Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1914-05-21
Great Interest in the Con-
gressmen.
Big FIGHT WILL Be ON
Eight Senators, 90 AssembIymen,
II Sheriffs, 6 County Clerks
and 5 Surrogates to
Be Chosen.

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The erection of eight States Sena-
tors sixty members of the Assembly,
seventeen Sheriffs, six County Clerks
and five Surrogates will be the fea-
lures of the election next November
as far as State officers are concerned.
A member of the National House of
Representatives will also be chosen
In each of the twelve Congressional
districts in the State. The election of
the Congressman will be of the most
importance, and there will be unusual
interest in this voting, because it will
be taken as an index of the state of
the public mind towards the contin-
uation of the Woodrow Wilson poll
cies.
New Jersey, with $900,000,O00 in
vested in manufacturing, $17O,00O,OO0
paid annually in wages to factory op-
eratives, and an annual manufactured
output worth 81 900, is a State
much dependent on proper tariff
tax and the right kind of currency
regulations. When this is considered.
together with the fact that this is
the home State of President Wilson,
the eyes of the whole country will be
on the New Jersey Congressional cleo
tions. 1t is the lesson of political his
tory that the second year of a new
administration is the most trying be-
caulp 1t is charged whether Justify
or not, with all the National ills, and
hence the Congressional election in
the middle of an administration is
the crucial test of administration poll
cies. President Wilson and his tariff
and currency laws will be big issues
in the approaching election of Con-
gressmen, with New Jersey as the
strategical centre of the political bat
tie. 1t goes without saying, therefore,
that the struggle in this State for the
twelve seats in the House of Repre-
sentatives at Washington will be of
supreme Importance.
The Republicans at present hold
but one of the Congressional berths,
that in the First District, comprising
Camden, Gloucester and Salem coun-
ties, the lone Republican Congress
man being William J. Browning, OF
Camden. In the old days before the
Wilson landslide, the Second and
Fourth districts were safely Republi-
can. with the G. o. P having a good
fighting chance in four or five of the
others. From the Republican stand
point the Congressional campaign
will be directed toward regaining this
lost ground. The Democrats will
strive to uphold the President and
maintain their present strong adyan-
tage at the National capital.
The eight State Senator'S whose
terms expire this year are: William
T. Read, of Camden, Austen Colgate,
of Essex, George w. F. Gaunt of
Gloucester. William w. Smalley Of
Somerset. and Carlton B. Pierce of
Union, Republicans, and John w. Slo-
cum OF Monmouth, Isaac S. Smick of
Salem, and Thomas Barber of War
ren, Democrats. Senator Smick retires
this year because he is filling the un-
expired term of j. Warren Davis, who
retired to become United States Dis
trict Attorney.
The present Senate stands eleven
Democrats and ten Republicans, so
that to regain their control the Demo-
crats will have to elect at least three
Senator's next November, while the
Republicans must elect six out of the
elght Senators to give them control of
the supper branch. All of the eight
Senators elected this year will have
a vote in the Joint session of the
Legislature in 1916 for the election of
state Treasurer to succeed Edward
q. Grosscup, Democrat. This will
lend an additional inoontivo to tbo.