Part 3 (2/2)

The people had voted for Martine The fact that Senator Smith had scorned to have his naination could picture a stronger senator froureat majority had voted for Martine and for nobody else Was the use of the preferential primary for the first tinored, and all the arguments that Candidate Wilson and others had made in behalf of the syste anything?

There was a real dilemma doubtless much more acutely realized by the Governor-elect than by the hot-heads, including myself, ere clamorous for an iressive principles, and for an ultiainst Smith and the old crowd

It see off, reluctant to accept the gage of battle thron by the challenge of the S Democratic and Independent journals of the state were iven by Governor-elect Wilson of his leadershi+p and control over the party and that a test should be ressive, was to control the destinies of our party in the state Those of us who had followed the candidate throughout the caressive attitude were sorely disappointed at his failure immediately to act It was painfully evident to us that behind the scenes at Princeton the new governor's friends, particularly Colonel Harvey, were urging upon hiht be called ”a policy of watchful waiting,” picturing to him the insurmountable difficulties that would lie in his path in case he exercised his leadershi+p in the matter of Martine's selection to the United States Senate They suggested that the vote for Martine had no binding force; that it was a mere perfunctory expression of preference in the islature was free to ignore

The only man, therefore, who could make the vote effective was the Governor-elect himself What he would do in these circumstances was for days after the election adoubt to his rin at the candidate's silence brooded over the ranks of the progressives of the state In my law office in Jersey City I tried to convince those who ca thewould be all right and that Doctor Wilson would soon assert his leadershi+p over the party and take his proper place at the head of those orked to make the preferential vote an effective instruive expression to my doubts, I was profoundly and deeply disappointed at the apparently hesitant, uncertain attitude of the Governor-elect Feeling certain that popular opinion would be with hile, I was convinced that the delay in announcing his attitude toward the S the ardour and enthusiasressive Democrats of the state waited with patience the word of command and counsel froht that would settle for all time in the state of New Jersey the question whether the referendum on the question of the election of United States senators should be treated as ”a scrap of paper,” or whether it was to be upheld and vindicated by the action of the Legislature No direct word came to me of the Governor-elect's attitude on this vital question

Rumours of his position toward Senator Sh the lines” from Princeton; various stories and intimations that seemed to indicate that the Governor-elect would allow Martine's selection to go by default; that he would not interfere in any way to carry out the s were in this unsatisfactory condition when to my surprise I received a call in my modest Jersey City law offices fro him as I know hi testi at his own decision Having heard fro the arguments of the impetuous who demanded action and wanted it ”hot off the bat” But at that ti him as I no hi between two opinions, for he did what I have often known hiuments of the other side, and with the air of one quite open-uments in rebuttal I was sorely disappointed by what then seeative attitude, so unlike the n which had recently been brought to a brilliant and victorious close In my youthful impetuosity I felt that we had been deceived in our man, a bold talker but timid in action I simply did not then know the man and the mixed elements in him Later, in close association, I was to see this phase of hi without cou to its own position, where it would stand fixed and immovable as Gibraltar

Almost as if it were an academic question, hich he had no personal concern, he propounded the alternatives: Should he lead the fight against Senator Sislature to act without any suggestion frou hiht and not per, impetuous people like estions of compromises had been made to him by Senator Smith's friends, to the effect that if he would not play a leading part in the fight and allow the Legislature to act without interference froree not to oppose his legislative prograested that Senator Smith had the necessary votes to elect himself and that it would be futile to attempt to elect Jim Martine; and that his intervention in this fa defeat for him at the very outset of his administration When the Governor-elect had concluded this preliminary statement, I was depressed and disappointed I did not think there should be athe challenge so defiantly addressed to him by the Democratic bosses of the state

Frankly, I laid the whole case before him in words to this effect: ”My dear Doctor Wilson, there is no way I can better serve you than by frankly dealing with the question Your friends away off in Princeton probably do not kno for years our party and its destinies have been in the hands of these very men, enemies of liberalism in New Jersey, who by your silence or indifference as to the United States senatorshi+p are to be given a new lease on life The issue involved in this fight is fundaoes far beyond the senatorshi+p The action you take will have a far- reaching effect upon our party's fortunes and no one can calculate the effect it will undoubtedly have on your own political future In urging you not to take part in this fight your friends are acting unwisely You cannot afford not to fight and not to have an immediate test of your leadershi+p in this matter The question of Mr Martine's fitness, as your friends urge, is not an issue seriously to be considered 47,454 votes in the state have decided that matter and you cannot reverse their verdict

Your friends have placed too ed unfitness and too little on the duty you owe the party and the state as _leader_”

I called to his attention the fact that ed by his speeches in the can; hoe felt that at last we had found in him a leader, bold and fearless, and that nohen the first real test of leadershi+p came, it appeared that ere to be disappointed and that by his silence and inaction he would permit Senator Smith to win and allow Martine, the popular choice, to be defeated, thus setting aside the verdict of the election He listened intently but without coument, I said: ”The people of New Jersey accepted your word and, to employ your own phrase, 'took a sportsman's chance on you' and they ht will mean that you have not only surrendered your leadershi+p as governor in this matter, but by the same act you will have abdicated your leadershi+p in favour of the Old Guard all along the line They have set a trap for you, and I know you will not perht in it” In conclusion I said: ”They say they will support your refor defeated you in this your first big fight, they will not turn on you and defeat your whole legislative prograreat victory in this vital hout the state will strongly and enthusiastically support you You have but to announce your willingness to lead and the people of the state will rally to your standard The fight, in any event, will be made and ish you to lead it This is really the first step to the Presidency That is what is really involved Not only the people of New Jersey but the people of A for leadershi+p, and I am sure you are the man to lead, and that you will not fail”

