Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-20
FOR GOVERNOR

Jersey. AS it is hardly likely that either of them will visit this
county again before election the voters will have to make up
their minds for whom to vote, as far as personal contact with
the candidates themselves is concerned, from the impressions
gained during the brief halts that were made in the various
towns and the rallies at night at Perth Amboy and New Bruins
wick.
l. There are two ways TO size up a candidate. One is by a
comparison of the men themselves and the other is by The is
sue they represent.
In both of these qualities the advantage is decidedly with
the Republican candidate, Newton A, K. Bugbee.
Mr.. Bugbee's personality makes much more Of an impress
sion than does that of his opponent, although there is nothing
to be said against the character of either man. Then, too, Mr..
Bugbee's arguments are convincing because they ring true.
He is clean cut representing the highest type of citizenship.
Mr.. Edwards is making his campaign more and more on
the prohibition issue and is leading the people to believe that
If he is elected he will keep New Jersey wet" when, as a
matter of fact, he can no more change the Constitution of the
United States than he can stop the earth in its course around
the sun. He is basing his campaign on deception.
But lis the company that the Democratic candidate keeps
that is probably his greatest handicap. Mr.. Edwards is closely
affiliated with the notorious machine in Hudson county-the
machine" of ballot-box stuflng and election fraud fame. This
fmachine" is presided over by Mayor Hague, of Jersey City.
1t was a remarkable coincidence that at the two mass
meetings held in this city last week, both parties selected as
their principal speaker, aside from the candidates themselves,
a man from Jersey City. The Democrats had none other than
Mayor Hague himself and the people had an opportunity to size
him up first hand. The Republicans had as their orator former
Judge Robert Carey.
Hague's remarks were of the cheapest kind of Bnlingsgate.
He seemed to glory in the present unrest and his appeal seemed
e to be rather to the Bolshevik tendencies Of the people.
1t was refreshing to hear Judge Carey in contrast. Perth
Amboy people know Judge Carey and there is always an in
spiration in his high ideals of true American patriotism.
It was significant, too, that it was Judge Carey, at the Re
publican mass meeting who expressed sympathy for the Pres
ident of the United States in his illness and hoped that he
would soon recover his health. Not q word Of sympathy was
heard at the Democratic meeting although the Democratic
party owes its present prosperity entirely to the mastery lead
ership of Woodrow Wilson.
But personality does not count for everything in a
political campaign. If a man is clean the principles he stands
for are, after all, the main thing.
But here again the Democrats are appealing more to pas
sion than to reason. Through an insincere attempt to make
prohibition the issue, the Democratic candidate is treading on
dangerous ground and is coming very near sedition in his ut
terances.
In a proclamation to the people of New Jersey Mr.. Ed
wards said:
"If elected governor of New Jersey, I shall resist with all
the legal powers I can command the Anti Saloon League pro-
gram of letting Alabama, Mississippi and Texas tell New Jer-
- sy, New YORK ana pennsylvania now our people may i've, What
shey may drink, what they may eat, and what their customs and
habits of life shall be"
That same sentiment was expressed in South Carolina in
1860. The governor of that state started to resist with all the
legal power he could command the program of letting the
Northern states dictate what the customs and life of the South
ern gentleman should be.
Such a resistance led South Carolina to secede from the
Union and the Civil War was the result.
Is this what Mr.. Edwards means by the kind of talk he is
handing out?
But besides the prohibition issue, there is the question of
the Public Utility Commission. Admitting the present board
is not what it should be, Mr.. Edwards would remedy the mat
ter by making the board elective and thereby throwing it into
politics 365 days in the year. The Republican platform would
bring about the desired change by having the governor held