Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-06-12
RUNYON MAKES
MOVE EXPECTED
BY POLITICIANS
Has Advantage on Other Re-
publican Candidates by Be-
ing Acting Governor

By Special Correspondent.
TRENTON, June 12:-Runyon is
In the race for the Republican nom-
ination for governor to succeed him.
self, beginning next January. He
took the plunge at noon today when
his candidacy was released for pub
lication thus settling the controversy
which has been going on among the
politicians of the state and the poll
tical forecasterS ever since he be-
came acting governor following the
recent resignation of Walter Z. Edge
to become United States senator
Thus there are now three full fiedged
rivals for the Republican nomina-
ton. They are, in the order of their
entrance to the contest: State Comp
troller Newton A. X. Bugbee, Tren-
ton; City Commissioner Thomas l..
Raymond. Newark; Acting Governor
William N. Runyon, of Plainfield.
Mr.. Runyon's statement of his
candidacy reads as follows:
After long and mature considera-
ton, and realizing in full measure
the importance and seriousness of
the step 1 am taking, hereby an
nounce myself as a candidate in the
forthcoming primaries for the Re-
publican nomination for governor.
I'm making this move L am not, I
hope, guided unduly by any personal
ambition. / have ever considered the
holding of public office a rare privi-
lege in the opportunity which it has
afforded me to render service to my
fellow citizens, and if the members
Nf my party and the citizens of the
ate are minded to call me to fur
= "a vice in the high and honora-
blasA of governor, I shall accept
thsfseommisslon, and give all that in
~ shIies in their behalf.
.fDssring the course of the next few
days shall make public the program
upon which 1 shall base my candi-
dacy; a program which l trust will
prove constructive and which is de-
signed to make my position concern
ing state issues entirely clear"
In announcing his candidacy for
the full term today Mr.. Runyon.
while he may be upsetting the calcu-
lations of the Republican leaders of
the state, is but following a prece-
dent established by previous acting
governors of New Jersey. Foster M.
Voorhees,, of Union county, took up
the reins on February 1, 1898. after
Governor John w. Griggs had re-
signed to accept the post of attorney
general in the cabinet of President
Mckinley.
James F. Fielder became Acting
Governor on March /, 1913, when
Governor Woodrow Wilson resigned
to take the Presidency of the United
States. Both Voorhees, and Fielder sue
ceeded by virtue of being the Senate
President that year, just as Runyon
was in 1919 session of the Legislature.
In both instances too, the acting
governors succeeded themselves for
the full three terms which followed.
The Republican State Convention of
1898 nominated Voorhees, for the full
term and he was elected. In the
primary election of 1913 the Demo-
cratic voters nominated Fielder for
the full term and he was elected.
Will history repeat in the case of
Runyon is the interesting question for
the politicians to discuss now.
The Constitution of New Jersey pro-
hibits a governor from succeeding
himself in office. and in the event the
Union county man wins the nomin-
alton, he will have to resign to run at
the general election, because were ne
to occupy the executive chair on the
day he might be elected he would be
invalidated from accepting the office.
In the event Runyon resigns Union
county would get the acting governor
ship again. inasmuch as Speaker Ar
thur N. Pierson would succeed to the
chair and he is also from Union
county
Both Voorhees, and Fielder, when
running for the full term, resigned a
few days before the November cleo
ton in order to comply with the Con-
stitution in the event they were elect
ed. which was what happened.
The entrance of Runyon complexeS,
the Republican race considerably. 1T
has been said the State organization.
which is understood to be backing Mr..
Bugbee, had hoped the Acting Cover
nor would remain out of the fight.
That would have left an almost clean
cut contest between the RAYMOND
liberal forces on the one side and the ]
Bugbee men on the other. Raymond,s s
is said to be based on ad-
vanced views as to Sunday regula-
tions and anti-prohibition. Both
Messrs. Bugbee and Runyon have
been classed contrary to such plat
form, and the entrance of the Acting
Governor into the race will of course
attract some of this support from Mr..
Bugbee.
(Continued on page 3.)
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