The Penn's Grove record., 1913-07-11
The PENIS Grove Record
FRIDAY, JULY II, 1918.
Contention on Political Principle

Contention on Political Principle
4 The Democrats in the State are divid.
ed on the subject of principles. Acting
Governor James F. Fielder and Otto
Witpenn are candidates for the demo-
cratic nomination governor each CLAIM
ing to be progressives on the principles
which made Woodrow Wilson governor
AMI president. Frank S. Katzenbach
is also a candidate on the proclamation
that he is democrat without %enouncing
any principles and is principally backed
by former Senator James Smith and the
old hard shell machine democrats.
The republicans are split into Stand
patters and PrOgressives, and the Pro-
gressive have become split on the issue
Of principles.
Edmund B. Osborne announced his
candidacy for the Progressive nOmina-
ton on the platform OF single tax, III
itiative and recall, presumably written
by that brainy leader, George l.. Re-
COlus Ill LIZ .
Senator Everett Colby, OF Essex county,
who became the first leading Progress
ssve in the State eight years ago, has
announced that he is a candidate for
the Progressive nomination. MI. Os-
borne has issued
with Nh. Colby the issues of the
A CHALLENGE TO DEBATE
oo,ooo;r, uuhoroiu ho sauo.
While you have not announced your
platform, | assume that it it will be
opposed to mine i'll important essentials.
A few weeks previous 10 my announce
ment you were quoted i'll the newspap-
ers as saying that you would not, under
any circumstances, ''be a c~andldate;"
and in the Newark News, of May 6,
YOU describe a conversation with me as
follows: "Only last Friday | lunched
with Mr.. Osborne. He told me he
wanted to be 4 candidate for Governor
and l assured him that l would support
him with the greatest pleasure. L told
him l did not want to be a candidate
and would net be, unless the leaders
are practically unanimous in the belief
that | should rum" | do not regard
this as putting you under any obligation
to support me-you had a perfect right
to change your mind, but, as you did
not decide TO become a Candidate until
after l announced my platform, l as
sumo that you have now become a can
didate, not because you are opposed to
me personally, but because you are OPP
posed to imporant, features of the plat
form l stand Oh. L accept that issue.
l invite you to debate it with me jointly
throughout the State, and let the Pro-
gressive voters decide which platform
tht Party adopt.
The platform | have proposed for the
Progressive Party is not Il mere vote
catching, win-quick device, but is an
effort to translate our up to-date exper-
fence with governmental problems into
political action that will definitely pro-
mote the general welfare. If the states.
manship of the Progressive Party is to
avail, it must address itself TO curing,
not merely palliating the evils which
flow from the inexuitable distribution of
wealth in this country. In the program
L present for the consideration of the
Progressive voters, privilege is indicted
wholly responsible Oh the one hand for
the dangers in the swollen, unearned
fortunes, and on the other, for the dis
grace OF the widespr cad, undeseTed
and hopeless poverty among the people
who do the work OF this country; and
this program proposes not to palter
with the regulation Of privilege but to
destroy every form of privilege, where
by the few take toll from the earnings
of the many.
l maintain that two propositions in
this program will lay the axe at the
very root of The tree of privilege. To
abolish taxes OH buildings and personal
property will do more to restore equal.
ty of opportunity and destroy privilege
than can be accomplished by any other
single means. 1t will break the power
of every trust that depends upon the
monopoly of natural re OurceS and will
land easily avaible to millions to whom
it is nov impossible. The public owner.
ship of public utilities will stop the
mulcting Of many millions annual from
the people to pay dividends OH watered
stock and bonds, will wipe out tie most
prolific source of political corruption,
and will end the power of great trusts
to injure and ruin their smaller com
petitors through secret advantages in
transportation.
AS you are aware the remedies | pro-
pose for the trust evil ale not original
with me; the proposition to permit mu-
inequalities, after a referendum, to ex
empt personal property and buildings
from taxation, and to acquire and oper-
ate public utilities, was included in the
declaration oil principles which was ad-
opted practically UNANIMOUSLY after a
series of conferences, several of which
you attended, in which many represent
alive Progressive leaders of the State
participated.
l propose that you and 1 campaign
together in every county, addressing all
meetings jointly, dividing the time at
each meeting, and dividing equally the
necessary expenses.
MI. Colby has refused to debate.