The Penn's Grove record., 1916-09-22
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
What The State Officials Are
Doing. What The Political
Leaders Are Talking
About


Trenton, Sept. 6.-Political ~prognosti-
Gators are doing the Iyiliest KIND of fig
urlng this week in an endeavor TO fore
cast the result OF the primary election ia
TINS tate next Tuesday. With the stakes
at the primary unprecedented, the inter-
est Is the keenest ever known. leading
to an unusual amount Of pre-primary
prophecies. ~Extravagant claims are be-
ing made by the leaders of the various
factions in the many primary contests
that cannot be supported nor verified
50 acute is the situation and so active
tne work OF the several factions in both
the Democratic and Republican camps.
mat the result cannot be accurately fore
casted. Careful analysis Of the many
factors and an unbiased canvass of party
workers from several sections of the
state, however. point to the following
nominations:
Repubican-For United States Sena-
tor, Franklin Murphy, Ex-Governor and
long n of the "Old Guard" leaders of
the 9. o. Z. For Governor, Senator
Walter (. Edge, of Atlantic City.
Democratic-For United States Sena-
tor. Attorney General Wescott. of Cam
len. For Governor, H. Otto Wittpenn,
81 Jersey City, former Mayor of that
city, and now naval officer at the port of
New York. Of course, the nomination
OF Wlttpenn is a certainty, as he has
no opposition. iEB
The followers of Senator Joseph s.
trelinghuysen, the rival Republican can
didate for United States Senator. dis
pute the claim that Murphy will be nom
mated. 1t cannot be denied that Free
inghuysen will run strongly in some Of
the counties. but those are not the
larger counties. Reports fxom Essex,
Hudson. Camden, Passaic, and a few
other counties, indicate that the strong
~ entrenched Republican organization
in those counties will roll up a big vote
for Murphy. The question that Freling-
huysen men must answer is whether they
can poll votes enough outside of those
counties 10 overcome the Murphy
strength there. Trained politicians at
the State House regard this as doubtful.
However, Frelinghuysen has made a
splendid campaign, and his stand for
progressive principles and legislation
against the ultra stand-pat course of
Murphy, viii count in favor of the Som
erset county leader. Former Governor
M~urphy's r~eactionary declarations of
seven years ago have now arisen to con-
found him. and there are those who say
that Frelinghuysen can defeat him.
The picking of Edge as the winner Of
the Republican gubernatorial primary
contest is based upon the fact that the
party organization almost all over the
State is with him: that Essex county
should not have both places on the tick
ct. and the quite freely expressed opin-
ion that Edge is better fitted for the
G~overnorship than Senator Colgate. 1t
seems TO be the general opinion of the
foreeasters that Edge will win the NOM
nation. There is considerable signif-
eance in the statement of a former State
official now living in Essex county, the
home of Colgate. that Senator Edge will
be nominated. Although coming from
Colgste's county and being friendly with
the Essex Senator. he expressed the
strong opinion that Edge would be victor.
There is little hope for the re-nomin-
alton Of United States Senator MARITIME
by the Democrats. None of the county
organizations or the State leaders are
with him. with the single exception of
Congressman Thomas I. Scully. of Mil
dlesex county, who has just declared for
MARITIME. James r. Nugent. the Essex
leader. declared this week that Essex
will be practically solid for Wescott.
Wittpenn has given the word in Hudson
for the rank and file to vote for Yves
colt. Bergen and Passaic, as well as
most of the smaller counties. as far rs
the organization is concerned, are for
Weseott.
The ten primary contests for the nom
nation for State Senator and the four
teen or fifteen fights for places on the
two State committees are so involved
and tied up with local issues that their
outcome cannot be predicted with any
degree of accuracy.
The primary election will take place
next Tuesday, with the polls open al
over the State from 1 to 8 o'clock p. N.
1t will be important to note that. owing
to an oversight, the new act permitting
the use of either the TX" or the plus
mark in marking a ballot cannet apply
to the primary election. Therefore only
the first named character can be legally
used on the ballots next Tuesday. While
it was the intent to have the new Law
apply to all voting. only that section o.
the law applying to the general election
was amended and so. of course. the pri
mary election is not affected and the oil
method must still apply.
Il am for MARITIME. and l hope h
wins" That is the summing up of tn
statement from.C Congressman Seully de
claring for the omination of MARITIME fo
United sStafea Senator. The statemen
was made thf5 morning. and creates
quite a sensatiy as every other Demo
cratic leader ofvany consequence is work
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