The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-10-24
Usually Republican,
 Ne,u Jersey Trend Is
 Obscure m Campaign
(EDlToR'S NOTE: This Is the thirty-third of a series of otories on the political situa- ton in tho various states.)
By DAVID FERNSLER GA. p. Correspondent)

NEW Allk, IN. J., OcI. zi.- blft tn-
 place of Grover Cleveland. this lstate from which Woodrow Wilson was called to Washington, has gone iRepublican for a generation
 against every other presidential Icandidate save its native and it's
 adopted son. Even Wilson failed
 Ito carry New Jersey when he ran for a second term.
 Alfred E. Smith, although neith- CT a native Jerseyman nor adopt ed, is a neighbor. In h.s domain
 thousands of Jersey commuters spend their working hours
 Near to nm are the thickly pop ulated sections of New Jersey. Nearest is Hudson county in which
 Mayor Frank Hague, of Jersey City, has three times mustered enough Democratic voters to defeat the remainder of the state and
 assist Democratic governors to of- flee. Farthest from Smith, in
 miles and ill politics, are the coun-
 ties of south Jersey.
 Opposition
 ] But there is opposition in the near country as we'll as in the far. The Hague machine in addition
 to organizing against a Coolidge
 state plurality of S77,419, is on 1 the defensive against a Republican 1 Investigating commission. This commission after a long series of
 hearings instigated laws which Republicans asserted would end
 what they termed the political ssesimes. in Hudson coilptFs There has been talk of asking the courts to pass upon these new measures.
 This is gubernatorial as well as Presidential year in New Jer- sey The Republicans have not had a governor for nine years. In his power of appointing judges, , prosecuting attorneys and many other officers, the chief executive of this state is a governor among governors. The Republicans want I this patronage and the man against whom they are directing their at tack is Hague, who is not only a Jersey mayor, but also a friend of Smiths and a Vice Chairman of the Democratic National Commit tee.
 Heavy Vote Indicated The Governors term is for three years. Hague elected his men 1 in the off years. When guber2 material and presidential elections coincided in 1916, the vote was heavier than in the off years and the Republicans won. The vote in prospect for November is the heaviest of the twentieth century New Jersey.
 For all it's wet Democratic Gov ernors, New Jersey also is a state of dry Republican legislatures, overwhelmingly Republican, and so dry that a declaration of the Republican platform for a prohi- bition referendum was ignored last year. In the United States Sen ate, New Jersey is represented by two outstanding vets. One is a Democrat and the other a Republi- can. Edward I. Edwards, the former, is running for reelection. Walter E. Edge, the latter, was one of the early endorsers of Herbert Hoover, yet in the Republican pri- maries Edges candidate to oppose, Edwards was defeated.
 Hard Fought Ground
 This is hard fought ground for all Republican claims that united party with Hoover at the head of the ticket can repeat the success of four years ago, and for all the Democratic assertions that Smiths stand on prohibition, his career as Governor of the neighboring En- pire state, and his appeal to many classes of voters will upset prec- edent. Both candidates have cam paigned in New Jersey.
 Republicans are balancing the rural and su burban sections against the vote of Hudson coun- ty and the cities. In Hudson coun- ty, a superintendent of elections. was forced out of office by the legislature on the ground that he had failed to control the situation. His successor has been questioning up to 25 per cent of the names on registry lists.
 In parts of the state the Demo- crats are better organized than in years. Hague has enemies within his own ranks. With one or two exceptions every important paper in the state is attacking Hagueism. Some argue that the attacks will hurt Smith, others that this oppo- - = - >--~--------