Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-07-25
OUR TRENTON LETTER.

ana the acting g0vernOrShlp at stake,
the contest is on in earnest through
out the State for control of the next
Legislature That the fight will be
not only bitter but very much involved
was made evident by the discussions
of those politicians who were at the
State House yesterday The political
warfare will be bitter because the
Democrats will fight to the last ditch
to carry the entire State for Governor
Wilson, thereby aiding him in his
battle throughout the country; and
because the Regular Republicans, re-
alizing the full import of the division
in their own camp, will have every
gun doubIe-shotted and primed to
overcome this handicap.
Just now attention is being given
to the picking OF candidates in both
camps, and one result of the close
ness of the struggle will be the likli-
hood of the election of better men for
law making than otherwise might be
the case.
AS this is being written the Moose
welt third party mass convention is in.
session in the auditorium at Asbury
Park for the election of delegates to
the Progressive National Convention
at Chicago, August 5th. This Con-
wention formally opens the Progress
sive campaign in this State The
meeting was called to order by Bor-
den D. Whiting, of Essex, who intro
duced former Governor John Franklin
Fort Mr. Fort was unanimously
chosen chairman. In accepting the
craftsmanship, Ex-Governor Fort de-
livered a clear-eut address in which
he emphasized the claim of the third
party people for radical and drastic
action along Progressive lines. 1t is
expected that the platform to be
adopted will endorse Colonel Theo-
dore Roosevelt and his policies and
will declare unequivocally for Third
party and Progressive legislation. The
Regular Republican leaders are in
clined to discount the political effect
of the third party movement and
claim that the followers of Roosevelt
will not make serious inroads in the
vote for President Taft. The Pro-
gressive Captains, however, point to
the Roosevelt vote at the presidential
primary in May and declare it indi-
Gates that the Colonel will easily de-
feat the President in this State. N[er-
Ger and a few other counties in which
the Progressives are strong have de-
clared for the third party, in opposi-
ton to the proposition to fight their
battle in the Roosevelt ranks.
Governor Wilson was not at the
State House yesterday, as he had been
compelled to seek seclusion to get
away from the crowd of politicians
and others in order to prepare his
speech to be delivered August 7th
formally accepting the nomination for
President. The speech will be de-
livered to the special committee of
notification which will visit Sea Girt
on the date named.
Close friends of the Governor an
nounced this week that he had de-
cided definitely not to resign as Gov
ernor of New Jersey during the Presi-
Dental campaign. Governor Wilson
plainly indicated this decision in talks
with interviewers. This will keep the
GovernorsIlip in Democratic hands at
least until after the election, and it
is very generally believed that if the
Governor shall resign before March
4th, inauguration day, it will not be
until after the organization of the
Legislature, January 14th, when the
Democrats hope to control the Senate
and choose Senator Fielder, of Hudson
County, president, thus giving tbs
Democrats the acting Governor.
State Democratic leaders are tre-
s,,i,o 81 CIR
support being accorded to Governor
Wilon for the presidency, as indicated
by the fact that more than $4,000 has
already been sent the Governor in
popular subscriptions for the cam
paign. Several leading Democratic
newspapers have started popular sub
ecriptions for the campaign and the
editors have written the Governor
that good progress is. being made. An
other thing which is pleasing the
party leaders is that the Governor
has received letters from quite a num-
ber Of Republicans expressing disgust
at the present Republican quarrel and
pledging support to the Governor.
State. Democratic Chairman Cross
kp is planning a big Democratic rally
to aake place at Sea Girt early in
August at which it is expected thou
sand or two Democrats will make the
pilgrimage to the summer capitol to
greet the Governor and join in the
enthusiasm Of his presidential cam
paign 1T is the idea of Mr.. Grosscup
thaf such demonstration will give
added impetus to the campaign. This
proposition Of the State Chairman is
only one of the many ideas of his
which are showing him to be the right
man to pilot the Democratic party in
this State.
Former Governor Edward G. Stokes
and former Congressman G. n Fow-
ter were both at the third party conven7
tion ii Asbury Park Mr.. Stokes wore
a Roosevelt button and both took
esaIeh an interest in the proceedings as