Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-20
Politics at Large
b. C. Could Lincoln.

Just ex-senator Walter Edge of New
Jersey is about to step out of the Sen
ate to become American Ambassador to
France tie political situation in his
state becomes involved. Former Sena-
tor Joe" Frelinghuysen Is the VILLAIN"
in the piece. according to the Republic
can organization leaders. Several nice
schemes lad been concocted by the
organization leaders, looking to the Sc
lection OF "A successor to Senator Edge
in the Senate. In none of these
schemes, however, did Mr.. Frelinghuy-
sen figure. Nothing daunted by this
treatment, however the former Senator
and golfing companion of the late
President Harding made plans OF MS
own. His plans mostly consisted OF cor
railing votes, and he has built nlmsen
up a tidy organization OF his own; sc T.
cording to reports. Furthermore, ne Is
said to be liberal when 1t comes to ex-
pense accounts.
The original plan, attributed to SEN
ator Kean, who was elected to the sen
ate last ykar after defeating Frellng-
huysen in the primaries for the Repun,
ltcan nom$lation, was to have DaVio
Baird, one :of the younger Repupncan
leaders. butt already power, appointed
by the governor to fill the Edge va
cancy untilsShe election next November.
At the election Senator musG De
chosen for She remainder OF the Edge
term. which, expires March 4, 1881. and
also an elets ion will take place for the
long term q six years Immediately 1ol-
lowing. 1t was proposed that STOKES,
veteran Republican leader, be electeo
for the shoA term and that Bard tnen
be elected Abr the long term. But TINS
did not phase Stokes friends, VINO
thought 1t 4 cavalier way in which 10
treat Mr.. Stokes. So the plan 1,, was
immediateIlk to serve until the Novem-
bar electiciT and also was to be can
didate for Election for the short term,
and David Baird was to be the candl-
date for the long term. But MI. SVokeS
kicked over the apple cart. He decloeo
not to 60 into any such deal.
~ + y
In recent days 1t has developed that
FrelinghuySen has stolen q marcn on
his opponents and is now In poslClon
which makes him o real CONTENDER 1ot
the nomination for the long term at
the primary next June. The organlza-
ton leaders are reported to De IN
funk and ready to turn to ANYBODY
who can defeat FrelinghuySen. Iney
do not think that either Stokes or BAIRD
NAV he able to swing 1t. So they have
been turning to Franklin Fort, at pres
ent a member of the House and secre-
tary of the Republican national COM
mittee. Mr.. Fort in addition is close
to the Hoover administration. He was
early in the fight to nominate Mr.. HOO
yer for President and was active IN the
preconVention campaign ana at the
kansas City convention. He has fhe
prestige of being a close friend OF the
President. Furthermore he is widely
known throughout the State and had
planned to run for governor. II the
Republican leaders insist, however, 1t
is understood he is prepared to jump
into the race for the Senate. PROVIDED
he can have the backing of the various
factions and the organization in the Ell
fort to defeat Frelinghuysen.
~
Mr.. Fort, in addition to being an able
member of the House with winning
personality. halls from North Jersey,
which will help him in a contest with
Frelinghuysen, and further he Is rated
dry, and Frelinghuysen adhered to the
dry side of the prohibition question
when he was running for reelection
against former Senator Edwards, who,
as governor, had promised to make Jer-
sey "as wet as the Atlantic" Edwards
was elected. So Fort, with the backing
of the organization, may also be ex-
pected to split the dry vote with Ere
linghuysen in the primary. He also is
considered likely to get a large share
Of the woman voters.
It has b.en generally expected that
David Baird would be appointed to the
Senate to fill the vacancy upon the
resignation of Senator Edge. There Is
nothing, of course, to prevent the APP
pointment of Mr.. Fort to the Senate II
tha governor and the organization lead
ers should decide to put all their eggs
in the Fort basket. Then Mr.. Fort
could run also for the long term in the
primary and in the election next year.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen is reputed to have
made millions of dollars since he left
the Senate. He was wealthy before
that, however. He is also reported to
be- ambitious and to wish to return to
Washington. In some quarters 1t has
been suggested that he might we'll be
given an appointment under the Fed
eral Government and thus taken out
of the senatorial picture. 1t has even
been suggested he might fit into the
cabinet as Secretary of War to NIL the
vacancy made by the death of Secretary
Good But this is not considered likely.
X X X
The Democrats believe that they may
have a fighting chance to win the Sena-
torial election in Jersey next year, not
withStanding the overwhelming victory
Of the Republicans there last year. It's
an of year." with no presidential cleo
ton to help a Republican senatorial
candidate. Edwards defeated Frellng-
huysen in such year, 1922, 1t IS re-
yx,I1n les o
mentioned as the party's probable can
didata for the Senate next year is Alex
ander Simpson, a friend OF Boss
Hague of Jersey City. 1t was Simpson
who was prosecutor in the Hall-Mills
murder case several years ago. He
gained a lot of notoriety at the time
that case was tried and is said to be
clever campaigner
With the campaign for the election of
more than a third of the members OF
the Senate coming on next year, The
Republicans are in a ruction over the
of New Hampshire. who was appointed
to head the Republican senatorial COM
mittee by Senator Watson, the Repub-
lican leader of the Senate. The
r,lmblings of discomfort were brought
to head few days ago when Senator
Metcalf of Rhode Island sent a letter
to members of the senatorial campaign
committee, including Senator Moses,
urging the committee to adopt q reso-
luton declaring the committee would
keep it's hands off the Rhode Island
campaign. Coming from New Eng
lander, this was more of a "Sockdol-
ager" even than had it come from one
of the Western Senators, whom Sem
ator Moses had designated. along with
other members of the coalition" as
sons of wild iackasses."