Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-31
BOSS KUEHNLE is I'm AGAIN.;
VISIONS GOV. EDGE AS PRESIDENT
Atlantic City Commo-
dore Comes Back"
Tells How He Made
Present Governor of
New Jersey
By M'LISS
ATLANTIC CITY. Jan. 81.
"CoMMoDoRE" LOUIS KuEHNLE,

" at an age when men are oslerlzlng
or "hresiding," has come back
The big boss of Atlantic city who for
more than twenty years held the political
! fortunes Of South Jersey in the palm of his
| pudgy white hand, until the Democrats
| under the Wilson regime got him ana
sent him up" to Trenton jail on what he
| calls a "frame-up." has gathered IN the
reins and cutChed the whip once more.
| And unless the Commodore overestimates
| his power, the seaside resort and its en-
! virons are to be driven in the way that
they were driven In the good old days
| when there weren't any ten command
! ments, politically speaking, and a man
| could raise a Sunday thirst with the deh-
| mite assurance that there were a hundred
! and one places in which he could slake it,
There were those who said he could not
| do It skeptics who declared that his sixty
/ years, his jail sentence and the unsavory
! exposure that preceded 1t were insur-
! mountablc obstacles TO a political renais-
sance, even on the part of one SO powerful
| as he,
RALLY ALREADY BEGUN
Predictions are that the skeptics were
wrong.
Not quite two years have passed since
Euehnle shook off the dust of the state
prison. and already his court, those who
keep in touch with shore politics. declare,
is ralIying around him. At a reception given
recently following Governor Edges inaugu-
ration, he was easily the dominant figure
and, unmindful of the past those present,
both of the old and new order of republican,
ism, hailed him enthusiastically.
As the commodore" sat in real estate
Office near his hotel. whittier | had gone for
the purposes of an interview, he typiiied the
big boss His heavy, pendulous iowls. his
portly girth, his stertorous breathing, his
Opulent white silk handkerchief and his
more opulent cigar, heavily and brilliantly
banded. to say nothing of the diamonds on
his fat white fingers, proclaimed him for
what he is.
In a reminiscent after-luncheon mood he
reviewed the glories of the past before the
coming of that man Wilson and his crew
of refOrmers," ana in hopeful vein he looked
to a future when Atlantic City should be
wide, wide open and the last Democrat in
Jersey departed for the political No Mans
Land. where they thought they had him
buried but were it seems, mistaken
MADE" GOVERNOR EDGE
In tones that one would use in speaking
Of a favorite frst-born son, he told me how
he had made that fine youngster up at
Trenton. Governor Edge, and how if the
Republicans of Jersey were careful it was
quite possible that he could go even further
to the Presidents chair.
The boy came here from Pleasantvile
and showed the proper spirit"-the big
boss regarded the end Of his cigar-"he
went TO work in a newspaper office was
live and got to know people round at the
hotels. Everybody liked him and he was
worker.
"In few years we had our eye on him
and sent him up to Trenton as a journal
clerk. He was affable to the Senators, a
good Mixer agreeable. He liked men and
they liked him He smart and straight
But he was young.
I'm three or four years he come to me
and says he wanted to be Senator. / said
Not yet; wait a while
MASTER AND PUPIL
But no, he wouldn't watt; the Com
modore" grinned at the memory of it, "He
went out and ran. Well, we licked him.
lie had to be taught his lesson. Thought
he was stronger than the master, you
know the Boss ran his tongue around the
end of his smoke and spat out stray
tobacco leaf We showed him."
1t Is characteristic of the boss that
Kuehnle expressed animosity at this
youthful demonstration of independence on
the part of his prOtege. His manner ndi-
Gated that he looked upon it merely as the
playful gambolng of a young cub, the
premature attempt of a fedgling to try its
wings
Pretty soon we did send him upl 10
Trenton to the Assembly. He acquitted
himself fine. We kept him at that only "a
year. Then we made him Senator. Now
he's Governor, as fine a Governor as could
be found anywhere, and elected by the big
gest majority that has ever elected Gov
ernor in the State of New Jersey South
Jersey did it, put II all over North Jersey
where the votes are all supposed to be
centered. The situation looks good. He
can be President if we go careful"
Much impressed at this version of the
way man is made" ! interjected few
questions on the chow of the method
HE KNOCKS PENROSE
"Oh, you gotta have the people for your
friend" Kuehnle told me. 1T don't mat
ter how astute a politician is, you can't
force man they don't want down their
throats. The time is passed when they'll
take anything. You've got to give them a
candidate that's straight and clean. One
that don't ring in all his friends. Fort
proved that We made a mistake on Fort
And we got Wilson at the next election"
His tone was venomous.
THAT man Wilson put this State on the
blink" he continued. with his seven sis
ters bill and reform appointments. Look
at Delaware, n fine little State, making
lot of money, Why? Because every big
TAKES STEPS FOR lis.