Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-11
BAIRD WHANos THE EDITOR
Camden Boss Who Resents Beino
Called "Davy" Takes His
pen In Hand

Pen In Hand
TIME following communication. bear
u ing the signature David Baird" has
been received. AS curio of politics, IL
Is allowed to appear in all its self IRE
Vealing repletion even though it Is sew.
cral times longer than the editorial
which moved Camden's Sage to utter
ance after nearly week of meditation.
The answer is in an adjoining column.
To the Publisher Of Evening Public Ledger.
MY attention has been called TO a
slanderous editorial in the EVENING
puRLG LEDGER of Monday, May 3,
headed. corrupt and Contented." This
is not only libelous and untrue about
your former home town, but reflects
upon me and my fellow citizens. II
also smacks somewhat of tho pot call
ipg the Kettle black" when YOU stop TO
recall the Fifth ward election trouble
IN Phiiadelphia and the recent attempt
TO hold mp business man in your com
nnnity for $4,000 for a trolley fran
Camden may be contented with It's
present. beneficent rule. but It is any
thlng nut corrupt, and ] defy you or
your editors to prove that the latter
allegation Is true
The only time Camden was corrupt
was over two decades ago, when the re-
formers cheated their way into Office
through the Committee of one Hundred
and councilmen were for sale from SIS
up. That regime lasted two years. and
me paving and other jobs perpetrated
almost bankrupted the city.
Since those days under Republican
rule your home city has progressed by
leaps and bounds, and when your Council
decides to build the bridge across the
delaware we promise to become q siren.
uous rival to your adopted city Do YOU
realize that the town you left to seek
fame and fortune has become a bustling
cosmopolitan city of $4,000 peaceful,
Jaw abiding people, who enjoy the best
municipal government with the lowest
TAX rate OF any community of it's size
IN the United States? Editors are sup
posed to be educated and fair-minded
INDIVIDUALS One of yours is evidently
not only biased but ignorant and I
should advise that you call him TO the
front and give him a lesson in ethics II
YOU wish to retain your influence and
the world" 80
Why this recent SLAM" at Camden
mary election? was It because Cam. =
den county, Republicans supported Cen
eral Wood in preference to Herbert
Hoover. who two years ago asked for a
Democratic Congress to support the dis
credlted % policies of President Wilson /?
Or is your antipathy to the Camden Re-
publican organization born of desire
that such so-called independent reform
criticism may boost you In your
Gnerlshed ambition to unhorse Senator
Penrose and take his place in the United
states Senate? My advice 10 YOU is TO
pluck out the mote in your own eye be-
tore Won attempt TO remove the beam
from the other places. From all ac-
counts In your own papers, you will
ma more ground for election reforms IN
county.
What do YOU know about the recent
election in Camden county, anyhow :?
NV observation was that Il was about
IN" most listless and uniuteresting con-
test Of, recent years. THE soecaIled
politicians took no interest in it and the
people took less. II was hard work to
get any one to the polls. and the vote
cast proves that fact. Out of n voting
5000 of them took the trouble TO cast
their ballots and GOO0 of those voted
for General Wood 'and 1000 for Sena-
tor Johnson. Surely. If we possessed the
air-tight' boss-ruled political machine
that you claim that we. enjoy. Il would
nave been no trouble TO have poIled at
least half our vote and made General
Woods majority $4,000 instead of 1000
light as the vote was. II was sufficient
TO save the state from being carried for
Senator Johnson and having the stigma
cast on 1t of being radical in the ex-
trcme
Camden county Republicans were dis
appointed when Senator Johnson's 8
hackers decided that Billy Verdon, of
Hudson county fame. was merely cry.
ing stop thief" to divert attention
from Hudson county. The Republicans
OF Camden county would have welcomed
u recount here because then they could
have insisted upon the probe being cX-
tended to Hudson Bergen and Passaic
counties. where 1t was notorious that
thousands of Democrats voted in the
Republican boxes for Senator John
son as the result of slimy deal and
N N the none OF throwing confusion in the
Republican ranks By further dividing the
factions into which the party was rapidly
drifting. But Camden, as usual, even
with its light vote. blocked the game.
Hudson county, like Camden. pos.
Last fall $4,000 of these Republicans
voted for Bugbee for governor. This
spring there were $4,000 votes in the
Republican primary in Hudson county.
Compared with the vote in Camden
5000 votes cast. The other 1000 votes
undoubtedly came from Democratic
sources and were poured into the lie
publican boxes TO turn the tide against
General Wood. And Billy Vcrdon, as
usual. began, crying fraud to cover up
his own tracks.
But Cy. where did you ever acquire
the habit or the right TO call me "Dayy.'
J barely knew you when you lived in
Camden, and then 1t was always Mr..
Curtis" and mfr, Baird" Since then
We have both risen in the world through
publicity and hard work. and | have
even risen to the honor and dignity OF
the United States Senate that some dav
believe, you hope to attain Such
familiarity. however is apt to breed con,
tempt and destroy the former feeling or
respect that VIC maintained toward zach
other.
Now just a word about the ignorance
OF your editor. He says, IA negro. who
was awaiting trial for receiving stolen
goods, was elected delegate to the ma
tional convention S'rhat might bc a
reflection on. New Jersey. IL It werc truc
but 1t iS-to be mild-a bald misstate-
ment of facts, There was no negro
elected TO the national convention. al
though they have the same right to 90
there as delegates as you or ! have
Then, again, your editor says: "Jer-
sey usually has political conscience
which finds expression in the votes OF
the farms of the northern counties Rui
that vote is often defeated in the ma.
Chlnes. which work with CloCklike pre-
cision at word from the Bards or the
BaCharaChs."
"Ye gods and little fishes 80 WeIr
we had heard that Governor Edwards
was going to make New jersey as wet
as the Atlantic ocean, bur We had no
idea he could change the topography
OF the. state and locate farms in pnpu,
louS Newark, Jersey City and patcrson
and populate rural counties like Rur-
lington, Gloucester, Salem. Cumberland
Cape May and Ocean. As miracle
worker your editor beats our governor.
AS this letter Is not ConfidentiaI 7
trust YOU may give it the same pub-
lictty as YOU did my so-called machine,
Cordially yours, DAVID BAIRD