Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-24
PRESIDENTS VIEWS
SOUGHT IN JERSEY
Executive May Run Into
Primary Fight During
Visit December 20.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
When President Coolidge accepted
an invitation to attend the 150th ami
versary of the Battle of Trenton on
December 20, he probably didn't real
lie that he would be pitchforked into
the vortex of the battle of New Jer'
sey--as fierce political strife as has
ever agitated the Mosquito State. The
warning Republican factions OF Jersey
are at daggers drawn. One group Is
headed by Senator Walter f. Edge,
the other by former Senator Joseph $.
F'relinghuysen. Mr.. Edges cohorts
Stokes, while Mr.. Frelinghuysen'
camp includes Hamilton r. Kean,
Republican national committeeman for
New Jersey and unsuccessful aspirant
for the Senate agains, Senator Edge
in 1924.
The struggle for supremacy in G.
o. +. affairs In Jersey is now on In
full blast. Insiders are confident that
both the Edge and Frelinghuysen
forces will put forth vigorous effort
to pour their claims into the preslden-
tial ear at Trenton and capture Mr..
Coolidge's sympathy. His attitude on
the direct primary system is the thing
the rival camps are mainly inter-
ested in.
The Edge Stokes clan rather thinks
it's secured the inside track by the
selection OF formes Gov. Stokes as
toastmas ter at the banquet, which will
be the big event of the battle sesqui-
centennial Mr.. Stokes will have the
privilege of sitting alongside President
Coolidge at the feast and engaging
him In such conversations as the taci-
turn Executive INDUCES himself in on
such occasions. Mr.. Stokes is Repub-
lican state chairman of New Jersey.
May Hear Other Side.
Ordinarily a gentleman of his un-
usual tact would not exploit the
unique opportunity he will have, hut
1t appears that Mrs. Lewis s. Thomp-
son, Republican national committee
woman from New Jersey, took recent
occasion at the White House to unload
upon the President a tale of woe about
plans of the Edge-Stokes faction to
revamp the Jersey direct primary law.
Jersey women want to retain the law
las is
If, knowing that Mrs. Thompson
has given Mr.. Coolidge one side Of
the Jersey picture, Mr.. Stokes decides
to exhibit the other, the expectation Is
that he will supply the Republican
about the Inconsistency of certain Re-
publican leaders of the State. Jersey
now has both a Democratic governor
and a Democratic United States Sen
ator. Mr.. Stokes may find an open
ing for letting Mr.. Coolidge know that
II was not exclusively Democratic
votes that brought about this undo.
sirabie state Of affairs.
The President is not much of hand
for Quitting in" when local Repub-
leans fall out. Nobody in Jersey thus
far has suggested just how he can
pour oil on the troubled waters, and
most authorities are confident that he
would not venture so precarious an
Intervention with 1928 just over the
horizon. But there is always Federal
patronage to be doled out in New Jer-
.sey, as elsewhere, and presidential
plums. under such circumstances as
now prevail, might be distributed with
a good deal of usefulness in Jersey, In
this or that direction.
Primary Fight Ahead.
Right after the Trenton battle fes.
Invites the annual session of the New
Jersey, Legislature will be convened.
'The fight of the session win range
around the bill introduced by State
Senator Stevens for revision of the
direct primary law. 1t is on this issue
that the Edge-Stokes crowd, which
sponsors revision, Is at bitter logger
heads with the Frelinghuysen.K ean
outfit. The latter opposes driving
any breach in the direct primary wall.
The controversy has a national aspect
in that 1t In the first concrete attempt
to smash the primary system and re-
store something approaching the old
convention scheme of nominating can
didates for Office.
Republican leaders backing primary
reform contend that the existing sys-
tenn is responsible for Republican set.
backs in Jersey in recent years be-
cause 1t resulted in the nomination of
mediocre candidates All of this is to
be dinned into President Coolidge's
head next week at Trenton. He will
probably be given to understand that
1923 issues of no mean consequence
to him personally are involved in the
forthcoming twentieth century battle
of Trenton.
Both sides, according to reports
reaching Washington, are anxious to
secure, when he Is In the State. some
inklinR OF Mr.. COolidge's attitude to-
ward the direct primary. The Edge
Stokes party naturally. is hopeful that
the President may be minded to give
some suggestion, however informal.
that he agrees with Vice President
Dawes about the iniquity of the direct
primary institution.
The betting at Trenton is that ISL
lent CAR will saw wood and say
nothing.