Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1912-08-29
OUR TRENTON LETTER.

shaping themselves for the final spurt
Of the campaign. The leaders of all
parties and faction in the state are
busy planning their battles in a way
which they hope will give them vic
tory at the primaries September "a
and at the general election November
g. The Republican State Committee
has re-organized for the fray, the
Democratic State Committee has open
ed headquarters in Jersey City where
they will be in close touch with nat
ional headquarters in New York City.
The ProgressiVes are rapidly working
their campaign into shape, the So
cialists, who have a standing at the
primaries this year for the first time
in their history in this State, have
nominated their presidential electoral
ticket and several candidates for
Congress, and altogether, the past
week has been one of great activity in
state political circles.
Following the declination Of Frank
o. Briggs to continue as Chairman
OF the Republican State Committee be-
cause he is candidate for reelection
as United States Senator, the commit
tee has chosen former State Senator
Edmund w. Wakelee, of Bergen Co.,
as chairman Mr.. Wakelee was elect
ed after former State Senator Austen
Colgate, of Essex, had declined to take
the place on the ground that he could
not devote time enough to it. Ed
ward w. Gray, of Essex, was reap
pointed Secretary of the Committee,
and State Labor Statistics Chief Win
ton G. Garrison, of the same county
was re-appointed Treasurer. While
the selection of former Senator Wake
lee will be pleasing to many, it will
not suit in all quarters for the reason
that during his career in the State
Senate he was said to be more or
less corporation man.
The Republican State headquarters
in Newark are now in full swing and
following its meeting, the State Com
mittee has taken up vigorously the
work of planning the campaign. As
an aid to its work, a Publicity Bureau
has been opened in charge of E. j.
Handley The work of planning the
campaign is directly in the hands of
the Executive Committee composed
of former Governor Franklin Murphy,
State Treasurer Daniel S. Voorhees,,
former United States Senator John
Kean, David Baird, of Camden, and
ether well known party leaders. State.
Senator Walter e. Edge, of Atlantic
County, is Chairman of the Finance
Committee, and this committee also
is actively at work raising funds for
the fight.
Four petitions are now on file with
the Secretary of State for the nomina-
ton of candidates for United States
Senator United States Senator Briggs
has fled his petition for re-nomina-
petition yet filed. 1t is expected that
former Governor Stokes will file his
petition within the next few days and
this will launch the Republican con-
test in earnest. The Democratic pc
titions filed are those of former Judge
John W. Westcott, of Camden; State
Senator William G. Gebhardt, of Hun
terdon, and Frank NJ AIcDermit, the
Newark lawyer and follower of for
Mer United States Senator James
Smith, Jr.. The petition of Congress-
man William Hughes, of Paterson,
will be filed soon. Attorney General
Wilson has rendered an opinion to-
Secretary Of State Crater that Tues
day, September is the last day for
filing petitions for United States SEN
ator, thus clearing up the doubt in
the election laws on this subject.
# Il y *
These petitions for United States
Senator merely get the names of the
candidates on the primary election
ticket for the expression by the voters
of the respective parties of their pre-
ference for this high Office. The man
III each party who gets the plurality
of his party vote will go before the
Legislature next winter as the person
selected by the rank and file to sue
eeed Senator Briggs. but the member
Of the Legislature will not be legally
bound to vote for that man. Under
the Geran election act the candidates
for the Legislature in the present
campaign must declare themselves on
the United States Senatorship by sign
ing one or the other of two state
Inents Statement Number 1 pledges
the legislative candidate to vote for
that candidate for United States Sena-
tor who has received the highest vote
In his party. Statement Number2 is
merely a declaration that the legisla-
tive candidate. will merely consider
the vote of the people for United
States Senator as a recommendation
to be regarded or not, as he sees fit.
\ ~
Backed by the moral force of Cover
nor Wilson's victory two years ago on
this question, when through his in
sistment James E. MARITIME was made
United States Senator because he had
received the highest vote in the pri-
mary, it is believed that no candidate
for the next Legislature will, during
the present campaign, refuse to sign
statement Number pledging him to
vote for the candidate for Senator who
receives the highest vote. Further
more. it is believed, that the incoming