Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-26
In the Field of
Politics

| Ih1S week has been an eVentful one
in the gubernatorial situation. Witt
penn and Gebhardt drop out of the
Democratic running, Joseph p. Tu-
multy is mentioned as a compromise
| candidate, Governor Fielder opens his
| campaign in Essex, State Senator
Carlton B. Pierce gets into the Repub-
lican running, former Governor
Stokes almost admits he is in 1t, John
ID. Prince says a word or two to the
effect that he is still alive, and Ever
EFT Colby gets into the active running
through the announcement of his
platform.
Not including Tumulty, who says he
would rather be secretary to the Pres
ident than Governor of New Jersey,
and former Governor Stokes, who is
hiding his time to see if sentiment is
his way, there are seven acknowl-
edged candidates in the field. They
are: Governor Fielder and Frank S..
Katzenbach, seeking the Democratic
nomination; Prince and Pierce, who
aspire to the Republican candidacy;
Colby and Osborne, after the Progress
sive nomination, and former Congress-
man Charles N. Fowler, going it
alone.
Fielder seems to be the logical can
didate for the Democratic nomination
from the way things look now. With
Wittpenn out of the race, 1t appears
that he will have an easy time an
nexing the nomination, and, despite
the fact that Katzenbach is well
known in the southern part of the
State, reports from there seem to
favor Fielder. He has one big asset,
and that is the prestige that his pres
ent Office gives him.
Wittpenn died hard. The result
of the commission government cleo
ton in Jersey City should have been
enough to discourage his Guberna-
torial aspirations, but he chung to
| the sinking ship and, as a last resort,
had his emmisaries visit President
| Wilson In the hope that he would
| lend his support. His refusal was
the final blow, and Wittpenn had to
slide out of the race in an undigni-
| fed way, which would not have been
necessary had he seized upon the
commission government election as a
graceful way to withdraw.
|
| Former Governor Stokes has the
right to be considered the logical
Republican candidate despite the OBJ
iections raised by Former Senator
John Kean to his candidacy. 1t is
obvious that Senator Kean's objec-
ton is purely personal and arises
from Stokess announcement in 1911
| that he was candidate for United
| States Senator. 1t is pointed out
! that Mr.. Kean is only hurting the
party by holding a grudge against
the former Governor and if he raises
any open protest, it should be made
public. Sentiment all over the State
seems to favor Stokes, with Pierce
running second and Prince follow
ing in the rear
Feeling seems to favor former Sem
ator Everett Colby in the Progress
sive ranks. This may come from the
| fact that he is better known around
! the State than his rival, Edmund B..
Osborne, but If sentiment be the same
| in September as it is now, he can
| feel reasonably sure of the nominal
| ton. Mr. Osborne's following, how
ever, is picking up. He will make
his greatest showing, perhaps, in
Hudson, Passaic and other northern
New Jersey counties, where the Rec
ord -Blauvelt influence is predomi-
nant. What he does in the southern
| part of the State will depend en-
| tirely on his personal activities there
between now and September %. Col
| by is going to remain practically pas
sive until after the primaries, thus
affording Osborne chance to get into
the southern part of the State when
| Colby is relying on his past perform
ances to get him the vote.
The demonstration for Mr.. Colby
at Thursday nights meeting was a
notable one. There were only 300
people present, but they did make
the wellSin ring with their enthusi-
assn. One crowd came down from
Passaic, Blauvelt's county, and pro-
NOTED the demonstration with two
verse song of their own composition
extolling Colby.
Charles N. Fowler does not seem
to be doing much with his boom, ex-
cept to cross swords with Herbert
Taylor, chairman of the Republican
| State Committee This little contro-
versy is liable to lose some votes
for Mr.. Fowler, and he is badly In
need of them. He is depending most
ly on Republicans and part of the
Progressives to carry his independent
candidacy.