Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-13
STOKES ANSWERS
FEEDERS ATTACK
Says Governor Has Misinter-
preted Planks in the Re-
publican Platform.
IFrom q stan Correspondence

few days ago upon the Republican
state platform. which Mr.. Fielder
says was written by the Republican
gubernatorial nominee. Mr.. Stokes
claims the first public utility law
was passed during his administration
and says 1t should be strengthened
In the interests of the people. He
charges his oponents with being
against the employment of railroad
workingmen and employees. Mr..
Stokes said in part:
II said at the outset of this contest
that I should confine myself to a
dignif1ed discussion of issues, free
from personalities. While my oppon-
ents, beginning with anonymous COM
munications, are now resortlng to
personalities and giaring. misrepre-
sensations and faisehoods, I shall adj
here to campaign of principles. I
have not said, nor permitted to be
said by those whom I can influence.
a single word derogatory to Governor
Fielder. He is SO much of a gentle
man that 1t is a pleasure to be as
ISOLATED with him, even as an oppon-
ent. A recent interview with him,
however. in which he misinterprets
some of the pianks III the Republican
platform affords me an opportunity
to present some of the issues of the
campaign to the people.
Signed Utility Law.
1.-THE public utility law, which was
Republican measure. originating in
my administration with my approval
and signature, is such a recognized
principle of government that no back
ward step must be taken to impair
its usefulness. 1t must be strength
ened to make it of even greater serv-
Ice to the public.
THE railroad employees of this
State, conductors. engineers, brake
men, towermen and others have long
felt that they should be recognized in
the enforcement of this law. Some
of the members of their labor organi-
cations asked that there be incor-
porated In the Republican platform
. plank providing for the employment
of railroad employees. conductors, en-
gineers, brakemen, towermen and
others as inspectors or advisors to
the Public Utility Commission in con-
necfion with railroad problems.
This suggestion was SO eminentiy
wise and in such accord with public
L
adoption of such plank. When car
ried out it will bring to the Public
Utility Commission the practical
knowledge of men who understand
railroad operations, its dangers and
its possible improvements. | there
fore charge my opponents with being
opposed to the recognition of railroad
employees to help the State in the
solution OF a difficult problem and L
call the attention of the thousands
of railroad employees of this State
in particular, and the voters In gem
eral to this fact.
An honest and uncorrupt ballot is
necessary to a free government.
Stringent laws must be enacted to
this end. The Democratic tissue bal
lot frauds in Hudson county in 1883
stimulated legislation to safeguard
the ballot. The Geran act is the last OF
series of enactments on this line II
is practically a Republican measure.
Governor Wilson did not dare trust
Democratic House of Assembly to put
it in practical shape. They passed
only a skeleton. The Republican Sem
ate had to amend it 25o times to
make 1t effective; otherwise 1t would
have been a farce. 1t is not perfect
yet in many details and weak in the
fact that 1t disfranchises independent
voters at the primaries. It's principle
must be maintained, its efficiency
must be strengthened.
Election Frauds.
Governor Fielder says the pres
ent election laws are models, and
corruption and fraud at the polls,
except through dishonest election Of
ficers, are almost eliminated This
attitude of Governor Fielder's on
electoral reform is startling. or
course, If everyone was honest no
restrictive laws would be necessary;
but the very paper in which the
governor , attacks the Republican
platform for safeguarding the ballot
contains big headlines announcing
the Issuing of warrants for disnon-
est election officers. In spite OF the
election laws which he holds up as
models and for the Improvement OF
which he attacks the Republican
platform there occurred outrageous
frauds to which I have referred I'M
der Governor Fielder's own admins
tration and in Governor Fielder's
own county. where his party faction
controls the police and the city gov.
eminent of the largest city, ana
where the prosecutor of the county,
whose duty 1t is to enforce the cleo
ton law, is of the same party and
friendly to Governor Fielder, and
these frauds were perpetrated by the
Democratic party, of which the Hud-
son Observer says Governor Fielder
is the leader. 1t is a trayesty and
an outrage upon honest government
that such crimes against suffrage
should occur. The Republican plat
form insists, and I solemnly pledge
the people of this State. If elected
governor, to insist upon the passage
of legislation to prevent such frauds.
"Why does Governor Fielder attack
this plan of electoral reform as de-
clared in our Platform? Governor
Fielder is the chief executive of this
State His utterances are significant.
When he assumes the position that
the Republican party is wrong in its
purpose to strengthen . the present
election law to prevent fraud, inno-
cent as his motive may be, he is ike
ly to be misinterpreted by those who
want to do wrong. and would-be per-
petrators of crime against ballots
may be encouraged to think that in
the event of Democratic success no
further restrictive legislation Will in
terfere with their present license to
count ballots as they desire, and not
as the voters cast them. In recent
editorial in the Trenton Times, a
paper friendly to President Wilson,
1t was suggested, in reference to the
primary frauds in Hudson, that If
the Democrats should resort to such
methods against themselves they
would be more likely to use the same
tactics against their opponents at the
election in November.
Nh AualoUv for Laws.
Neither the Republican candidate
nor the Republican platform has any
apology TO offer for the policy of
simplifying and strengthening our