Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-10
STOKES DENIES He
FAVORED BROTHER
"Unqualifiedly False" He Says
of Anonymous Circular
About Bond Issue.
fFrom a star correspondent.I

from q staR Correspondent
TRENTON, Sept. 10.-Replying to
anonymous circulars assailing former
Governor Stokes in that he favored
his brother in the sale of bonds to
the school fund during his term as
governor, the former chief executive
today charaeterizes the charges as
unquaiihedly false in every respect.
Mr.. Stokes goes into detail in the
matter and says the circular in ques-
ton is libelous and issued in VIOLA
ton Of our primary laws.
Mr.. stokes's statement in part fol-
lows:
An anonymous circular has been
mailed from Wall Street. New York.
to some of the voters of the State.
designed to reflect upon my action
while governor Of the State and
upon the members of the State School
Fund Commission.
Ihis communication is issued in
direct violation of the election laws
OF our State, which require that a
person sending out an article shall
sign MS name thereto, and for this
reason, doubtless. was postnarked
outside of the State. The article
Tails to contain any union labor i'm
print, as that imprint would give
clue TO The author, although the
source of this communication or
anonymous attack can be surmisec.
however cowardly and unlawful
this method of attack may be. II
affords an opportunity to again re-
flute the charge of two or three years
age, OF which this is perverted re-
hash.
Unaua1ihedIy False.
1 denounce as unqualifiedly false
in every respect the innuendo or
charge that my brother was favored
In the sale of bonds to the school
Iund or that bonds We're purcha sed
by the school fund at excessive nricea
during my term as governor.
The State School Fund Commits
SION consists of the State treasurer
the active member, the State comm
troller, secretary of State, attorney
general and the governor. Thesa
o1nclals during my term were sana
tor Frank o. Briggs, Daniel S. voor-
nees. willard Morgan, Samuel Dick
inson, Robert H. McCarter and
myself. All of these gentlemen. in
GUIDING myself, were performing our
duties under our oath of office and
their character is sufficient to ref,,te
any charge of official wrong doing.
The governor of a State is an Incl
dental member of many boards and
can't be active in all, but / always
exercise the utmost caution ia
handling other peoples money and
took extreme care that in the mr.
chase of bonds the State should Sc
cure the very best securities at the
lowest prices possible under the
n
the soundness and safety of these
securities is not questioned today.
indeed the report Of the investiga-
ting COMMITTEES. page II, stated: No
doubt such sales were affected be-
cause their (referring to the selling
brokers' offerings were the best Al
the time of their acceptance
Every purchase was made by the
unanimous vote of the trustees. one
objection barred a purchase, so that
tavoritism was absolutely impossible.
Bought Under Competition.
AS l have already stated, the bonds
were always purchased under a fair
system of competitive bids, and while
my brother. under those conditions.
as a bond broker, had a perfc6:. right
to compete with other bi Ide~s, | cid
not permit him to bid during nv
term OF office The report of the COM
mittee recognized this fat This is
the essential feature. The attempt
to prove that he was Interested at
one time or other in bonds thar were
sold to the State by other parties
has no relevancy to the question of
favoritism.
"I was not the I-chaser of the
securities of the school fund. No
Governor is. The transactions do
not go through the Governors office.
I was simply one of the five pur-
chasers, and I conseientiously pei
formed my duty. Investigated the
character of the bonds purchased, and
was amply satisfied as to their worth
and to the fact that the Stace SEE
cured its bonds at the lowest price
possible under the marKe- conditions
at the date of purchase. Bonds arr
much cheaper today than when
served as Governor.
while the circul r IN question is
lIhelous and issued IL violation 81 cur
election laws, I am ready TO meet
the author of this aIoisymoas attack
on the merits of the accusation =
he or they will com ont In the open
and fight like mea. The
charge or insinuatio7 OF graft during
the terms of office of these gentlemen
and myself is utterly unfoundeJ ana
merits the condemnation Of every