Part 4 (1/2)
I know that the people of New Jersey do not desire Mr Jaain to the Senate If he should be, he will not go as their representative The onlywhom they do desire to represent them is the vote at the recent primaries, where 48,000 Democratic voters, a majority of the whole number who voted at the primaries, declared their preference for Mr Martine, of Union County For me that vote is conclusive I think it should be for every ood faith in dealing with the people, an unhesitating fidelity to every principle avowed, is the highest law of political overniven a islature; the Democratic voters of the state have expressed their preference under a law advocated and supported by the opinion of their party, declared alike in platforms and in enacted law It is clearly the duty of every Deislator ould keep faith with the law of the state with the avowed principles of his party to vote for Mr Martine It is e it by every honourableour forces for the fight was set in nated by the Governor-elect to handle the fight in Hudson County, the Davis stronghold Meetings were arranged for at ere considered the strategic points in the fight: Jersey City and Newark
The announceiven a thrill to the whole state and iainst the Old Guard's attempt to discredit the primary choice was evident The bitterness in the ranks of the contesting factions began to express itself in charges and counter-charges that were ainst the candidates were addressed to the ears of the unwary voter The state was soon up in arms There was no doubt of the attitude of the people
This was made plain in so many ways that our task was to iislature, whose vote, in the last analysis, would be the deter down a barrage in the way of organization work and hout the state, the Governor-elect was conferring nightly with islature at the University Club in New York Fro tide in favour of our cause, and slowly its effect upon the islature wasin the senatorial contest was held in Jersey City As chaired the details for this first speech of the Governor-elect I had adopted a plan in eanization workers, to e desired to appeal, the idea that this was a revolt or secessionist movement in the ranks of the De had selected the finest, cleanest men in our party's ranks to preside over and take part in theof people Men and women from outside the state, and, particularly, men and women from New York and Connecticut, had come all the way to New Jersey to witness this first skirmish in the political upheaval that was soon to take place The metropolitan dailies had sent their best ive a ”size-up” of the new Governor-elect in fighting action They were not disappointed He was in rare forht ho to make an impression When he warned his friends not to be afraid of theirony: ”We do not fear their fortresses [ the political machines] that frown and look down upon us fro his hand, he continued: ”They are but made of paste-board and when you approach the and belittling the power of the bosses, he called them ”warts upon the body politic” ”It is not,” said the new chief of Democracy, ”a capital process to cut off a wart You don't have to go to the hospital and take an anaesthetic The thing can be done while you wait, and it is being done The clinic is open, and everywas a triuly demonstrated the power of brain and fine leadershi+p over brawn and selfish politics
The final appeal to the voters on the United States senatorshi+p was hold of the Sent faction at Newark, New Jersey The same enthusiastic, whole-souled response that characterized the Jersey City e to the Old Guard was uttered by the new Governor
Sarcass at the Old Guard were found in this his final appeal In a tone of voice that carried the deep emotion he felt, he said, as his final word:
Do you knohat is true of the special interests at this e packed and they are ready to strike caht, provided they think it is profitable for the to coe and take possession of the Democratic party Will they be welcome? Do you want the and find the The two s just held, one in Jersey City and the other in Newark, convinced those of us in charge of the Martine caht i deeply aroused the voters, all we had to do was to harvest the crop, the seed of which had been planted in the soil of public opinion by the speeches the new Governor had made It was plain that thefroorously delivered by hiestions of comproranted, except upon the basis of an absolute and unconditional surrender Offers and suggested proposals from the Old Guard to the Governor-elect were thrust aside as valueless and not worthy his consideration There was nothing to do but play for a ”knock-out” Soon the full pressure of the opinion of the state began to be felt Mean to feel its influence upon thethened by additions frohtly conferences were having their full effect The bosses, now in panic, were each day borne down by the news brought to the forces However, the bosses showed a bold front and declared that their man had the votes But their confidence waned as election day approached Realizing the fact that ere dealing with the best-trained ave no news to the outside world of the strength in nu full well that if we did so i, the active men in the ranks of the enemy would pull every wire of influence and use every method of threats and coercion to wean the votes away from us We ”stood pat” and watched with interest every move made by the other side In his final stateislature Sth of the nued to him, but those of us ere in the midst of this politicalto keep up his courage
In the meantime, the Governor-elect had tendered to me the post of secretary to the Governor, and I accepted this office which brought me into more intimate association with him and his plans
CHAPTER X
EXIT THE OLD GUARD
The conferences andbeen concluded, the scene of activities was transferred to Trenton, where shortly after the Inauguration plans were laid for the final battle
Iural cerereat prize and incidentally the leadershi+p of the Deht the bosses counted upon the active support of the influential Dehout the state, like Robert S Hudspeth of Hudson County, Johnston Cornish of Warren County, Edward E Grosscup of Gloucester County, Barney Gannon and Peter Daley of Middlesex County, old Doctor Barber of Warren County, Otto Wittpenn of Hudson County, Billy French and Judge Westcott of Camden, Dave Crater of Monmouth, and minor bosses or leaders in south and middle Jersey But in utter amazement they found that we had captured these fine pieces of heavy political artillery and that through them we had acquired and taken over some of the most valuable political salients in the state
