The Penn's Grove record., 1913-03-07
WILSON QUITS
AS GOVERNOR
Declares People Are to be Ser
we'd by Con Ci nee
FIELDER NEW EXECUTIVE
With Brief Formal Ceremony the
Great Sea! of State Was Trans
Observation-Disclosures Leaves
State House as Citizen.

Especial Trenton Correspondence
Notwithstanding his success
sor as a man of honesty and courage,
Governor Wilson passed the Great
Seal of the State over to President of
the Senate James +. Fielder and cut
the line of his connection with the
government of this State. 1t was d
brief, formal ceremony in the Assem-
bly, chamber, with the Senate and
House in joint session, and the State
House and surrounding grounds dense
ly crowded with interested spectators.
A number of clubs came down from
Hudson county in honor of the new
Executive, who will perform all the
duties of Governor until next January.
Following the ceremony the Acting
Governor held a reception in the ex-
ecutive chambers, and for more than
an hour shook hands with people from
all parts of the State. President-elect
Wilson left the State House as a pri-
vate citizen, but in the short speech
he made as farewell he expressed his
admiration for the State of his adop-
ton, and indicated afresh that his
heart and mind would not be so abb
sorbed in the affairs of the nation as
to forget the problems confronting the
people of the State, and which must
be solved. For more than two years
since he had resigned the presidency
of Princeton University to carry on his
campaign for the governorship the
history of New Jersey had centred in
him, and there was the undeniable
note of regret in his farewell that he
was about to leave his work here,
though a note of confidence that he
was leaving it in worthy hands.
In Line for Governor.
The days proceedings brought re-
newed evidences of the determination
of many of the friends of Acting Gov
ernor Fielder to keep him forward as
a candidate for the Democratic nom
ination for Governor in the primaries
of next September. There were lusty
cheers as he took the oath of office,
and in the crowd that swarmed
through the executive chambers to
greet him and wish him success were
many men we'll forward in the lead of
the party who promised him unswerv-
ing support. The fact that Mayor II.
Otto Wittpen, also of Hudson, is re-
garded as the choice Of the Wilson
forces did not seem to retard the
Fielder boomers in the least. Follow
ing the Inauguration, Senator J. A. c.
Johnson was chosen President of the
Senate, and Immediately announced
the selection Of Edward Gilbert, of
Englewood, a S his secretary.
Love for State Deepened.
The oath of office was administered
to Acting Governor Fielder in the AS
sembly chamber, which was jammed
with people. Chief Justice Gummere,
of the Supreme Court, administered
the oath, and Governor Wilson occu-
pied a seat on the rostrum. In formal
ly passing the great seal of the State
to Governor Fielder, Governor Wilson
said, with evident feeling: 81 cannot
pretend that / am not moved by very
deep emotions to-day. I had not ex-
pected to say anything. 1t would, in
deed, have been my preference not to
say anything, but there are some feel
ings that are>too deep for words and
seem to be cheapened by being put
into words. l already loved the State
of New Jersey when l became it's Gov
ernor, but that love has been deep
ened and intensified during these last
two and a half years. I now feel a
ens of Identification with the people
of this State and the interests of this
State which have seemed to enlarge
my own personality and which has
been the greatest privilege of my life.
Words of Regret.
Therefore, in handling the seal of
the State to the new Governor | want
to utter these few words of poignant
regret: That l cannot serve this great
State directly any longer. I wish for
the moment that the travelling from
New Jersey was less facile than it is,
and yet l have the greatest feeling of
confidence in the man to whom I am
about to hand this seal. I have been
associated with him with unusual in
timacy of counsel. l have found in
him qualities of honesty and courage
which commend men more than any
other qualities in public life.
Courage Is Rare.
"The rarest thing in public life is
courage and the man who has courage
is marked for distinction; the mar
who has not is marked for extinction
and deserves submersion. The people
of this country are going to be served
by conscience and not by e~XDediencY.