Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-11-01
REPUbL|CANSFEA
| EDWARDS WILL WIN
Jerseys Wet-and-Dry Issue
| Is Whole Campaign in :
. Senate Contest.
WOMEN WORK FOR G. O. P.
Support Frelinghuysen as Lesser
of Two Evils-Governor Strong
in Cities.
WOMEN WORK FOR G. o. P
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

! TRENTON, n. j.. November l.
'Rooze"-or, to phrase it more deli
cately. the wet and dry issue-is the
whole campaign in the state OF New
Jersey.
| Gov. Edwards, whose idea of pro-
hibition is to make the state as wet
as the Atlantic ocean," is running on
the democratic ticket against Sena-
tor Joseph Frelinghuysen, republican.
who, when questioned on the subject
of his wine cellar. makes the promise
| that when it is all used up he Will
| buy no more.
| Broadly speaking. New Jersey has
! the feeling that if the two parties
| had thought less about prohiDitior
| and more about the greater problems
/ of state somebody else might have
been nominated by both. There isn't.
I as a matter of fact, much to choose
! between the republican and demo-
crat SO far as profundity OF thought
or senatorial ability Is concerned.
| The voters know that Mr.. Freling-
| huysen's whole background is that
! of an ultra conservative and that Mr..
/ Edwards fantastic ideas of pubic
office are cxemplified in his defiant
attitude toward the eighteenth
! amendment.
Bosses Are Rest Ever.
! But New Jersey is a populous state.
where political machines abound ana
where ths tricks of the trade are SO
widely practiced among the demo-
Gratis that Messrs. Tweed and Murphy
and Penrose and the rest seem as
mere schoolboys in the game of mass
voting. There is. for instance. the
farfamed Hudson county, presided
over by Boss Hague, democratic
| chieftain. Calmly he estimates the
majority that will be given Mr.. Ed
wards as something near $4,000. This
! is huge wall to erect against a re-
| publican candidate. who must mar
| shall republican votes from the whole
| state and come to the Hudson county
| line with at least $4,000 to overcome
| the democratic tide.
And that's where the rub comes.
| Can Senator Frelinghuysen gather
enough strength throughout the state
J to approach the democratic counties
with IL substantial majority? Nor
mally he would have no trouble. for
most of New Jersey is republican.
But this year, with the wet and dry
issue uppermost in the campaign, 1t
is Il puzzle. Atlantic county, which
embraces Atlantic City. is naturally
wet. Gov. Edwards will get heavy
vote there. Trenton has d big wet
where the city of Newark predomi-
mates. the wet vote will be strong
for Edwards. and in this must be in
cluded thirsty republicans as we'll as
democrats. Should Mr.. Edwards get
better than an even break in Essex
county and hold his opponents ma
jority down in all the counties out
side of Hudson he will win easily.
Party Lines Eliminated.
respect. Cross currents have elimi-
mated party lines. The women will
probably decide the election. In
Hudson county, of course, where the
machine works smoothly, the femi-
nine vote will merely double the
male ballots. and most of these Will
be democratic. But elsewhere in the
state the women are bound to vote
dry. and while they do not look on
Senator Frelinghuysen as the most
capable man in the state by any
means, they are, to be sure, not vot-
ing for Mr.. Frelinghuysen SO much
as they are voting against Edwards.
There are elements in New jerseys
population that resent Gov. Edwards
ideas on the enforcement of prohibit
ton. They think that one kind OF
law breaking leads to another: that
vice and crime are natural sequels to
q defiance of the federal law and
Constitution. They have contempt
for the impression which champions
of booze" have given the world
about the fair name of New Jersey
The women's organizations are work.
ing night and day to beat Edwards.
The AntiSaloon League has Endorsed
Senator Frelinghuysen. Fear is be-
lieved to have driven the senator into
the leagues arms: but, whatever may
have actuated him to take the dry
side, his supporters are not quibbling.
They look upon him as affording the
one means of telling the nation that
New Jersey is not as fast and loose
as it may seem to the outside world.
But will this element prevail? The
result will be close. Republican lead
ers privately fear Mr.. Edwards will
triumph Ten days ago they were
certain Senator Frelinghuysen would
win. Many a thing may happen be-
tween now and election day to swing
the election to one side or the other.
but it is the writer's impression that
the drift is toward Senator Freling-
huysen, who has a Harding majority
Ct $4,000 to aid him, and it would
not be surprising to see that $4,000
in Hudson county substantially re-
duced when the ballots are tailed.
Copyright, 1927