Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-08
O'BYRNE NOT
SURPRISED At
BEING BEATEN
Says He Did Not Expect to Wir
in District Strongly
Republican.
DRUKKER is AMAZED AT
HIS LARGE PLURALITY
Decline of Hughes's Power Is
Seen in Democratic Can
didate's Loss.
Vote for Congress
in Seventh District


PATTERSON, April S.--Dow H
Drukker. Republican, was elected to
Congress from the Seventh congress
sional district yesterday. He defeated
James j. O'Byrne, private secretary
to United States Senator William
Hughes, who had the Endorsement OF
Woodrow Wilson. Drukker's plurality
was $3.50. O'Byrne landed in second
place by 1877 votes over Gordon DEM
Arrest, Socialist. The Progressive vot9
was small, almost insigniflcants
About S4 per cent. of the total vote of
the district was cast, which is con-
sidered most remarkable vote for a
special election.
The result, it is believed. will have
an effect on the tolls question pending
before the Senate.
Throughout the entire campaign
Drukker did not make a single speech,
On the other hand O'Byrne was as
sisted personally by Senator Hughes,
who managed the campaign; Senator
Ollie NJ. James, of New York, and j.
Hamilton Lewis, of Illinois.
How Parties View the Result
The result is accepted by Republi-
cans and anti Wilson Democrats aa
indicating a recession of the wave
of popularity that has attended the
national administration since Presi-
dent Wilson was inaugurated. On the
other hand Wilson Democrats scout
the idea that O'Byrne's defeat WAS
rebuke to the President. They set
mp the facts that O'Byrne was weak
politically and that his campaign had
little financial assistance. -----'
! It vas plain FOR some time thak
a y. y
party for more than one reason The
tolls issue alienated one element and
other reasons also were dragged in
by other Democratic factions that
favored some one of the other three
candidates. The Overwhelming de.
feat of the Democratic candidate, tt
is also believed here, shows that
Senator Hughess days of political
power in his home district are nearly
over. He absolutely failed to line up
the labor element, which at one time
he dominated TO a great extent. To
some of the -partisans of the dis
trict 1t seems as though Hughes has
almost completely lost his home pres
tlge
Speaking today of yesterdays re-
suit Congressman-elect Drukker said:
How. Drukker Views 1t.
Il am very We'll pleased at the con-
ildence the voters have shown in me
and very much pleased at the publ
approval of Republican principles. a
thank the followers of the distr'
who came to my support so gallant
and the newspapers that helped me
to win this victory. IT would have
been a great pleasure for me to have
won by small margin, but the large
plurality makes me especially CRATE.
full. 1t Is amazing"
O'Byrne, when the result of tbs
election was known, said:
1T was a hard, singled handed fight,
with all the campaign guns trained
on my candidacy. When 1t is consid-
cred that Passaic county is normally
Republican, 1t was not surprising
We realized that IL was hard fight
at tho very beginning. The tolls
question was injected into the cam
paign. There is no question that
many people did not understand my
position [ made myself quite clear.
however. When it is considered that
President Wilson did not carry Pas
sale county either time he ran fort
office. l believe that the vote is not a
repudiation of the principles as SCI
forth by President Wilson. 1t Is
rather a victory for Democracy. since
the Socialist candidate was forced
into third place. showing that the sem
timent in this respect is not so strong
as at the last general election, when
Continued on Page IS, Column 81