The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-11-03
MASSACHUSETTS MAY
DECIDE BIRD PARTY'S
SUCCESS OR FAILURE
President Has Done Everything In
His Power to Aid Fielder-New
YOrk's Election Will Have No
Bearing on the National
Issues
BY C. f.. STEWART.

"aShiiS'oh, November 2.-(Speclal) }
The eyes of all national political leaders
at home abroad are turned toward
two states-New Jersey and Massachu-
seets. Vast interest is centered in Tues
days elections in which the people of the
two commonwealths will choose their gov
ernor
President Wilson and his lieutenants are
looking to New Jersey in the hope and
belief that the Presidents home state will
polls that may be interpreted as popular
approval of the national administration.
Col. Theodore Roosevelt and his asso-
ciates have concentrated their efforts on
Massachusetts and expect the result in
that state to be demonstration of the
strength of the third party movement
Republicans Hopeful
Republicans of the regular brand are
watching both states and expressing hone
If not confidence that 1t will be shown
that the third party movement is a fail
ure, and that the tide has turned toward
the u .. T. with a promise of an old
time republican victory in the congress
sional elections next year and the prest-
| dental contest of 1916.
In New Jersey the republicans believe
they have more than a fair chance of
electing their candidate for governor. Ed
ward c. ssosay. AT any rate, the race is
conceded to be between Stokes and Field
err the democratic candidate, with Everett
Colby, the progressive candidate. certain
to run third Stokes is a popular man in
the state, and has made an adroit and ag-
gressive campaign, and will have the
support OF that element in the demo-
cratic party that has bitterly opposed
President Wilson-the Jim Smith fac
ton.
Close political observers who are ia
miliar with the situation in New Jersey
declare that II the progressive candidate
polls as many as 10000 votes, that Fielder.
democrat, will win by a plurality of from
1900 to 5000. On the other hand. If
velop this strength, the contest is he
tween Stokes and Fielder, with the ad-
vantage slightly with Fielder, but the
race will be very close.
Wilson Has Aided
| President Wilson has done every thing in
his power to convince the people of New
Jersey that they should elect Fielder II
they wish to stand behind the national
administration. Secretary of State Bryan
and others of his lieutenants have gone
into the state and made speeches for the
democratic candidate. The President s
secretary, Joseph p. Tumulty, who has
decided gift for practical politics. has
given some little time and attention in
| lending the Fielder organization every as
| sistance in his power He has been a
| factor in Jersey politics himself Mr.. Tu-
multy claims Fielder will be elected by 40,
| coo majority.
| Without question the Underwood tariff
bill has been made an issue in New Jer-
sey. Because of its large manufacturing
interests that state was vitality affected
| by the tariff reduction, and the result in
| New Jersey may be taken as one of the
| first expressions from the people on this
measure.
Massachusetts presents a more compli-
I l.,
although it is generally believed that the
contest really lies between Walsh, demo-
| crat and Bird, the bull moose candidate.
| ''Gussie'' Gardner, the republican candi-
date, loomed up in formidable fashion at
the beginning of the campaign, but ap-
parently he has blown up. He may finish
fourth despite the fact that at one time
| he looked winner.
| Governor Foss, who is running as an
| independent, will~probably draw enough
votes from Walsh, the regular democratic
candidate, and Gardner, republican to
! give Bird, the progressive, more than a
| fair chance to win. But the democratic
leaders insist that Foss will hurt both
| Bird and Gardner, but will not take
enough votes from Walsh to change the
/ result Mr. Foss was formerly elected to
congress and to the goyernorship as a
| democrat.
Bird Very Strong
! Bird, the hope of the bull moose, is a
strong candidate, and has made hard
| fight that has gained new converts daily.
/ He is a rich man and his organization liz
| ba acked by plenty of money which always
| helps in Massachusetts. Colonel Roose-
welt was shrewd enough to see that Bird
had fair chance of election and would
certainly make a show of strength, so he
| issued q statement before sailing for
South America declaring that Massachu-
setts was the only state where the result
of the election would give any indivation
| of the relative strength of the third party
i movement. In other words, the colonel
:: put all the progressive eggs in the Mas
sachusetts basket under Bird. Unpreju-
diced observers agree, however, that
Birds showing. whatever it may be, will
not be fair test of the strength of the
third party movement, because OF the un-
usual complications in the sitaution in
! that state, and the personal element In
| jected by Bird himself and by Governor
! Foss both of whom have strong personal
| followings.
| AS the result of the hectic campaign in
| New York city national party leaders
cannot Sc that it will have any bearing
whatever on national issues. The fight
has ben ca top liner in political vaude-