Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-27
WTTPENN HEARS
PRAISE OF WILSON
Dinner in Honor of the Cover.
nOrship Candidate Something
Like a Frost.
GROSSCUP ABSENT AND
SPEAKERS DON'T APPEAR
Forlornly Says He'll Make No
Alliances Which Garry With
Them a Pledge.

Essex Democrats today are dis
cussing the series of dlsappolntments
apparently following the boom in this
county of Mayor II. Otto Wittpenn,
of Jersey City, for the Democratic
nomination for governor. After. be-
ing turned down by the Essex County
Woodrow Wilson League, he came
here last night to attend dinner in
his honor. found that six of the prln-
cipal speakers had not appeared.
heard President Wilson'S name eulo-
gized more often than his own, and
heard only part of the audience ap-
plaud when he threw down the
gauntlet and declared he would make
no alliance with anyone IL the alli-
ance carried a pledge.
The assemblage OF 100 diners who
gathered at the Washington did not
show any particular disappointment
when 1t was announced that the
State chairman, Edward E. Gross
cup, could not attend, and that
United States Senators James Mar
tine and William Hughes, Congress-
men James Hamill and Thomas ].
Scully and Prosecutor Robert HUBS
peth. of Hudson county, would not
be there, but the disappointment was
evident In the tenor of the affair.
The usual eulogies were spoken In
favor of the principal guest, but
only one diner appeared to have con-
fidence enough to predict a victory
for him.
That was Jude Daniel A Dugan,
who urged the assemblage to stand
shoulder to shoulder and fight, and
said their combined efforts would
mean a victory for their candidate.
He did not explain. however, how
100 men were to dictate the nominal
ton of any choice they should make.
Four Out of Ten There.
-Four of the scheduled ten speakers
appeared. At the guest table during
the meal sat Mayor Wittpenn, Frank
A. Boettner, the State banking COM
missioner; George Mason LaMonte,
Job II. Lippincott, and during the
latter courses former Judge Thomas
Henry, Judge Daniel A Dugan, John
l.. Armitage DIR. John l.. Mccormick
and James f. McGrath. Just before
the first course was served a photo
graph of the assemblage was taken.
So barren did the untitled places of
the especially invited guests appear
that Mr.. LaMonte left his seat to go
around the room and recruit enough
men from the other tables to fill their
| places. AS soon as the picture had
been taken they left the guest" Ia
| BILE and resumed their former places.
Noticeable among the diners was
John l.. Armitage president of the
| Woodrow Wilson League of Essex
county, which failed to indorse Mayor
Wittpenn's candidacy when the exec
utive committee met a few days ago.
At that meeting Mr.. Armitage was
one of two in an assemblage of six
teen who voted that the club indorse
Wittpenn. and when the motion
failed to carry, he was instrumental
! in making an arrangement whereby
officers of the league could attend
testimonial dinners without repre-
senting the league at such affairs.
Chairman Grosscup Missed
Many men who are not Democrats
|
ization in politics were among those
who failed to applaud when Mayor
Wittpenn declared he would make no
alliance with any man or set of men
| f the alliance carried with it a
pledge to abide by the latters desires
! One of the principal setbacks of the
dinner was the non-appearance of
State Chairman Grosscup. The diners
| did not know that he would not APP
pear until the first course was being
served, one hour and a half after the
scheduled time. Then Mr.. Boettner
chairman of the arrangement COM
mlttee, read a telegram from Mr..
Grosscup stating that illness detained
him. The telegram in full was:
Sickness prevents me from being
with you. My services are with the
guest of the evening, and l congratH-
lete the diners in the object of tie
dinner"
The telegram was flied long before
the dinner was started. The delay N
! starting the affair and tie failure of
| the guests to be appraised of Mr.
Gro' soups telegram gave. rise to the
question that the State chairman
might have heard that organization
would be attacked and, therefore, re-
manned at home.
] 1t was a peculiar fact that although
! Mayor Wittpenn was the principal
guest the burden of the speakers
praise was for the gubernatorial al
ministration of President Woodrow
Wilson. and the mayor first followed
as one who would uphold the ex-
governors principles.
Some Significant Hints.
One diner remarked that Wittpenn
had either been given the signal by