The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-11
WILSON AGAINST SMITH.
WILL RESUME HIS FIGHT
AGAINST ONE-TTME JERSEY
BOSS
Governors Opposition to Candidate
for Senator is Based on Broad Pro-
gressive Ground.

Dental nominee. today declared war
on James Smith, Jr., one of the DEM
ocratic candidates for United States
senator from New Jersey. an office
which he held during President
Cleveland's second administration.
Gov. Wilson expressed himself in a
statement addressed to the voters of
New Jersey issued tonight. He point
ed out that the return OF Mr.. Smith
to power would mean "a restoration
of machine rule"
Two years ago Gov. Wilson op-
posed Mr.. Smiths candidacy for
United States senator. but on the
issue that James L. MARITIME was the
legal choice of the Democratic pri-
maries. The governor was sustained
by the legislature. Today the gov
ernor went step farther in his op-
position to Mr.. Smith by charging him
with utterly defeating the pro-
gramme of the Democratic party once
before when the tariff issue was pre-
eminent"
The governors statement follows:
MIR. Smith has, of course, q perfect
right to offer himself at the primaries
as candidate for the Democratic
nomination for senator of the United
States. He is acting frankly and in
the spirit of the new law, and, if he is
preferred at the primaries, it will be
the duty of every Democratic member
of the next Legislature to vote for him
when a senator is chosen. But i feel
that i ought To speak very frankly
about the significance of his candi-
dacy.
| 1t Is not only my privilege as a
, citizen. but my duty as the leader Of
,, my party. to point out just what is in
volVed in this matter for the Demo-
cratic party in this state and for the
party i'm the nation.
Mr.. Smiths selection as the DEM
ocratic candidate for the senate
would be the most fatal step back
ward that the Democrats of the state
could possibly take. 1t would mean
his restoration to political leadership
in New Jersey the moment my service
as governor ended, and, with his
restoration return to the machine
rule which so long kept every active
ton to him and prevented every pro-
gressive programme conceived i'm the
interest of the people from being put
into effect. l speak with knowledge
/ in this matter, because at every turn
of my administration. since / became
governor, i have found his hand
against the new plans of the party,
his influence working steadily, but
covertly. against everything that has
substituted hope and pride for dis
couragement and shame in the poll
tics of New Jersey during the 20
months during which i have been
permitted to serve the people of the
state.
1t is of particularly sinister i'm
portant that Mr. Smith should wish to
return to the senate at this time. He
was sent to the senate once before
when the tariff had been the chief is
sue of the national campaign and
when the Democrats had. for once in
generation, an opportunity to re-
lievc the people of intolerable burdens
and the industry of the country of the
trammels which bound it like q
straight jacket. If the tariff could
have been wisely revised then, we
might have been spared some part
at least. of the crop of trusts and com
biantions which now rule and circum-
scribe our markets.
"Mr. Smith was one Of a small
group OF senators. calling themselves
Democrats. who at that critical and
hopeful juncture i'm our politics utter
~ defeated the programme Of the
party. His election now might bring
the party face To face with simi-
lar disaster and disgrace and would
unqucstiOnably render the satisfactory
administration of the federal functions
IN New Jersey all but impossible for
a Democratic president.
These are plain words. my fellow
citizens. but | can not permit any
reluctance on my part to speak i'm
criticism of - fellow citizen to stand
even Tor moment in the way of
my duty as the leader of tho party
pledged To the peoples interest and
now under peculiar obligations To full