Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-27
kUGENT WILL RUN.
FOR n. ]. GOVERNOR
He FIatly Declares Against Pro-
hibition and Opposes Woman
Suffrage
ASKS "PERSONAL LIBERTY"

Newark, n. j., June 27,--Jamcs K.
Nugent, Democratic leader OF Essex
Z county and former chairman OF tine
4 Democratic state committee, announced
his candidacy last night for the nomina
tion for governor against representa-
tive Thomas ]. Scully, of South Amooy:
( and Senator Edward |. Edwards, OF
Jersey City. Frank NJ. McDermit. OF
4 Newark is another candidate, but mas
only small following.
Nugent's candidacy was announced al
q gathering of Democrats in the Robert
Trent Hotel. The principal plank IN
his platform is opposition to prohlhltlon,
y In the course of his speech he said Il
purpose waging conflict upon sham ny
pocrisy, covert understandings. intlmi,,
dations and coercion in high places;
Commenting on n statement issued oy
Senator Edwards on June Is, he said
''I realized upon reading tnis that no
man has appeared in New Jersey who
possesses sufficient strength of Chnrac.
ter 10 come out in the open and stand
four squared to the wind against the
hynocrisy Of prohibition.
Edwards on "Wednesday issued
statement that he was against prohibi
tion. Nugent regarded this as an at
Z tempt to discount his lNugentsl entry
In the race.
is Against SuHrage
Nugent reiterated his opposition TO
woman suffrage. calling attention to the
( 30 900 majority registered against the
cause in New Jersey in 1918. 1t was
Nugent who led the fight against the
movement at that time.
~ have been led to make this deri
sion" Nugent said at the opening Of his
address, because there does not appear
70 be a person who is willing to take
up the gage of battle for the prescrva
tion and maintenance Of our cOnStitu-
tional rights We are living in momcn-
tous days. Political fads. fancies and
foibles seem to have gained m upper
hand in this state and nation. fancics
and fads and 'iSms' that apparently
s have gripped the minds Of every gubcr-
material candidate. which. if allowed to
come TO fruition will mean tho down
fall of our government. The times de-
nand a virilo and manly citizenship if
our national integrity is to hc preserved
and our free institutions maintained.
I'VE engaged in q world war for the
right of self determination and for the
cause of liberty. At the samc time We
have allowed our right Of self -dctcrmi-
nation TO be abridgpd-stonn away
from us by a cotrrie Of professional re-
formers.
Prohibition is not here and will not
be until tho United States Supreme
Court shall have Das>ed unon the con-
stituticnaity Of the eighteenth amend
ment that was forced willy nilly through
the various legislatures Of tho states Of
the Union. aS er"rv one knows, by
coercion and intimidation
IF / am elected governor I shall
hight to the bitter end and shall call into
service al. the powers and all the re-
sources Of our sovereign state to the end
that Ibis amendment. which rohs men
and women of their personal liberty,
,,onfscates millions Of dollars of prop
anrty and throws hundreds Of thousands
out OF employment is wiped out"
Means Split in Ranks
Nugent's entry means q wide snlit in
the ranks of the Democrats all ovcr the
state. For fifteen years he has been
regarded as the Democratic leader of
the state. He was one Of the first to
espouse the cause of Senator Edwards
and was in agreement with Mayor
Frank Hague, of Jersey City. Demo
cratic boss of Hudson county. in sup
porting Edwards
Nugent and tho Edwards forces split
several weeks ago when Edwards's :
slee, state highway commissioner
dropped SOME Nugent men in the or
ganization that was being formed for
the campaign. Since then there have
been rumors that Nugcnt would oppose
Edwards personally. but he withheld
his answer until the dinner last night.
1t was Nugent that managed the
Z campaign that resulted in the election
Of Woodrow Wilson as Governor of
New Jersey in 1910. When Wilson
refused to stand for former United
States Senator James Smith. Jr.. as a
candidate against James F.. MARITIME.
the choice of the primaries for nomina.
tion as United States senator Wilson
and Nugent broke
II was shortly after that that
Nugent delivered his famous toast at