Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-10-04
LEAGUE SECRETARY
RAPS W|LSON|TES
Dolan Calls Endorsement of
Aronson Betrayal of
Trust"
SAYS 1T WAS WORK OF
ONLY FEW COMMITTEEMAN
spirit of Organization Violated,
Declares Organizer in a
Spirited Statement.

Endorsement of the candidacy OF
Louis V. Aronson for mayor made by
by the committee Monday night was
the work of only a few members OF
the executive committee of the league
and betrayal of the trust reposed
in the committee"
Mr. Dolan says
my attention has been called to
statement published IN your issue
of last evening purporting to have
been adopted by the executive COM
mittee of the Woodrow Wilson DEM
ocratic League of Essex county, at
meeting held on Monday evening
last, indorsing the candidacy of Mr..
Louis V. Aronson for mayor of the
city of Newark, and advocating his
support for that office by the men,
bers of the league at the November
election.
ITO say that l was surprised and
chagrined to learn of such state
ment purporting to eminate from the
league-a Democratic organization
would. I fear, be putting 1t more
mildly than the facts warrant.
"I had the honor of being one or
the organizers of the league, MEM
Der of It's first official family, and
have been it's secretary since its or
eanization. 1 am at present mem
ber of It's executive committee.
Purpose OF League.
"The league was organized Tor the
expressed purpose of upholdlng the
hands of Governor Wilson in his ef-
fort to secure for the people OF this
State certain remedial legislation
which he strenuously advocated. and
for which they had been clamoring
for wears. and to assist by every
honorable means in securing for this
hrst citizen of New Jersey the Demo-
cratic nomination for the presidency
of these United States in 1872.
"Ia distinctly remember that at the
time the league was In the course
Of formation I with others called at
tention especially, to the fact that
some word symbolic OF the poilticai
faith held by it's members should be
used in its name and set forth in Its
constitution and bylaws. According
,v such course was followed and the
name adopted was the Woodrow Will
son Democratic League OF Essex
County. and its expressed purposes as
set forth in it's constitution and by
laws. among other things, were to
aid in the establishment of true
Democracy on sound basis by Sc
curing the active participation OF all
the people in the conduct OF their own
political affairs and in the nomlna-
lion and election of public servants
and party managers truly represent
ative of and responsive to the pubic
will
every member of the league In
this city and county signed an apph-
cation headed with that name and
containing that declaration of prin-
ciples and pledged himself to sup
mort the purposes of said league as
stated in its constitution and to abide
by the constitution and bylaws OF
the league and they elected the
executive committee in consonance
with said constitution and bylaws.
Betrayal of Trust.
"An attempt, therefore, by any por-
tion of the executive committee to
MANY chattels. to the candidate OF
another political party would, in my
opinion. be a betrayal of the trust re-
nosed in the committee by said mem
bers.
at was not present at the meeting
on Monday evening when the afore-
said statement Is alleged to have been
acted upon by the committee, and
had no knowledge that such action
had been taken until I read 1t in the
press. From a perusal of the state
ment. however, take it that the
members of the committee expect the
end to justify the course they have
taken. To my mind, nothing can
justify the betrayal of a trust.
IT hold no brief for those at present
administering the affairs of the city,
and 1 must confess that those affairs
have not always been administered
entirely to my satisfaction. But how
shall we proceed to better these con-
ditions? BY electing Republican
mayor? May we expect the millennium
with the advent of Republican
municipal rule? No; experience does
not justify such conclusion. The
prosecutors office and the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners,
both of which have been Republican
for years, furnish an apt and striking
example of what we may expect from
Republican rule. We had Republican
rule in municipal affairs for years be-
fore the present administration, and
conditions were not much different.
Aronson Organization Man.
Mr. Aronson was and Is an or
ganization Republican, however much
his hybrid committee may desire to
conceal the fact. He bears the party
label as his principal decoration. His
fight for the nomination was made
strictly within his own party, and
he won at the primaries, not so much
because of any popular demand for
him. but because of the half-hearted
opposition of his friends in the Re-
publican machine and of the weak
ness of his opponent, Mr.. Reid
Mayor Haussling, the Democratic
candidate, received almost as many
votes as the combined vote cast for
Mr.. Aronson and Mr.. Reid.
II am particularly incensed at the
action of the few members of the ex-
ecutive committee who caused the
statement to be issued purporting to
commit the league to Mr.. Aronson,
for the reason that, while knowing
my unalterable opposition to the in
dorsement of any one but a Demo-
crat for Office, they should take this
secret method Of rushing through an
Endorsement of this kind and en-
deavor to convey the impression that
the action had the sanction Of the