The Penn's Grove record., 1916-02-25
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
What The State Officials Are Doing.
What The Political Leader Are
Talking About.


Trenton, Feb. 23-Political develop
ments this week included the entry of
George l.. Record, Of Jersey City, into the
Republican Gubernatorial contest; at
tacks on the Republican Board of Guar
dams" BY former Governor Stokes, and
Senator Stevens. Of Cape May County;
scathing criticism Of the Senate by Gov
erior Fielder for holding his appoint
ments of prosecutors in Cape May and
Gloucester counties the issuing Of par
tisan statements by two or three party
leaders, and several lively clashes in the
Legislature over political measures. The
Legislature made good progress as it APP
preached the home stretch of the session.
Campaign matters began to take more
definite shape in both party camps. One
Of the interesting items was the meeting
Of the Senate ON Washington's Birthday
anniversary. the first time either House
has sat on that holiday in q years.
.
In bis peppery message to the Senate,
Governor Fielder raped the Republican
Senators for keeping his appointments
bottled up, and said
Il consider it your duty to confirm or
reject with reasonable ~promptness all
nominations sent by me to you"
Governor Fielder claimed that Senator
Gaunt. Republican, of Gloucester, had
not expressed any opposition to the APP
pointment of Grover G.. Richman as
prosecutor of that county, and so. there
was no excuse, except politics, in hold
ing up the appointment. There was a
partisan debate over the message. and as
Senator Gaun was absent. Senator
Edge. who was presiding in the absence
of President Read. stopped its reading.
BY a strict party vote this decision was
concurred in.
The coming out Of Naval Officer H.
Otto Wittpenn as the Democratic eandi-
date for Governor, called from Senator
Edge. Republican. of Atlantic. today a
statement referring to the fact that Mr..
Wittpenn declared for a business admin
istration. Senator Edge having ANNOUNCE
ed himself for the Republican nomina-
ton for Governor before Mr.. Wittpenn
threw his hat into the Democatic guber-
Material ring. Senator Edge takes the
Nittpenn declaration as an endorsement
Of his business administration platform.
Mr.. Wittpenn takes exception to this at
titude on the part of Senator Edge. and
declares that not all the business acu-
men and knowledge is in the Republican
party.
incidentally, in his statement. Sena-
tor Edge states that he thinks the So
called Board Of Guardians influence in
the Republican party is largely a myth.
Mr.. Wittpenn has my sincere appree-
iation for his substantial agreement with
our business policies" declares Senator
Edge.
Senator Stevens. Republican. of Cape
May. does not seem TO agree with Sena-
tor Edge as to the Board of Guardians.
He issued a statement today with refer
enee to the selection of the delegates to
the Chicago National Republican Con-
v%ention. in which he slams hard the re-
dictionary Influences for dividing the Re
publican party in 1912.
In New Jersey" says Senator Stew
ems, the Old Guard. called by some by
other names. are already laying pipes
to become delegates at large and district
delegates to Chicago. They had their
day and cannot have had their ears very
close to the ground, if they insist on run
ming and taking another chance of q
primary fight. and thereby jeopardizing
the success of the Republican party"
Senator Hennessy. Democrat. of Ber-
gen another candidate for Governor. re-
piled to the statements Of Senators Edge
and Stevens. He said:
1t is certainly amusing TO see the an
xiety displayed by certain ambitious Re-
publican gentlemen to convince the pub
lie that the old influences which so long
N'HSAN III AFA baAh3 ave A0W O4cdb-
peared. But every Wei informed per-
son knows differently. and Senators Me-
Gran and Stevens have given public tes-
timony to the persistence of the old poll
teal powers. Nor is there anything
palmer TO the initiated than the accur-
acy of George L. Records recent state
ment that the influence of the brewers
and public utility corporations has been
been and continues to be the dominant
factor at Trenton.
It was the general talk around the
State House yesterday that the local OPP
ton platform of Mr.. Record viii inject
the liquor question into the present
campaign in a way that may worry the
leaders of both the parties. The liquor
question is an unsatisfactory one to hand
" in a presidential campaign, from the
standpoint of the stand-pat leaders of
both parties, and this year is not likely
to prove an exception. The growing 10
cal option sentiment is pleasing to the
temperance folks and is equally unpleas-
ant to the liquor people, and if local OPP
ton, therefore. becomes an active issue
in the campaign the fight viii be a red
hot one.
In this connection. the organized liq-
uor dealers have taken notice of the in
creased local option vote this year in the
Legislature. and have sounded a call to
arms to fight against any further growth
IN the sentiment.
The fight against the local option wave
must begin now. not after the next cleo
ton" says the notice of the liquor men
to all the members of their trade. w
hope the lesson of the local option vote
in the Legislature viii not be lost"
Governor Fielder, who has been eriti-
cised for signing the Republican requisi-
ton bill by Senator hutchinson. of Mer-
Ger, which c~urtails some of the powers
of the Democratic State Comptroller, de-
tends his action III approving the meas
ure. The Governor takes the ground that
State Comptroller Edwards has not been
shorn so completely Of his powers, as
some have feared. He still believes that
Mr.. Edwards has a lot of valuable power
left and that he still has a chance to
block wrong doing in connection with
state expenditures. State Comptroller
Edwards insists that the law is a vicious
F piece of legislation.