The sun., 1919-09-25
RUNYON COMEDIES
VICTORY TO BUGBEE
Edwards's Triumph Anglers
Nngent, Who May Split
Democratic Vote.
BRISK CAMPAIGN READY
Prohibition and Traffic Zon-
ing Will Be Principal
Issues Raised.

The contest to determine who shall be
Governor of New Jersey, President Will
sons home State, for three years begin
ming January 15. 1920, will be between
Newton X. Bugbee. State Comptroller,
Republican, and Edward 1. Edwards.
former State Comptroller and State
Senator of Hudson county. These nomi-
nees were selected by the voters at
Tuesdays primaries, the returns OF
which were still incomplete at a late
hour last night.
Bugbee received q plurality Of ap-
proxlmately $500 over William N. Run
yon. acting Governor, in a four cor
twelve counties and Runyon ~ eight
Thomas l.. Raymond carried one Essex
--and Warren C. King none.
Edwards ran at least 1900 votes
ahead or James II. Nugent.. Democratic
leader of Essex county in a three cor
nered go as you please. Edwards car
ried seventeen counties and Nugent four.
With 161 election districts missing
out Of total Of 2,011 in the State the
figures gave Bugbee 5S,S79 and Runyon
b2.1s6. 1t may be several days before
the tally from all the missing districts
reaches the county seats. Some of the
election boards in the rural districts
forward returns by mail.
Runyon Pledges Help.
Gov. Runyon wasn't satisfied when he
went to bed early yesterday that he had
been defeated, and 1t wasn't until well
along in the day that he conceded Bug
bees nomination He sent telegram
to the State Comptroller last evening
congratulatlng him upon his success and
pledging his support
Nugent was so sure he had received a
rough deap' at the hands of the Demo-
cratic organization in Hudson county
that he went yesterday to Jersey City
with fire in his eye to look over the
ground. He visited the office of CITY
Clerk Frank A. Dolan and was much i'm
pressed by 'close up of an election re-
turn from the Sixth district, Second
ward. which gave Edwards a vote Of
200 and Nugent l.
That's the kind of dirty work that
beat me J" he exclaimed, addressing DO
Ian.
Don't try to hand out that kind of
talk around here" returned the City
Clerk.
The Essex county leader and Dolan
elared at each other and then Nugent
said he didn't mean to express himself
as he had
Nugent later said he will decide some-
time to-day whether he will ask for a
recount of the Democratic vote in Hud-
son county.
Democrats at Odds.
Democratic workers in Essex know
lrr1n oil alN Al, rs..4l n.
of the fine art of voting at Democratic
primaries in Hudson county and other
points west. This knowledge, some Of
them said last night, may be one reason
why he suspects something is wrong
with the Hudson county returns Sew
eral Hudson county men declared they
would like to find the man who cast the
lone Nugent vote in the Sixth of the
Second
There were many suspicious ones in
: the camp of Frank Hague. Democratic
leader of Hudson, who openly expressed
fear that "Jim," as they call Nugent
might go on the warpath with disastrous
results on November 4. election day.
The campaign promises to be a repeti-
ton OF the exciting campaign which pre-
ceded the primaries, as far as the lssuea
are concerned. The question of the rati-
fication of the Federal prohibition
amendment and attacks on the Public
Utility Commissioners because of their
adoption of the trolley zoning system
regulations, now so unpopular, are
bound to furnish the spellbinders with a
lot to talk about
New Jersey has long been a wet"
State. Its breweries were numerous and
its grog shops legion Saloon keepers
did their best business on Sunday in
many populous centres, despite the pro-
hibitory but good old Bishops law.
Local authorities explained they couldn't
or wouldn't enforce the law because
the public at large didn't want them
to, and the people, they declared, were
the best judges after all.
Because Of the non-compliance with
excise regulations in the past and the
supposed sympathy of numerous officials
in both political parties with the per-
,sonal liberty idea the Anti-Saloon
League has made dead set to make
New Jersey dry" Next month will
find the leaguers cunning for all can
dldates for members of the Legislature
who do not come up fiatfooted for the
ratification of the Eighteenth Amend
ment.
Liquor Situation Mixed.
The nomination of Bugbee and Ed
WdIus leaves lne liquor SITUATION at the
coming elections somewhat complicated.
Edwards is opposed to prohibition,
though not so radically against enforce
inert Of the prohibition amendment as
was Nugentf Bugbee takes the position
that prohibition is not an issue in the
campaign and he is determined II pos.
Bible to keep any declaration upon the
subject out Of the party platform to
be adopted next Tuesday. To his pei
sonal friends Bugbee is known as op-
posing the principle of prohibition al
though he is credited with having sup
ported first local option plank and
then a prohibition stand in State plat.
forms of former years.
1t is probable that the Democratic
platform will declare against prohibition
but not against enforcement of the
Eighteenth Amendment. while 1t remains
a part of the Constitution. The declara-
tion on this question will probably pre-
eipitate fight in the Democratic State
Convention next week where Mr. Nugent
viii have following OF twelve Assembly
candidates from Essex.