When the Governor-elect rose to leave my office, he turned to me and asked, still in a non-coht in case he should decide to enter upon it I at once assured him that while the various political machines of the state would oppose hianizations were rate and fall the ht was on

In his own time and by his own processes Mr Wilson arrived at his decision It was the first ofup his ranite in him after he had made his decision He informed me that he would support Martine and use all his force, official and personal, to have the Legislature accept the preferential primary as the people's mandate

With prudence and caution, with a political sense that challenged the admiration of every practical politician in the state, the Princetonian began to set the stage for the preli dra the offensive, he went about the task ofhis political forces in the most patient, practical way No statee of the Des in the way of accommodation were necessary to be done before this definite step was taken It was decided that until the Governor-elect had conferred with the Democratic bosses in an effort to persuade the, it would be best not to make an iht that by tactfully handling Smith and Davis ould be able by this method of conciliation to convince their friends, at least those in the party organization, that ere not ruthlessly bent upon leading a revolt, but that ere atte peacefully a settlement that would prevent a split in our party ranks

We were convinced that in the great body of organization Democrats there were many fine men who resented this atteain on the party and that there were h they were not free to coan patiently to build our back-fire in the ranks of the Deanization itself, to unhorse the Essex boss

The first thing to carry out the programme was a visit paid to the sick roo, Bob Davis, who lay dangerously ill in his modest home on Grove Street, Jersey City The visit itself of the Governor-elect to the hoical effect in conciliating and winning over to our side the active party workers in the Davis machine To many of the privates in the ranks the boss was a veritable hero and they witnessed with pleasure the personal visit of the new Governor-elect to the boss at his hoenuine act of obeisance and deference to their stricken leader They thought this a generous and a big thing to do, and so it naturally turned their syave further proof to theh-browish”

or inclined to fight unless he had previously laid all his cards on the table We also realized that to have ignored the boss would have been to give strength and comfort to the enemy, and so we deliberately set out to cultivate his friends in a spirit of honourable and frank dealing The visit to the boss was a part of this plan Thebetween these two men--one, the Governor-elect and until recently the president of Princeton; the other, a Democratic boss, old and battle-scarred--in the little sick roo affair and at ti and pathetic one Bothwith each other There was no for The Governor-elect quickly placed the whole situation before the boss, showing how the Democratic party had for many years advocated the very system--the election of United States senators by the people--that the De and repudiating Briefly, he sketched the disastrous effects upon our party and its prestige in the state and the nation if a De it, to cast it aside in order to satisfy the selfish ambition and vanity of one of the Old Guard In a sincere manly fashi+on, so characteristic of him, Boss Davis then proceeded to state _his_ case

Briefly, it was this: He had given his solereeislative votes froly, he said to the Governor-elect: ”If the Pope of Rome, of whose Church I ae iven my promise and you would not haveand a show of appreciation of the boss's frankness and loyalty to his friends, the Governor-elect quickly replied: ”Of course, I would not have you break your prorieved if I shall find it necessary to fight you and Smith in the open for the Hudson votes” ”Go on, Doctor,”

said the sick a below the belt” And thus the first conference between the Governor-elect and the political boss ended

Mr Wilson's next visit was to Senator S entirely friendly in character and frank in expressions of the unalterable determination of the two men, of Senator Smith not to withdraw from the race, of Doctor Wilson to oppose his candidacy and place the issue before the people of the state Senator S personal reasons for wishi+ng to return to the United States Senate: he said that he had left the Senate under a cloud due to the investigations of the Sugar Trust and that for the sake of his children he wanted to reinstate himself in the Senate Mr Wilson expressed his sy than mere personal ambition, but declared that he could not permit his sympathy as an individual to interfere with his duty as he conceived it, as an official pledged by all his public utterances to support progressive principles, a which was the preferential primary system, and committed to a course of active leadershi+p in ory the selection of a United States senator certainly fell He made a personal appeal to the Senator for the sake of the party to forego his desire and by a noble act of renunciation to win the regard of all the citizens of the state, saying: ”Why, Senator, you have it in your power to becoest h the visit was conducted with the dignity and courtesy characteristic of both ment to each other that from now on there existed between the to Princeton from Newark, the forht was made and the contest for the senatorshi+p and the leadershi+p of the Democratic party was on The announcement was as follows:

WOODROW WILSON'S CHALLENGE TO THE BOSSES Friday Evening, Dec 9,1910

The question who should be chosen by the incoislature of the state to occupy the seat in the Senate of the United States which will presently be made vacant by the expiration of the term of Mr Kean is of such vital importance to the people of the state, both as a question of political good faith and as a question of genuine representation in the Senate, that I feel constrained to express ard to it in terms which cannot be misunderstood

I had hoped that it would not be necessary forany part in the discussion of the matter As Governor of New Jersey I shall have no part in the choice of a Senator Legally speaking, it is not ard to the choice But there are other duties besides legal duties The recent can has put me in an unusual position I offered, if elected, to be the political spokesman and adviser of the people I even asked those who did not care tonot to vote for ; and I cannot escape the responsibility involved I have no desire to escape it It is my duty to say, with a full sense of the peculiar responsibility of islature to do in this gravely important matter