Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-24

making their famous whirlwind tours, speaking in practically every
city, town and hamlet. Stump orators are at work, and the mails
are crowded with literature favoring this, that or the other candi
date.
The campaign is unusually significant to Perth Amboy, and in
fact to all the cities and towns of New Jersey, because of the fact
that a president and a former president of the United States will be
among the speakers. Never before in the history of the nation has
such a campaign been waged. 1t is no wonder the people are thor
oughly aroused.
Some people are complaining because politics has started so
early in the season. They point to the fact that election does not take
place until next November, yet already in the month of May the
country is being stirred up by the canvass of the candidates and the
discussion of the various issues. There is every indication, too, that
it will continue from now on until the final vote is cast.
But the people should rejoice that politics has started so early
It has always been customary to hold primaries at this season, but
up until a year or two ago the people paid little attention to them,
although 1t Is at the primaries that the people really rule. These
elections have been so arranged in the past that the political boss.
and his machine has been able to dominate everything and as a re
suit the great mass of plain people refused to bother with them
With the advent of the direct primary, however, things are taking
on "a different aspect. The people begin to realize that now they
have a chance and as they become more and more accustomed to the
direct primary the more they will make themselves felt in the nam
ing Of the respective candidates. Political bosses complain loudly
about these primaries, claiming that it destroys political organiza-
ton. The only organization it destroys, however, is the machine
manipulated by these bosses, making it impossible for them to name
the candidates friendly to their interests any more.
If there is any time during the year when the people should
be aroused regarding politics it is during the primary campaign
Let the people themselves name the candidates for both parties and
they need not bother so much about who is elected in November.
Under the old system of primaries, when candidates were named
to suit the various political machines, the bosses and corporations
saw to it that their friends were named for office by both parties.
10 Such lei as Jim smith, rankin Murphy, FfanK y. Briggs
and their associates, it makes little difference under the surface
which party is in power as long as their corporate interests are well
taken care of. One Of the charges made against Smith, which ap-
parently is well founded, is that he has time and again caused the
defeat of the Democratic party in this state because the things in
which he was financially interested were being taEet care Of in a
satisfactory manner by the Republican party, and for that reason
no change was desired.
Since the defeat of President Taft in the Ohio primaries news
comes from Washington that while the President is outwardly
cheerful he and his leaders realize that even if he is nominated he
cannot be reelected and they are now to bend their energies toward
A. ma J;rn f PaOaoIo1+ Tbov will Grb+ hard for Now TnrSnV htI
it is understood to be their plan to put out a third ticket II the
President fails to get the nomination in Chicago. Even if he is
nominated they are willing to sacrifice the Republican party IN No
vember i'll Order to get rid OF Roosevelt by forcing him to bolt.
Thus we SCI the bosses in the Republican party still faithful
to their corporation interests, determined to throw the country into
the hands Of the Democratic party rather than have such a man as
Roosevelt, who is friendly to the peoples interests, become Presi-
dent again. OF course, if the Democrats will nominate a man like
Woodrow Wilson, the trusts and corporations have little to hope
for from that party, but they feel that through the combination of
Harmon, Underwood and Clark they will be able to defeat Wilson
at the Baltimore convention and thereby make sure of the Demo
cratic party even if the Republican party should fail them.
BY turning out strongly Tuesday and voting for Roosevelt in the
Republican party and Wilson in the Democratic party the people
will be doing something worth while. If they succeed in nominating
these two lei there is no reason why they should continue to be in
a turmoil over politics for the rest of the year. They can proceed
to forget the issues for the time being, resting assured that,
whether Wilson is President or whether Roosevelt occupies the
White House, the great mass of plain people will be taken care of
and it will be up to the corporations and bosses to get excited and
bluster away to no purpose whatever.
Therefore, we say to every voter whether Democrat or Repub-
ican, go out to the polls Tuesday and vote for the man who Will
best serve you. Having made sure of the nomination it will be the
peoples turn to rest contentedly while the bosses and corporations
can continue to wonder what is going to happen.
We would like to add a word of commendation for the soldiers
of the third regiment at Camden who objected to acting as an escort
to Taft when he visited that city last night. They declared, and with
absolute truth, that there is a great difference between Taft as
President of the United States and Taft as a political stump speaker.
Any honor is not too great for President of the United States, but
Taft is not making this tour as president. He is merely seeking
votes the same as any other candidate and for that reason the
troops rightly objected to being made to take part in any political
parade. Taft has greatly cheapened the great Office of president by
his actions. He has proven himself not big enough to fill the position.