Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-01
S|LzER TALKS
ABOUT BOSSES
Says He Is Bossed BY People
Says Runyon Is Bossed
Candidate.

LAKEWOOD, Nov. 1.-Speaking
here last night, Judge George 8. Sill
Ter, Democratic candidate for gov
ernor. took up the subject of bosses
and pledged himself, when he was
elected governor, to be bossed only
by the people of New Jersey and by
his desire to serve them and their
interests.
He called attention to the fact that
his opponent, who has been talking
a great deal about bosses, has failed
to disown the corrupt bosses in the
Republican party who are now sup
porting MI. Runyon's candidacy.
Judge Silzer called attention to
that part of his public career in
which he represented Middlesex
county in the state senate, and where
as he said, his actions were dominat-
ed only by a desire to faithfully rep
resent the ideals of those who had
sem him there. He recalled the fact
that at that time the Republican
party was in control of the state
legislature and told how he had
worked with progressive Republic
cans to have progressive legislation
put on the statute books.
Judge Silzer's speech in part is as
follows:
1.-TWO or three weeks ago, at the
invitation of the League of Women
Voters, Mr.. Runyon and I met on the
same platform in East Orange. Mr..
Runyon had been, he is still, talking
a great deal about bosses And
so I felt compelled to ask him to tell
us about the bosses who are support
ing him for governor-Hamilton
'Kean of Union, Mr.. Baird Of Camden,
Mr.. johnson Of Atlantic and others.
IT asked him to explain why he
sought and accepted the help of men
whose organizations had permitted
the immoral conditions in Atlantic
City and Camden that were discuss
ed SO frankly by Republican candi-
dates in the recent primary CAM
paign.
II asked him to prove the sincer-
ity of his motives by repudiating the
men who were responsible for those
conditions and denouncing the con-
ditions themselves. Surely if there
are political bosses in New Jersey
who should be denounced, and Nj.
Runyon seems to think there are,
he should set the example by set
ting his own house in order.
"Since that time Mr.. Runyon has
been in Atlantic City. Did he de-
nounce those bosses and those con-
ditions. He did not. Wherever he
went he was surrounded by members
of the Johnson organization. Not
a word did he have to say about
bosses to them. Is it to be wonder
ed at that cry of "boss" is listened
to without conviction, and that his
lack Of sincerity is SO apparent?
Neither has there been a word of
reputation for the Baird organiza-
ton and its boss, under whose adj
ministration a committee of women
had to organize themselves to pro-
tect public morals and who actually
succeeded in closing forty of the dis
orderly houses that had been per-
mitted to exist there. That is an IL
l%ustration Of the vice conditions that
Mr.. Runyon failed to repudiate, and
of the results Of the bossism that
he has failed to disown, while shout
ing "boss" everywhere else at the
top of his voice.
1.-THE women Of the state know
those facts. They cannot be fooled
by such obvious efforts to throw out
a smoke screen, to camouflage the
real issues involved in this impor-
tant campaign.
"Mr. Runyon said at East Orange
that he was taken by surprise. But
he has had since October 10 to get
his breath. When is he going to DO
the explaining he was unable to do
then? Why does he not speak out
now in reputation of his bosses,
since he claims that bosses are an
issue? Does he value their help
more than he does his own reputa-
ton for sincerity?
Have you aver reflected that the
next governor of New Jersey will be
the first one to be elected with the
aid of women voters? When l am
elected governor, then, I will have
as my boss the greatest constttu-
ency that ever held power in New
Jersey and I want to say here and
now that those men and women
and those men and women only
will be the boss of the governors Of
fee when I am elected.
Fifteen years ago I was q candi-
date to represent Middlesex county
in the state senate. Several years
before that many Of us, who were
then the younger generation Of those
interested in public affairs. had or
ganized ourselves together into what
we called the New Democracy"
These young men worked to send me
10 the state senate, they chose as
their battle cry the words mo bril-
berry" They were up against q
strongly entrenched and determined
opposition, we'll fortified with money
and organization, and l am proud to
be able to say we beat their cash with