Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-28
IN
SEhATORSHIP
State Politicians Wondering
What James Smith Will Do.
From the NEWS Correspondent

From the NEWS CorrespondentJ
Trenton, August 2S.-The United
States senatorship formed the chlet
topic of discussion and speculation
among the politicians at the State
House yesterday, and the question
uppermost was whether or no James
Smith, Jr., will enter the race. Inc
general impression was thai ne WILL
become a candidate, although there
was no definite information on the
subject. Politicians here from Essex
county said that they had no knoWl-
edge of any petition being circulated
in behalf of former Senate smith
to place his name before the voters
at the primary election september "a.
Smith has until next Tuesday TO ME
his petition if he shall decide to en-
ter the primary race. 1t was the
general impression that former Sena-
tor Smith would stand little chance
Of being elected Senator If he did not
file a primary preferential petition,
because it would be equivalent to his
repudiating a law which the voters
and the Legislators have already
| endorsed In one United States sena-
torship campaign.
United States Senator Frank y.
Briggs, who Is the only Republican
| who thus far has filed a senatorial
petition, visited the State House for
a short time to confer with other
State Republican leaders. He was
asked how his campaign for re-elec-
ton was progressing.
"That is one thing l dropped in
here to find out he replied.
Continuing, Mr.. Briggs said he
had been busy in Washington with
the work of the closing hours OF the
session of Congress and had had but
little time since his petition was filed
to devote to the campaign. He found
by his talks with the other party
leaders that his campaign for re-
election was being pushed throughout
the state. The Regulars in all sec
tions of the state are falling in line
for MIR. Briggs. News reached the
State House yesterday afternoon, for
example, that the George M. Nc
Carthy Association of Hudson county
had adopted a resolution endorsing
Senator Briggs for reelection. This
is a Regular organization and is
headed by State Tax Commissioner
George M. Mccarthy.
Discussing the reorganization of the
Republican State Committee, which
resulted in the election of former
State Senator Edmund w. Wakelee,
of Bergen county, as chairman to
succeed Mr.. Briggs, the latter said
that the new organization having
been completed, the committee would
at once enter upon a vigorous cam
--.~- TLo r%at~ hAaI1,yo.
tiers in Newark have been open some
time, and the disappointment of Ed
ward w. Gray, as secretary, will in
sure no cessation of work already In
progress.
The statement issued by former
Governor Edward c. Stokes denying
that he had withdrawn from the SEN
atorshfp ace, as rumored, also was a
Governors day subject of lively dis
|cussion. Mr.. Stokes refuses to dis
cuss the matter further than in his
declaration published yesterday after
noon. He refuses even to say who
attended the conference with him at
the Trenton house Monday afternoon
and which gave rise to the report
that he had withdrawn.
"The conference was a confidential
matter. I had several friends pres
ent from various sections of the state
and l cannot disclose what took
place" This was all that he would
say about the meeting today.
The rumor that Mr.. Stokes had
withdrawn from the Senatorial con-
test or would soon withdraw, was
based not altogether upon the Tren-
ton house conference, but also upon
the belief that the split in the Repub-
lican ranks caused by the attitude of
the Progressfves, gives the Regulars
rather precarious hopes of contrOll-
ing the next Legislature, and hat un-
less the two Republican factions get
together the Democrats will elect the
successor to Mr.. Briggs. Stokes got
all empty honor two years ago, when
he carried the Senatorial primaries,
only to see James e. MARITIME, a DEM
ocrat, chosen United States senator.
State House politicians said yester-
day afternoon that former Governor
Stokes would be unlikely to walk
knowingly into q similar situation
this year.
1t is understood that the confer
ence was held to canvass the situa-
ton in an endeavor to ascertain the
chances of Republican success on the
Legislative ticket. The Stokes state
ment yesterday was not altogether
as definite as it might have been,
and there are some state politicians
who say they would not be surprised
to see Mr.. Stokes withdraw later.