The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-10-28
FEEDERS LEGISLATIVE RECORD.

4
Acting Governor James F. Fielder, the |
Democratic candidate for Governor, in /
his campaign speeches calls for for his
election upon his legislative record. /
That we may determine if he is worthy
of votes on that score let us hastily ex
anime a part of his record and having
done this it will certainly be seen that,
upon his own plea, he is totally unfit for
the high and important office of Cover
nor.
The showing that will be presented
here is not hearsay or guesswork, but is
taken from the official records of the
Senate of New Jersey. In the session of
1912 Mr.. Fielder was the senator from
Hudson county; Richard Fitzherbert, a
Democrat, was the senator from Morris
county. Fitzherbert introduced two
bills which became known as senate bills
Nos. 70 and ITO. These bills related to
the manufacture and use of acetylene
gas and, if passed, the result would have
been to limit the operation of the Com
mercial Acetylene Company, of Harri-
son, New Jersey. The bills were referred
to the Judiciary Committee, of which
Mr.. Fielder was member.
At a public hearing before the COM
mittee it was openly stated that the
measures were strike" or money"
bills and that senator Fitzherbert or his
allies had agreed to withdraw or defeat
the bills upon the payment, by the Com
mercial Acetylene Company, of five thou
sand dollars. This being reported to the
senate that body referred the whole mat
ter to the Judiciary committee to investi-
gate and report. This committee, after
hearing the witnesses and giving senator
Fitzherbert a chance to explain his con-
nection with the affair." returned I'M
animous report, which had attached to
it the signature of James F. Fielder.
Among other things the report contained
the following:
''We believe, therefore, and can only
report, on the evidence presented to
us, that the senator from Morris
county has been guilty of such an Of
fence as is inconsistent with the trust
and duty of member of this senate,
and we hereby recommend that the
senator from Morris county be tried
by the senate on the question of his
expulsion from this body"
This report was received and adopted
by the entire senate. A trial was held
and Senator Fitzherbert was found
guilty" but when it came to vote on
his expulsion, Senator Fielder voted
mo, and Fitzherbert continued mem
Der of the Senate. The official records
also show that at the organization of the
Senate the following year Fielder was
candidate for president of that body; that
Senator FitZherbert voted for Fielder
and the latter was elected.
The official record having been quoted,
let us ask few questions.
Why did Senator Fielder, after signing
a report that the senator from Morris
county had been guilty of such an Of
fence as is inconsistent with the trust
and duty of member of the senate, y
vote mo- when it came to the question
of expelling Fitzherbert?
Was it because he received orders from
some Democratic leader or Democratic
machine to reverse himself?
Was it because Fitzherbert was a
Democrat?
Was it because Fielder had an eve on
the future and hoped thereby to secure
dacy for president of the senate?
Why, why why, did he do it?
Thousands of Jerseymen have been and
are still asking the question, but candi-
date Fielder has never, to our knowledge,
satisfactorily answered. Is this the legis-
lative record of which he boasts and up
on which he asks popular support?
There are other parts of his legislative
| record which, when opened to the public,
might cause the question to be asked,
"Why?n
Remember the facts above recited are
not mere idle fancies. The record given
is taken from pamphlet printed by the
state printers and is open to public in
spection.
| And this man Fielder is the fellow
who has referred to former Governor
Stokes as a trimmer and ''wobbler. .
Did Fielder trim or wobble in his vote
on the expulsion Of Fitzherbert?
| Have we committed a very grievous
error in asking if Fielder acted ''under
orders?" In view of a letter which he
wrote to a prominent Democrat of this
county in which he gave as a reason foI
reversing himself on one of his official
actions that he did so at the request Of
two Democrats of this county, we think
the reference to under orders" is per
fectly proper.
| What do you think of Fielder, any
how? Do you want such man as the
chief executive of the state of New Jer-
seyY Is he trimmer" or ''wobbler''
or is he both? Do'not put any trust in
him. Vote for Edward Casper Stokes.
Fielder made tour of Morris county
the other day, but maintained clam
like silence regarding the Fitzherbert
case. In that county, if anywhere, it
was due that he should answer the
charge that he was trimmer on the
issue of BUSTING the besmirched Morris
senator. The people of Morris had a
right to hear from Fielder's own lips his
reasons for this remarkable change OF
front. But never word said he.