The Penn's Grove record., 1916-09-15

sidered a setback for the Democrats in
the opinion of Governor Fielder. maine
used to go Republican from 25,0O0 to
10000" he declared, 'and it would take
a larger plurality than $1,000 in favor
of the Republicans to show a setback
for the Democrats"
Analysing the vote in Maine, Edward
l.. Hermann, secretary to Governor
Fielder, and a Democrat, maintains that
the result is very satisfactory to the
: Democrats, when viewed in the light of
the national campaign. He points out
that both candidates for United States
Senator on the Republican ticket ran
behind the Republican candidate for
Governor to the extent of more than
1000 votes and won by pluralities of
less than 10000. Mr.. Hermann says
this indicates that on local issues the
Maine Republicans were strong, but on
the question of the national ticket they
were much weaker, many of them sup
porting the Democratic United States
Senatorial candidates as a testimonial to
President Wilson. Mr.. Hermann spends
all his summers in Maine and has conS
siderable knowledge of the politics of
the State.
There is talk among the radical Pro-
gressives of the State who are dissatis-
fed with Hughes as a Presidential can
didate, of nominating a candidate for
Governor on a Bull Moose ticket, and
State Chairman J. A. H. Hopkins, of
Morristown, is being mentioned for this
honor. The question will probably be
settled at the meeting of Progressive
leaders in Newark tomorrow. The meet
ing was called by Chairman Hopkins to
discuss the situation in New Jersey as
far as the Progressives are concerned.
If Hopkins runs, he will be nominated
directly by petition and not at the pri-
maries. Requests that Hopkins be NOM
mated have been made by the radicals
in two or three of the counties.
One of the real surprises of this cam
paign is the fact that former Senator
Everett Colby, for years one of the Pro-
~gressive leaders of this State, is sup
porting Ex-Governor Franklin Murphy for
United States Senator. He is not open
~ advocating the nomination of Murphy,
but as a member of the Republican Ma
tional Campaign Committee, he is throw
ing his support TO the former Governor.
In past years Colby fought Murphy tooth
and nail as an arch stand-patter and
enemy of political progress, and in the
campaign in which Colby overthrow Ma
jor Carl Lentz, the former Republican
boss of Esse county and won the Essex
Senatorship, he had all his guns trained
ON Murphy, who backed Lent.
. .
Despite the commission of the word
general in one of the election law
amendments passed by the last Legisla-
ture, thereby making one section of
the election law apply to the last cleo
ton, instead of the last general cleo
ton, Attorney General Wescott has Civ
en- Secretary of State Martin an opinion
that the poll books to be used for pre-
pairing the primary registry list, shall
be the poll books used at the last gem
eral election, November, 1915. There
was considerable doubt as to whether
the law as amended should be interpret
e. ed to mean the use of the poll books
from the election for Presidential dele
gates last April, which was the "last
election" or the general election of
1915. As the full vote was not regis
tered and polled last April, it would cut
the vote considerably at the primary
election this year if it had to be based
e upon the April election.
The law as amended last winter pro-
vides that the primary list be made up
of the names of all persons whose names
appear upon the poll book as having
voted at the 'last preceding election"
The Attorney General rules that as only
one section of the act is affected by this
q omission. the general intent of the law
is not altered, and so the last general
election shall be the basis.
Senator Carlton B. Pierce, Republican,
70 Union county, has given a strong de-
ciaration in favor of the nomination of
Senator Edge for Governor. He says,
in part:
e My experience in the affairs of state
has convinced me that we ought to put
the State government on a better bust
ness basis. We take in and spend every
year about 49, 700. and our method
of receiving and spending this sum has
not been a business method.
That is where Edge comes in. For
years he has been pursuing the same
ideas. Edge has the business instinct
more than any man in the Legislature
that / know of. l favor Edge from a
business standpoint"
1t was announced today that Cover
nor Fielder will make two or three
r. speeches in Hudson county in favor of
the denomination of Surrogate John 2.
Egan. Governor Fielder says he will do
all in his power to secure the nomination
of Surrogate Egan for another term.
Egsn is the leading anti Wittpenn candi-
date, but the Governors support of him
does not mean that the executive is
against Wittpenn for Governor. Cover
nor Fielder, together with all the other
State Democratic leaders, favor Witt
penn. There was an effort to harmonic
the two warning Democratic factions IN
Hudson, with the result that the split
grew worse than ever, and now there
are three distinct Democratic tickets in
the field for the county offices. The