Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-19
NEW JERSEY: BAROMETER
OF THE NEWER POLITICS
The Drift Of Pre.Primary Feeling Wv.
idly Reflects Tendencies In the
Country at LARGE

N
"A TO be. into three parts. North Jersey
Is wooded and prosperous. land OF estates
and cosmopolitan feeling, with a population
imprcgnated heavily with the sophistication
Of Manhattan and the lively world without.
1t is respectable with the respectabiity of
wide lawns, porte cochercs country clubs,
recognized social sets and traditions and
imported motors
1t goes 10 church. But. like so many
other communities that find contentment In
opulence, II expects the church to follow
rather than to lead its collective mind. The
fringes Of the true North Jersey are In
tensely Industrial But political feeling in
the Oranges seems to run parallel with that
in places like Newark. Paterson, Hackensack
and Hoboken.
North Jersey is. for various and some-
times opposed reasons. wet. II Is not wet
with a fanaticai or headlong wetness. 1t
might be better to say that 1t is conserva-
lively anti dry.
Travel south in New Jersey and you will
come TO the Middle Region, the second divi-
sion Of Gaul. the stronghold Of the farmers,
who for some reason uncxpainable in agri-
cultural areas once celebrated for their pow
erfu Installations from the juice OF the
apple, are supposed to be aggresslvely dry
IN sentiment.
In the past the farmers have welded
truly wicked dry vote. And they are still
viewed as the strong right arm of a move
mcnt in which the churches and reform
organizations and the leaders of the regular
Republican organization will make In Sep
tember what promises TO be an historic fight
for Volsteadsm against what the Democrats
call rising tide of insurgent opinion.
The regular Republicans may he said to be
strongest in Camden and the adjacent coun.
ties, where church and industrial influence
Is notiCpably strong and where the reformers
are numerous enough to influence the policy
and point of view of the dominant political
organization.
The third division of political Jersey lies
adjacent TO the sea and IN the south coun.
ties The seashore south OF Asbury Park IS,
appropriately enough, both wet and dry.
Atlantic County is ardently dry in theory
and wet in practice. There is hardly
place. even in the United States. where the
words and acts Of politicians differ so widely
in intent and significance.
At the primaries In September the ultra
respectable normalCy for which the ablest
of the Jersey Republicans have presented
themselves as spokesmen will be attacked
from three sides. All the varieties of po-
l!tcal opinion now current in the United
States will be reflected in the general as
sault against Senator FrelinGhuysen. who
is n dry a conservative and q candidate for
reelection.
Governor Edwards. an outspoken and
aggressive Wet will be the nominee of the
Democrats for the United States senator.
ship. That is not all. FIX Mayor Thomas
Raymond, OF Newark, n Republican and
wetter Wet than Mr.. Edwards already IS
campaigning determnedly 10 take the nomi-
nation Of his party from Mr. Freinghuysen.
1t is generally believed that Mr. Raymond
will bring about a big split in the party.
Meanwhile, George l.. Record, of Jersey
CRY, !s leading another insurgent move
ment against Frelinghuysen within the
party. He is attempting to conduct an
independent campaign on a purely anti
machine issue. The force of Mr. Records
influence cannot now be estimated But the
machine isn't popular in any of the three
norts Of Jersey Its name "a ossoc,o,od too
freouentIv wttb mb,ic service corno-o,,on
which has hoe, irving tho rorro. ~ ~.
sra,e % rho breolino noin,
Now, the interesting thing about the
present political ferment IN New Jersey IS
suggested by the character OF the State
,,saIf md hr tho variety ~ i,s non,,ra,ton
ror.,v ,rov he yiewed for ,bo n,rnosoa -,
f,ru,,ro,i,r nc nerfo,, ,,It,,oaI r',nIo.,
- tho i.ri,od S,a,as Tho hoIa,on 80 ~
oc-icr,trroI ,rdpstr,sI and ,rdaron,,,-.. ..e
10 .bo.,, ,to Same &C ov,s,s .tno.,.L.,,. Nv
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