Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-27
WHITE HOUSE VISIT
PLEASES W|TTPENN
lntimated That President Will
Now Favor Him for
Governor.
Star Bureau.
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg.

WASHINGTON. June 27.
There are reasons for believing that
the conference at the White House
yesterday between President Wilson
and former Mayor H. Otto Wittpenn,
of Jersey City, foreshadows at least
declaration for Wittpenn on the part
of the President, if not an active
participation by him in the Demo-
cratic Gubernatorial fight in New
Jersey.
Are you the Wilson candidate?"
Mayor Wittpenn was asked.
1T am the Progressive candidate"
was his answer
For nearly an hour the Presi-
dent was closeted yesterday with
Wittpenn, Senator BILLY" Hughes
and James Kerney. of Trenton. The
latter is editor of the Trenton Times,
was one of the Presidents famous
editorial chorus when he was Gov
ernor, and is a frequent visitor at the
White House and an ardent Wittpenn
advocate.
Senator Hughes is looked upon as
| the real manager of the Wittpenn
| campaign, and his efforts to secure
support for the Mayor led not long
| ago to the charge by Judge John w.
Wescott that Hughes was using Fed
eral patronage in Wittpenn's behalf.
No statement was made by the
President after yesterdays conference
and Wittpenn and others said If any
| thing was to be given out it must
come from the President.
It is known that the friendliness
shown by many organization Demo-
Gratis for Acting Governor Fielder is
being used by Wittpenn and his
hackers in an effort to induce the
President to believe that Fielder has
the support of that wing of the party.
Mr. Wilson announced some time ago
that his attitude in the gubernatorial
fight would depend upon what others
did, which was interpreted as mean
ing he would oppose any candidate
favored by the organization Demo-
| Gratis.
BY labelling Fielder as an organiza-
ton candidate, the Wittpenn hackers.
it is understood, hope to force the
President To come out openly for
Wittpenn.
The appointment for Wittpenn to see
| the President yesterday was arranged
last Monday. Although Wittpenn
has been in Washington twice before
| since March last, this is the first
time that he has appeared openly at
the White House.
1t is known that since the Jersey
City election and the setback given
wittpenn's candidacy by the defeat
of his ticket, there have been many
\ mi q ' q n
| sources that he should withdraw and
that a compromise candidate bearing
| the Presidents endorsement should
be put into the primary fight to in
sure the defeat of Frank S. Katzen-
bach, of Trenton.
Secretary of War Lindley M. Garri-
son and George NJ. Lamonte have
been suggested as possible dark
| horses.
| From what am able to gather here
this talk of compromise candidate
was what brought Wittpenn to Wash
/ ington, and he and Senator Hughes
tried to show the President that the
latter should get behind Wittpenn in
stead of somebody else.
part of the argument urged upon
the President to this end is that the
Wittpenn ticket polled the votes of a
big majority of Democratic voters in
the Jersey City election and that the
setback given the Wittpenn boom was
not serious.
It is understood that whatever he
| may do in the gubernatorial fight the
President will probably make no an
nouncement Immediately, but will
talk with Democrats from all parts OF
the State. H. b. w.