Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-20
GOVERNOR WILSON AND THE FACTS.

WHVT0 JHG NOMINATIONS VIII De made. Inns Is the 1sl
time the voters of New Jersey has been given an oppor
tunity to voice their opinion on a subject of this kind
Heretofore the delegates have always been chosen at state
conventions, usually uninstructed, and have voted at the ma
luonal conventions as the respective party bosses have directed.
Never before has the country had such a campaign as is now on.
This year the people are going to do the nominating and candidates
seeking the nomination for president are making their appeal direct
to the voters instead of to the party machines and party bosses, as
heretofore.
In many states, however, the primary vote has been a mere
farce, because the bosses are still in control there and have not al
lowed a decent primary law to be enacted. New York state is an ex
celent example Of this. The people were robbed of a voice in nam
ing delegates by the bosses in control of party machinery; in many
voting places ballots were not distributed. When the state conven-
lions were held Boss Barnes was in control of the Republican gath
erng and Boss Murphy controlled the Democratic convention. The
result was that both conventions named delegates to the respective
national conventions uninsructed. Thus the mel who go to Chi
cago or Baltimore to represent the great constituency of the Empire
State will vote according to the dictation of Boss Barnes or Boss
Murphy, as the case may be. Not a voter in New York, or anywhere
else, excepting Barnes and Murphy, have an idea how the New
York delegation will vote.
But this will not be true of New Jersey. 1t used to be, but we
have progressed. We have taken our stand with the most advanced
states of the Union in regard to rule by the people. When Franklin
Murphy, David Baird, Theodore Strong and other overlords acted
as the Board of Guardians Of the Republican party in this state,
and when James Smith, Jr, had everything his own way in the
Democratic party, the New Jersey voter had as little to say about
how the delegates to the national conventions from this state should
vote as the New York voter has regarding his delegates today. This
year, however, we have primaries that count for something. All the
safeguards of a regular election are thrown about them. The voter
goes to the polls and not only selects the men he prefers to go to the
national conventions as delegates, but ne, at the same time, expresses
his preference regarding the presidential nominee and thus instructs
his delegates to vote for that candidate. The party bosses have alb
solutely nothing to say about it, unless the voter is foolish enough
to vote for mpledged delegates. This is genuine popular govern
ment, 1t is the rule by the people, isn't it?
But, how did conservative old New Jersey come to make such
a radical change7 This state, often called the mother of trusts, was
considered one of the worst bossridden commonwealth IN the
Union. New Jersey was supposed to be the last that would be able
to free herself from the political machines that apparently held her
so firmly in their grasp. What caused this revolution in politics
freed the people and, in a single year, turned New Jersey from one
of the most reactionary to one of the most progressive among tae
sisterhood Of states.
There can be but one answer-the election of Woodrow Wilson
governor.
Governor Wilson promised the people that he would not only be
he executive of the state, but he would be the leader of the peop &
The people indeed have found him a vertable Moses, He has led
the Jerseyites out of bondage and into the full privileges of a pop
uar government. 1t is due entirely to the influence of Governor
Wilson that the Geran law was passed giving to the voters the priv
iege of going to the polls next Tuesday and expressing their prefer
onco for candidate for president, without any intervention on the
part of the political bosses, Every Jerseyman knows this and so
does everyone else who is at all acquainted with New Jersey politics.
Therefore, Hearst's New York Journal only shows its Ignorance
when, in opening its campaign against Wilson in New Jersey, as
Hearst has done in every state where his newspapers circulate, it says:
" "1, oa jpd igSs a man Pen,d BY WAT WAsp6 H 6v P m66t h c only RGs facts !" 9ouP tvo
nor you are not very apt to choose him a candidate for Pres-
dent of the United States"
Judging from what Governor Wilson has done as the executive
of New Jersey he is just the kind of a man for the executive Of the
nation. AS the Journal says, "only facts count
What are the facts?
First, Woodrow Wilson himself has been goyernor-no one else.
There has been no party boss, no Board Of Guardians to direct the
course of his administration. The governor has known no boss ex-
cent the neonle and he has been their faithful leader. IS the FACTS
show.
Almost before the governor had taken office he was thrown
into perhaps the bitterest fight of his administration in his efforts
to have the will of the people as expressed at the senatorial prefer
entail primary carried out. 1t was the first test of the people ex-
pressing their preference to United States senator. For the legs-
lature to have ignored the will Of the people at this time would have
meant the law would become a dead letter from the start. This is
what the political bosses wanted. Regardless of all consequences
to himself Governor Wilson insisted that the primarys choice for
senator must be elected by his party. In doing this he won the
undyng enmlty Of James Smith, Jr, who is now backing so-caued
mpledged delegates to the Baltimore convention solely for the pur-
pose of discredting Wilson. But Wilson won in that senatorial
fight for the people and, thanks to him., no politician will dare lg
more the vote Of the people at any primary hereafter.
In his inaugural address Governor Wilson outlined a plan OF
legislation that would keep faith with the people who elected him
by fulfilling party pledges. The result was the passage of a series OF
reform bills by the legislature under Wilson's leadership which has
made New Jersey one Of the most advanced progressive states al
ready referred to.
First comes the primary and election law, known as the Geran
law, which gives us our new style of ballot, civil service for election