FirSt Vote on
Presidential Preference.
TAFT VETERAN CLAIMS DAY
Menace of Rooseveltism Real
lied, Says Edward w. Gray
Colonel's Fides Achates
Predicts Landslide.

freQlCCS b6UuSlluS'
For the first time i'm the history ot Ne"
Jersey. the voters Of that state VIII nave
an opportunity to-day both to indicate tHer
choice for either the Republican or the
Democratic nominee for President and az
the same time TO select delegates, KNOWING
when they make their selection Just Tor
whom these delegates are going TO vote IN
the convention.
To-day's primaries will he held under the
Geran law. passed by IN" Legislature or
Two years ago. and the act will he tested
for the first time so far as Presidential pri-
maries are concerned
Tho campaign has been spectacular one
for the citizens Of the mosquito state and
there's many 81 town which can now boast
of visit and speech from President,
something it, most influential citizens would
not have dreamed of five years ago. And
there's Just as many towns which can also
boast a WISH and a speech from an OK
President who las had two terms i'm the
White House.
Dame Nature has treated the candidates
kindly. for throughout the brief though
drastic campaign the weather has been
ideal Colonel Roosevelt closed his stump
Ing hoo at Union hin last night, but Presi-
dent Taft will make a number Of speeches
10 tho farmers Of Gloucester and Salem
counties before ne leaves the state, by
which time the polls will be opened and
the people shall have begun to vote.
Pure Guesswork
While both the TAFT and the Roosevelt
managers are claiming the state 10y big
maioritics. there is an air Of uncertainty
rs 10 the results Of the primaries which
make predictions little more than guess
work
Edward ". Gray secretary Of the Taft
League. and veteran of many political
campaigns i'm New Jersey. in discussing
the outlook for the primary contest, said
yesterday:
1t has been peculiar campaign, so pc
cLliar in fact. that the sentiment of the
people at this moment cannot be gagged TO
any great extent b. any of the old signs
that once upon time were regarded as
significant. Being the last state Of any inn
rurtance to mold its primaries the indiCa-
tiCns Of It's political barometer have
changed from day to day in accordance
with the results OF primaries in other
states.
The Taft cause i'm New Jersey has 10
doubt suffered because of the Roosevelt
successes in other states This was neces-
sarily SO for TWO reasons-first. that the
Roosevelt cause in this state Itself is head
Cd by political opportunists, and, second,
the band wagon folk, VINO have no minds
Of their own, are with us in their usual
numbers.
"On the other hand. there has been a
steady growth Of Taft sentiment in the
state for the reason that the people have
had 50 long a time in which 10 consider the
issues and to realize the menace Of Roose-
veltism New Jersey has always voted for
itself and l am satisfied that this solid
sentiment for Taft will result in the cleo
tiou of most Of his delegates
A Workingman the Arbiter.
n Much Of the uncertainty as to the results
Of the primaries is due TO the attitude of
the workingmen Of the state New Jersey
IS a manufacturing state, many OF It's in
dustries being dependent OF a protective
tariff While the colonels managers assert
that he has the workingmen on his side.
President Tafts managers are equally posi-
tive that they are with the President, be-
cause. they point out, Colonel Roosevelt's
stand on the tariff question has been
yabbIy, while that OF President Taft has
been firm
Senator La Toilette and his friends have
made q game though losing fight, and
while his supporters 90 not expect TO elect
a single delegate, they. nevertheless, hope
that he will make a showing big enough
70 act as rebuke TO those New Jersey
supporters Of Colonel Roosevelt who. In
cold bloodod and heartless way. cast of
the Wisconsin Senator when Colonel Roose-
volt jumped into the contest.
Local Fight Obscured
The fight among President Taft, Colonel
Roosevelt and Senator La Toilette has
ssfved to hide 10 certain extent the con-
test between Governor Wilson and the
Smith Nugent machine. For bitterness this
controversy exceeds the Republican battle.
Recriminations of the worst kind have been
employed instead OF arguments by the ma
chine men, The Governor has met the on
slaught OF the machine with words dipped
IN acid. He is backed by all the decent
Democrats Of tho state
On the surface Il looks aas though Gov
ernor Wilson has eighteen delegates sure.
with the other ten in doubt. These latter
are in the five districts made up OF Hud-
son and Essex counties and II seems TO be
reasonably sure that the Governor VIII
have an even break there.
New Jersey will choose twenty-eight dele
gates 10 each national convention, four at
large and two each from the twelve Con-
gress districts. Each district selects It's
own delegates, but the delegates-at-larse
are elected by the vote Of the whole state
The primary law also permits the voters
TO express personal choice for Presi-
dental candidate but this preference vote
has no direct bearing upon tho division OF
delegates. The delegates to be voted for
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