A little incident in the can I found that for some unaccountable reason the so-called Irish vote of the state was massed solidly behind ex-Senator Smith and in bitter opposition to Governor Wilson We were constantly co in contact with these currents of opposition, and how to overco the Irish vote into our fold was the task that devolved upon n Seated in my office one day I recalled that years before I had read in the Congressional Record an account of a speech delivered in the United States Senate by Jahest praise the famous Hay-Pauncefote Treaty The speech in all its details, particularly the argu for closer relations between the United States and Great Britain, was still fresh in my otten it, for he was now trying to mobilize the Irish vote of the state in his favour On re-reading this speech of the old Senator, I sn use that could bethe matter carefully, I sent for a devoted friend of h in the ranks of the Clan-na-Gael and other Irish societies in our county After he had read the speech, we discussed theit, for we felt sure that our Irish friends, when they beca it, would not find theland and the Treaty My friend consented to write letters to the leading papers, particularly the Irish papers of the state, setting forth Smith's attitude toward the Treaty The effect upon the Irish vote was ian to be adopted by the various Irish societies throughout the state, denouncing Slo- Saxon Alliance”
While I opposed Senator Sonistic in hout the conflict, andup to Martine's election to the United States Senate It was only a few o, while seated at a table at the Shorehaenial and debonair as ever, was discussing the fights of the old days, and particularly the events leading up to his defeat for the United States senatorshi+p In discussing the New Jersey can, he told me of the use that had been made by ”someone” in the Wilson ranks of his Senate speech on the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty He said that his reason forthis speech was his sincere desire as an Irish- A about land, and as I listened to this frank recital I felt that, although the use I had iti to be proud of in having exploited the Senator's really fine speech for political purposes
The State House at Trenton on the night previous to the balloting for the senatorshi+p was a place of feverish activity The Essex ex-Chieftain, Smith, kept ”open house” in the then famous Room 100 of the Trenton House
The Governor-elect, calm and apparently undisturbed, but anxious and ready for a contest, quietlyto official matters
We felt confident of the result of the vote if the islature were left free, but ere certain that every kind of pressure would be put upon theht long and until four or five o'clock in thethe Governor-elect and I re in close contact with our friends both by telephone and personal conference
Senator Smith never knew it, but so in his own conferences on this fateful night hourly brought to us information as to ould be the real line-up of his forces on the day set for balloting We found a spy in our own ranks--a leading lawyer and politician fro to be our friend, was supplying the eneht was useful inforentleh he never suspected it, whenever he left the Executive office he was followed by a professional detective, who heard and reported to us every bit of inforht before the election the Sathered their forces and, headed by a band, paraded through the streets of Trenton, passing in review before Senator Sreeted theenerous fashi+on The purpose of this demonstration was obvious to the Governor-elect and his friends It was sireat strength behind the S the corridors and lobby of the State House were croith the henchmen of the Essex chieftain The surface indications were that Smith had the necessary number of votes, but to those of us ere able accurately to analyze the situation it was apparent that the froth would soon pass away The parade and the deent followers had deeply impressed some of the men in our ranks, particularly the editor of a Trenton newspaper, who caed upon the Governor the publication of a staterandiloquent phrase, warning the people of the state that the islature were about to be coerced and threatened by the strong-aranization
Frankly, the suggestion which this Trenton editor made to the new Governor ies in the state my advice upon it The first test of my official connection with the Governor was at hand Upon reading the editor's article I saw at once that its issuance would be most unwise, and I frankly said so My practical and political objection to it, however, was that if published it would give to the people of the state the impression that our forces were in a panic and that ere in grave fear of the result I further argued that it was an atteislature that would meet with bitter resentislature, which was the jury in the case, was inclined to favour us if we did not seek to influence its members by such foolish action as the Trenton editor advised The stateument with the new Governor that he was open- minded and anxious for advice and I thereafter felt free to discuss matters with him in the frankest way
The first ballot showed Martine leading heavily In the following ballots he gained strength at every count The Legislature adjourned the first day without reaching a decision As we surveyed the field after the first day's balloting it was clear to us that if we hoped to win the fight ould have to have Hudson County's legislative vote The Democratic boss, Bob Davis, had died a few days previous, and had entrusted his affairs to the hands of a fine, clean-cut, wholesome Irish-American, James Hennessy, then chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Committee He was one of the squarest men I ever met in politics and had been an intimate associate of my father in the old days in Jersey City On the day of the final balloting ere sorely pressed When it seeth, it occurred to ht have some effect We decided to send for Hennessy to come to the Executive offices It was clear from his attitude when he arrived that, while his sympathies lay with us, he was bound in honour to carry out the instructions of his chief and deliver the Hudson County vote to S the can in the most intimate way, told him that if Martine was rejected, the political effect on our party's fortunes would be disastrous; that ere sure we had the votes and that the next ballot would give proof of this, and that it was only a question, to use a ca Martine's nomination unanimous