The Penn's Grove record., 1916-04-21
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
What The State Officials Are Doing.
What The Political Leader Are
Talking About.

tuesday viii take its first formal step
in the Presidential campaign when the
primary election will take place to select
delegates and a~lternates to the Demo
cratic and Republican National Conyen-
tions. The approaching election was the
subject Of lively discussion among the
politicians and others who were the Gov
ernor's Day visitors at the State House
yesterday. The discussion was not so
much as to who would be chosen to 90
to the Conventions, because there are so
few contests that the election will be
practically a foregone conclusion, but
there was a lot of interest manifested in
who might be the Republican candidate
for President.
Here, as elsewhere throughout the
country, the question Of the head Of the
Republican national ticket is up in the
air. From what can be learned in
Washington, the Republican sentiment in
this state as to the Presidential candi
date is about on a par with the rest Of
the country and may be summed up in
this wise: There is a growing sentiment
in favor of the nomination of Theodore
Roosevelt, while at the same time prac-
tically every Republican in the state of
the 'Old Guard type is bitterly opposed
to him and will prevent his nomination,
if possible. Many are predicting that
Roosevelt will be nominated despite the
opposition of the regular party leaders,
and two or three men at the State House
yesterday offered to give odds in a bet
that he would be named. There is con-
siderable talk of Supreme Court Justice
Hughes, but nothing to indicate a STAN
pede in his direction. If Roosevelt nor
Hughes be named, then who would be Sc
lected? Well, there are Burton and
Borah and Weeks, but they are mentioned
so little as far as New Jersey is concern
ed that at present they are only in the
"also mentioned class. The candidacy
of Henry Ford on a peace platform is
regarded as a joke by those who have
been at the Capitol this week. One po-
litician contemptuously referred to the
talk of Ford as a jitney campaign.
All politicians are predicting that on
mex Tuesday all the regular Republican
candidates viii be selected for delegates
at-large, MISUNDERSTANDING, delegates and
a~lternates. There are no contests for
delegates-at-large and hence the regular
Big -Four" is sure to win The Rev.
DR.. Roundtree, of Trenton, the colored
preacher-politician. who is making the
only contest for altern~ate-at-large, can
not muster enough votes to win, it is
predicted. The outlook is thai the
Roosevelt delegates in the Second and
Ninth and Tenth Districts will be easily
defeated, and as these are the only Dis
trict contests, the regulars viii elect a
solid delegation.
State Chairman Newton A. K. Bugbee
today said the members of the State
Committee were looking for the victory
of the entire regular party ticket next
Tuesday. Chairman Bugbee. when asked
as to whom the New Jersey delegation
might favor for President. replied that
no statement could be, made upon that
subject now. Unless there is a decided
change in the situation before June IA.
the date the Republican Convention viii
open, the Jersey delegation will go to
Chicago uninstructed as to the question
of a candidate.
The matter of the Republican candi-
date is rendered more uncertain by the
fact that in the greater part of the state
the primary ballots viii not contain a
space for the voters to mark their pref
4 eTtute lUE ITtSlutDl- No UeltllOu WIS
fled by the Republicans endorsing any
candidate for President and Attorney
General Wescott has ruled that, there
fore, no endorsing space should be on the
ballots for the Republican primary. Sec
rotary of State Martin has so notified the
city clerks Of Trenton and Newark and
all other inquirers.
Everything Will be plain sailing for
the Democrats next Tuesday, as they
have no contests at all. Their primary,
therefore. will be merely an endorsement
by the party voters of or the eandidatee
for delegates-at-large and delegates and
as selected and nominated by the leaders.
Democratic State Chairman Grosscup
is greatly pleased at the outlook. I'VE
have no contests and everything will be
lovely next Tuesday" he said today.
The Democratic primary viii reafirm
the endorsement Of Woodrow Wilson for
!, reelection, and the delegation from this
) state will go to st. Louis on Tune IA to
lead the movement to give -four years
more of President Wilson
Following the primaries next Tues
II gay, the Dig leaders OIL DOLA poultaA
parties viii begin active work for the
convention plans and the preliminaries
of the big campaign. 1t is too early now
to give any details of the campaign, for
they are not arranged, suffice it is to say
: that the leaders fully realize the unusual
Importance of the fight this year. with
an unprecedented number of high officials
to elect, and the fight win be the most
strenuous one ever held in the political
history of this state.
,
! Governor Fielder today issued a pro
1 clamation calling for the observance OF
New Jersey Day" on Friday, May II
The proclamation is in line with the sug-
gestion made some time ago by a com-
/ mittee of the Department Of Conserva'
h;nn and naualnnnont This nommlffes