Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-12
FIELDER MASTER
Of HIS OWN MIND
GOvernor-elect Making 1t Clear
That No Combination Will
Control Him.
"BlG FOUR" WON'T HAVE
A HAND IN PATRONAGE
He FroWns on Plan to Elevate
County Judge to Federal
Bench.


JERSEY CITY, jan 12-Signs are
not lacking to indicate that James F.
Fielder will make it clear to all whom
1t may concern that, after Tuesday of
next week, he will be governor of
New Jersey in fact as well as in
name. There has been much planning
and heaps of comforting by others,
notably the big Four" composed
of Naval officer H. Otto Wittpenn,
Congressman Thomas J. Scully,
Prosecutor of the Pleas Robert S.
Hudspeth of Hudson, and Democratic
State Chairman Edward e. Grosscup.
aiming at the control and distribu-
ton of State and Federal patronage
without any apparent regard for Gov
ernor Fielder or his wishes in the va
rious propositions.
Presidents Secretary Joseph P.
Tumulty is understood to be in ac-
cord with the big Four" and the
latters' o. K on applications for Fed
eral positions was all that Mr.. Tum-
ulty would require to push them
along, so the story goes.
Reclxoned Without the Host.
All this looked very nice to the
''Big Four" but now it seems they
reckoned without the host so far as
The host in this case is none other
than James F. Fielder. who was elect
ed governor of the State by something
over 10000 plurality.
AS for Federal patronage, the affair
was of no particular concern of the
governor elect, but when the Big
Four proceeded to poach on New
Jersey preserves it was an entirely
different matter, and created stu
alton with which Mr.. Fielder felt he
had considerable to say and do.
The "Big Four" could ignore United
States Senators Hughes and MARITIME
and as many congressman as 1T
pleased them to ignore in relation to
Federal jobs, but "hands off, when it
comes down to the tight little State
over which Mr.. Fielder is to reign
for period of three years.
Uses His Own Glasses.
Then this bartering and shifting of
positions to place certain persons in
nice berths, said persons being spe-
cial friends and favorites of the big
Four" and not over enthusiastic
Fielder men, called for little review
and reflection upon the part of New
Jerseys coming executive. Mr..
Fielder used his own eyeglasses in
surveying the situation, and as the
Evening Star frequently predicted he
would, the governor-elect remarked
that "he guessed not"
The idea of naming a county judge
to the vacant Federal judgeship and
then showing q county counsel into
the county judgeship and then pick
ing out "favorite son" for the coun-
ty counsel job. and all this without
as much as saying "by your leave"
to Fielder, and not even considering
n pronounced Fielder man for any
of the places has not appealed to
Mr.. Fielder. He has no particular
objection to having a friend at
court no more than the others have
So there you are.
1t is more than strongly limited
that President Wilson is inclined to
view the situation as Mr.. Fielder has
md that he does not propose to make
n move that would embarrass the
man who succeeded him as governor
of New Jersey. He is disposed to
resent the log-rolling tactics.
Plans That Went Wrong.
The combination had planned to
make County Judge George G. Ten
nant Federal judge in the place of
the late Judge Cross. This was per-
fectly satisfactory to Washington.
With Tenants elevation to the Fed
eral bench Thomas Haight, at present
county counsel of Hudson, was to be
given his place on the county bench
and Haight's job as county counsel
was to go to James J. Murphy, close
personal and political friend of Witt
penn This is where the combination
overreached itself.
When the scheme was put up to
Governor Fielder he rebelled. He
would not consent to go into the deal.
If there was a vacancy on the county
bench he would reserve the right to
appoint a man of his own selection. 1t
had to be Haight or no one, so far
as the combination was concerned.
Unless Haight went on the bench in
Tenants place there would be no job
for Murphy, and after all this was
one of the reasons why Haight's ap-
pointment on the bench was being
urged. Wittpenn wanted to provide
for his friend Murphy. Unable to
change the Governors mind and bring
him around to their way of thinking
the Wittpennites were forced to
abandon the log-rolling scheme they
had planned. Judge Tenant is to
stay on the county bench, although
his appointment to the Federal bench
would meet with general approval
Instead of backing Tenant the
combination will go to Washington
with Haight as it's candidate and his
appointment will insure the county
counselship to Murphy. as Wittpenn
controls a majority of the Board of
Freeholders. If Haight cannot be
landed on the Federal bench, and he
would much prefer staying where he
is, the combination will not ask that
any other Hudson man be appointed.
The one point in view is to make
Murphy the county counsel. Haight,
in addition to being county counsel,
has big practise and in taking the
Federal judgeship he would be making
sacrifice.
President Wilson is expected to take
action on the New Jersey appoint
r1ents this week. The combination
declares that it has brought Senator
Hughes to terms on the matter of the
internal revenue collectorship. The
Senator, it is said, is ready to aban-
don his interests in Charles V.
Duffy, the Paterson man, whose
appointment he has been urging,
and that he is now ready to
give his support to former Assem-
blyman Matthews, of Essex, who is