Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-07-18
OUR TRENTON LETTER.


statement issued Sunday, former Gov
ernor Edward c.. Stokes proposed a
compromise plan by which the fol-
lowers of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
might vote for the Colonel for Presi-
dent without leaving the Republican
party The proposition is practically
the same as that advanced by William
Finn, the Roosevelt leader in Penn
sylvania Mr. Stokes idea, that one
set of presidential electors be nomin-
ated by the State Convention, Tues
DAY, October LIST, pledged to whichever
of the Republican candidates shall
control the convention; that the same
set of electors also be named by petit
tion by the opposite faction of the
party, with perhaps one elector diff
ferent for purposes of Identification;
that this all be done with the under
standing that whoever of the two can
didates shall receive the larger vote
at the election in November shall be
given the electoral vote, By this
plan, Mr.. Stokes says, Colonel Roose-
welt should poll the larger vote, as
he did at the presidential primary in
May, the electors would vote for him
for President, while if President Taft
should receive the larger vote, ne
would be the choice of the electors,
provided the Republicans carried the
State.
Some of the force was taken out of
the Stokes statement yesterday, how
ever, when Colonel Roosevelt emphat1-
cally declined to stand for any such
compromise plan. The Colonel was
referring particularly to the Finn
plan in Pennsylvania, but, of course,
if he refuses to stand by the Penn
sylvania proposition, logically he
would not accept the plan of ex-Gov-
ernor Stokes, as they are so similar.
This refusal of the Colonel, will
doubtless prevent the adoption of the
Stokes compromise.
The stand taken by Colonel Roose-
velt will, in all probability, give fur
ther emphasis to the third party
movement in this state. NO compro-
mise will now become the battle cry
of former Governor Fort. former SEN
ator Everett Colby, State Assessor
George L. Record, and the other
Roosevelt men Following the Col
onel's declaration they will now work
harder than ever for an Independent
third party ticket.
The plans for this ticket will be in
augurated at the Bull Moose" State
Convention to be held at Asbury Park
next Tuesday, July %, the date hav-
ing been changed from July 19. The
Roosevelt men will place an entire
State ticket in the field including the
presidential electors, candidates for
Congress in most of the districts, If
not all, candidates for Senator in
practically all of the six counties
which choose a Senator this year and
nominees for the Assembly.
Ex-Governor Stokes, in his state
ment. inti1nated that the Regular Re-
publican leaders in the Chicago Con-
yention were recreant to their trus-
teeship in that they did not work for
"a compromise candidate and platform
that would have united the factions
of the party. He argued that it IS
better for the Progressives to remain
in the party ranks and there fight fol
the peoples rights and the nation
welfare. Thus he practically relter-
ated his declaration that he would not
desert the Regular party ranks. This
means that Mr. Stokes will seek the
United States Senatorship at the pri-
mary polls next September as Reg
ular Republican, Notwithstanding he
was one of the pioneer Roosevelt men
in this State and still favors the Col
onel for the Presidency.
At the meeting of the Democratic
National Committee in Chicago Mon
day. it was demonstrated that the
campaign for the Presidency in this
DaTty is to be under the control of
the standard bearer, Governor Wood
row Wilson, of New Jersey. The Gov
ernor's candidate, William F. Nc
Coornbs. was elected chairman and
the Governors plan for the campaign
fight was adopted. Governor Wilson
advocated a campaign absolutely with
out "mud-slinging" and to be conduct
ed strictly along business lines. There
is to be no secrecy about campaign
contributions and in other ways the
campaign movements will be open
and above board Governor Wilson
has received very much favorable
comment for this stand for high
class campaign. The real work of the
campaign is to be conducted by "a
Board of Directors or sub-com-
mittee of about a dozen members of
the National Committe, one of whom
will be former Judge Robert S. Huds-
peth, the New Jersey member OF the
committee.
IN boom of former Judge John W.
Westcott. of Camden, for the Demo-
cratic United States Senatorship con-
tinues to grow and he is now looked
upon as the leading candidate by
State House politicians. Congress
man William Hughes of Paterson,
has announced himself as candidate
for United States Senator and there
are other candidates in the field. For
naer United States Senator Smith who