The sun., 1916-10-24
HOT GOVERNORSHIP
FIGHT IN JERSEY
Edge, Republican, Has United
Party; Wittpenn, His Rival,
fractional Troubles.
EACH NOTED AS FIGHTER
Wilson Twice Killed Demo
Gratis Aspirations in State
Conventions.

Citizens Of New Jersey will vote this
year for nearly every public official listed
in the political blue book from PRESIDENT
Of the United States down to the dutl-
less, though disnined. Justice OF the
Peace. None Of the contests which they
will decide Ia attracting more attention
than the G~overnorship fight being waged
between State Senator Walter T.. Edge.
Republican, and the Naval Officer Of the
Port Of New York, II. Otto Wittpenn.
Democrat.
Both are comparatively young men.
Edge will be % on November 20 next
and Wittpenn val ~ on Saturday last.
Both have been In the public eye for
fifteen years. Both are trained cam
paisners and good fighters. With the har-
mony between the so-called regular Re-
publicans and the Progressives that Is
being made more complete every day
from one end Of New Jersey to the other.
It liz a safe prediction. Republican ana
Progressive leaders say that Edge Will
come out the winner by a big majority
oVSSG
Edge and his running mate. ex-state
| Senator Joseph 2. Frelinghuysen. candi-
| date for United States Senator. visited
| wittpenn's home county. Hudson. In au-
| tomobiles yesterday and talked to large
| crowds from street corners In Jersey City
and elsewhere. Hudson county. which
| has been torn for several years by Demo-
' cratic d%issension, due largely TO Witt
penis activities in local politics. gave
Edge q big sendof. Both Edge and
Fr%elinghuysen. who are making a com
bined drive. say they are confident the
receptions they are getting presage sue
cess to the entire Republican ticket.
wittpenn started in 1910 to groom
himself as a Democratic candidate foI
Governor. The obstacle in his way OF q
nomination that year was Woodrow
Wilson. Wittpenn had The delegates
from Hudson county. but the convention
was bossed absolutely by James Smith
the late Bob Davis and other Democratic
leaders, and Mr.. Wilson won. Wittpenf
got INTO the race again In 1913. HI
stock seemed to be the highest OF three
candidates In the fight until Mr.. Wilson
then President. calmly wiped him on the
slate by oming out in favor OF James
r. Fielder. 1t was believed in those days
that Il would be worse than foolish fol
any Democrat In New Jersey to oppose
the President. and Wittpenn and ih'
other candidate retired. leaving a free
field to Fielder, who was elected.
Clung 20 His Ambitions.
Following his action in elim'natin!
wittpenn In the Interest OF party har
mony.' President Wilson appointed hin
Naval Onicer Of the Port Of New York
wlttpenn chung to his ambitions, desrlt'
opposition. State Senator Charlie
O'Connor IIennessy OF Bergen and Sec
rotary Of state Thomas +. Martin an
nounced this year they were candidates
Hennessy was compelled to drop out OF
account OF illness and Martin. who saw
the handwriting on the wall. also retired
wittpenn therefore had no opposition a
the primaries.
II was Rob Davis, many years boI'
Of Hudson's Democracy, wno p'cke.
Wittpenn. then a clerk In hts uncle
grocery store, as a candidate fpf County
Supervisor In the early i?OOs, lie was
elected by n big majority and was re-
elected for a second term. Ec subse-
ouently served three terms as Mayor
Of Jersey city. Wittrcnn built up II
strong political machine In Hudf on
county, which furthcrcd his politic2'
ambitions. and his opponents In tn
party have always termed him n boss
The fight for supremacy between th'
Wttpcnnites and anti Nittpeo ltes N
the county has been a merry one for
years. The fractional clash in the re-
cent primary was extremely bitter, Wit =
penn failing to nominate eevrls' county
candidates on whom he hal set hs
heart. His faction, however, nominate
eleven Of the twelve candidates for As
sembly and just saucn.ed through wiz
their candidate for safe senator
So A.. IAap