Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-25
STOKES TO OUTLINE
STATE C. OPT FIGHT
Selection of State Republican
Chairman May Indicate Cam
paign of Candidate.

Selection of a chairman of the
newly-elected Republican State Com
mlttee will Indicate, to a large de-
gree. 1t Is believed. the campaign to
De mapped out by Edward Casper
stokes. Republican nominee for gov
ernor. Edmund w. Wakelee is at
present chairman of the State Com
mittee, and while there has been no
Official intimation that he intends to
step down, it is not at all certain
that he will be again chosen to head
the committee
A conference of Republican leaders
has been called by State Senator Will
lam T. Reed. of Camden, to be held
tomorrow at Trenton. 1t is probable
that the meeting will take place in
the Senate chambers in the State
House Members of the newly elected
committee Mr.. Stokes, State senators,
assemblymen and other leaders will
be present. This meeting viii be in
the form of a preliminary to the
meeting at Trenton next Tuesday
when a chairman of the State body
will be chosen.
When the craftsmanship of the Re-
publican State committee was vacated
by the present incumbent. Mr.. Wake
lee. In August last Edward w. Gray,
formerly secretary to Mr.. Stokes
while the latter was governor, re-
signed as secetary of the State COM
mittee Mr.. Gray was succeeded by
Donald Mclean. of Elizabeth, who
was formerly private secretary to
Senator Kean. who opposed Mr..
Stokes.
It is pointed out that Mr.. Wakelee
made Mr.. Mclean secretary of the
committee. Notwithstanding the lat
ters opposition to the candidacy of
Mr.. Stokes. A short time ago Nc
Lean. a practising lawyer, resigned
as secretary. giving as his reason that
he did not want to embarrass the
new chairman in making appoint
ments.
The appointment of Mclean by
Chairman Wakelee was interpreted
by Republicans as an indication that
the chairman was at least lukewarm
to the Stokes interests. 1t is declared
that this is only one incident which
makes the reelection of Chairman
Wakelee doubtful.
A member of the State committee
today contended that there is nothing
in the Geran election law which pre-
vents the State committee from elect
ing a member for its chairman.
He pointed out that the law states
1.-The members shall get together and
elect a chairman" and that this
leaves an opening for the appoint
ment of chairman of one who is not
a member of the committee. Whether
this plan will be carried out or not
at the meeting in Trenton next Tues
day has not been stated.
At the conference tomorrow it is
likely that the selection of State
chairman will be one of the main
topics of discussion. This meeting
has been called by Senator Read,
who, it is known, has been very
active in the primary campaign in be-
half of former Governor Stokes. Tt
is said that Mr.. Stokes has been in
constant touch with Senator Read
and that the 'lattef's activities have
had the sanction of the former gov
ernor. Well-informed Republicans
state that it would not be surprising
if Senator Read is Stokes choice for
chairman of the State committee and
: the members will respect the candi-
dates wishes by electing Read to sue
eed Wakelee.
Chairman Wakelee was located to-
day in his New York office. He said
that he had not received any notice
of the conference called for tomorrow
by Senator Read. He announced
that he expected to attend the off
ciar' meeting of the committee in
Trenton.
Asked il he expects to be reelected
chairman of the committee, Mr..
Wakelee replied:
81 don't know yet whether I have
been elected member of the COM
mittee. I suppose that | have been
elected and will be at the meeting
next Tuesday. No. / am not seeking
reelection to the Craftsmanship. and,
in fact, never sought it in the first
place or at any other time.
II think that the election of chair
man of the State committee should
now be guided by the wishes of Mr..
Stokes, the Republican candidate"