Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-23
THE MEN WHO ARE OPPOSING WILSON.

IHe nomination FOR president, sets forth in q manner that cannot be
misunderstood the kind Of men who are opposing the governor in
his fight.
''The character of the enemies he has made is the highest tes-
timonial to the character o. the man who has made the enemies, ="
says the congressman. 'The solid array of unhealthful interests
those whose acts are responsible for the widespread uprising of
the people against him, is proof positive that he, of all others, is
more feared a an executive fitted in mental equipment and in cour
age 10 carry out the pledges which the Democratic convention at
Baltimore will make to the people. There is not a political boss in
all America that Is tavoring his nomination; there is not a mercen-
airy trust in the land but is urging his defeat" .
As an illustration of how the bosses and corporation men are
using every effort to prevent the nomination Of Wilson we have only
to look at the situation in New Jersey. Here. as has been pointed
out, the opposition is headed by former Senator James Smith, Jr, of
Newark. smith is one the most treachcrOus politicians that the.
country has ever produced, The manner in which he sprung into
national prominence is now referred to as "Smths treachery in
1893 This treachery consisted of the betrayal of his faithful
friend, that stalwart, Independent Democrat, Leon Albeit.
Having gained his power Smith surrounded himself with a
group OF men who looked upon money as the only requisite for car
rying an election. His leutenants are nearly all of them men of
wealth some being the heads Of corporations that have valuable in
terests which they feel must be protected.
In Mddlesex county Smiths personal friend and chief advisor
Is Willard +. Ross, of New Brunswick. Mr.. Ross, in turn, has asso-
ciated with him such men as W. Parker Runyon, of this city; Edwin
Furman, OF Sayreyile, and others Of that kind who look upon poll
ties as a great game to be played more for the fun there is in it than
for the principles at stake. Politics to Ross, Runyon and their
friends is their recreation. They delight in meeting around a dinner
table and laying out various plans of attack to be carried out by
ward workers in different parts of the county. They treat it much
the same as a game of golf with the ward and township leaders as
their caddies. One time they are for a man and the next time may
be against him. according to the whims of their big chief jim -
Smith, who changes his coat according to whether OF not his per
Sonal aims are being gratGed. 1t makes little difference to the
koSS l1nyon stripe OF politicians what the outcome will be~as long
as they have the fun of delivering the vote to "Jm' Smith and, in
return, enjoys his friendship and hospitality.
We have only to look at the treatment they have accorded Wood
row Wilson since he has been governor. WheNNilson was a candi
date his most ardent supporters in Niddlesex county were Ross and
Rmyon themselves. They supported Wilson because 'Jim'' Smith
wanted him for governor. But they admitted themselves that he
was a man OF great intellectual ability who alone could raise the
party out of the ordinary politicians class and place it on a plane
Of high craftsmanship. Today we find Ross and Runyon doing
everything in their power to defeat Wilson. They cannot find
words adequate to express their contempt for him.
Why have they changed2 The governor has done nothing to
them. When they were working so hard for his nomination and
election they were in the game just for the fun of it and they re,
ceived great satisfaction in the victory attained. Since being in
office the governor has done just what he promised he would do
Either Ross, Runyon and their followers were insincere then or they
are insincere now.
Shortly after taking office, however, Governor Wilson took the
side of the people against "Jim' Smith and denied the latter his
ambition to become United States senator, an office which he had
already dsgraced in connection with the sugar trust scandal, bolt
ing his party in order to favor the sugar barons. Smith at once set
about to discredit Governor Wilson and as a result we find Ross
and Runyon, still playing the game for the fun there is in it for
them, doing as Smith tells them. The fact that Woodrow Wilson
has made one of the best governors New Jersey has ever had; that
he has carried out the Democratic platform to the letter and has
placed on the statute books some of the best laws ever enacted,
makes no difference to these men. They care absolutely nothing for
principle or ability. They are simply in politics as a pastime, jug
Cling affairs of state for their own amusement as did the Roman
emperors of ages past. 1t is nothing to them whether Wilson has
made good or whether he hasn't. The order has gone forth from
Smith that they must now oppose the man whom they so highly
praised two years ago and it is apparently just as much fun 70. them
to do one thing as to do the other.
What a degraded kind of citizenship this is to exhibit to the
people. Honesty and publicity in public affairs is funny and repre-
sentative government is a joke. To the average citizen, however,
t4s is moro serious business. Great principles re at stake. 1t is
up to the Democratic voters to severely rebuke these men who
treat such important matters so lightly.
Smiths political methods are the same today as they were in
1898 and they have been adopted by all of his ieutenants. There is
more fun in Smiths sight unseen way of doing things. These
methods are now going ON in this county and they are counted on
to defeat Woodrow Wilson at the coming primaries. 1t was the sly
underhand methods of Smith that succeeded in placing him in the
United States senate over what might be termed the dead body of
Leon Albeit, The story Of Smith treachery at that time has been
published time and again. He was a recognized friend of Abbetts
and knew of the lauer's ambition to become United States senator.
The corporations, particularly the railroads, had opposed Albeit
on account of his independence. There came an opportunity for
someone to undermine Albeit and win the delegates. Smith had
the Essex assemblymen write him a letter asking him to become a
candidate for the senatorship against Albeit. 1t will be remem-
bered that the same tactics were adopted in a recent campaign for