Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-24
THIRD DISTRICT DELEGATE CONTESTS
WAKES WARM AS CAMPAIGN CLOSES
With Contests on Both Tickets
Candidates Put Final Touch
es to Campaign in District

With the presidential preference
primaries but three days off the can
didates for election as delegates to
the Republican and Democratic ma
tional conventions, wherever there
are contests. are making a strong en-
deavor to secure the support of the
voters. There will be no contest for
the elegate-at-large nominations on
the Democratic ticket but ten Re
publicans have entered the race. Lit
tie interest is being shown in the
alternate big Four" race, there be-
ing no Democratic contests but the
Republicans have a field of eight to
pick from.
There will be two contests of local
interest for the nomination of dis
tTict delegates on both the Republi-
can and Democratic tickets, Senator
Thomas Brown and Bernard Nj.
Cannon, both local Democrats, being
on the ticket with Melvin A. Rice,
with two of these three men to be
elected. Ferd Garretson, Republican,
also of this city. is one of five candi-
dates on the other ticket.
Neither Mr.. Garretson nor Lewis
s. Thompson, his running partner, of
lied Bank, have pledged themselves
for any particular candidate. they
declaring that they will be guided by
the decision of the voters as to who
is the popular favorite for president.
Mr.. Garretson made a statement this
morning explaining his stand in run
ming unpledged.
What Garrctson Says.
Mr.. Garretson said: IF you have
looked at your sample ballot you have
no doubt noticed at the top of the
ticket there is a space provided where
the voter can express his preference
for president. Two names of aspir-
Il G
where any other name may be writ
ten so that there is an opportunity
to ascertain the sentiment of the vot-
ers A prominent citizen of the coun-
ty exhibited his sample ballot to me
last evening and for presidential
choice he had written in the name or
Warren G. Harding. A delegate
should have no difficulty in deciding
the drift by this part of the ballot
"A peculiar feature of the ballot
is that in making choice for president
it is done at the right of the
name, while in voting for delegate
it is marked in the square at the left.
My position and the stand OF Mr..
Lewis S. Thompson with whom ! am
bracketed is that it is our Job.n
elected, to represent the sentiment
of the district and be guided by the
preferential vote. Whether that SEN
timent is Wood or johnson or some
other man will be known on Wednes-
day. Isn't that a fair stand and in
keeping with the spirit of the pri-
mary law?
II have an ambition to represent
the district at the convention and
while running unpledged so far as
candidates is concerned 1 do pledge
myself to be guided by the wishes of
the voters as expressed at the pri-
mary-making your choice my choice
and using my best efforts to get the
nomination for him.
"Aspirants for the Office of presi-
dent have sought wherever possible
to tag their delegates for identifica-
ton and / have no fault to find with
them but it is not in keeping with my
idea of the intent of the present pri-
mary law. There are ten candidates
for the big -Four" and it could hap
pen that a delegate pledged to one
candidatei could be elected while an
other presidential candidate carried
the primaries. -.
'.For example, If out of the split
ting of votes amongst those ten men
il should develop that Stokes. who is
pledged to Wood. should be selected
as a delegate-at-large and Johnson
carried the primary. would Mr;
stokes carry out his pledge or would
he support the choice of the majority
of the Republican voters of New Jer-
sey as indicated at the primary?
IT have q personal preference ana
will vote it at the primary. If sent
to Chicago 1 will vote and work in
harmony with, the sentiment of the
voters whom / am sent to. represent.