Hoffman v. Fort

High above Manhattan in Rockefeller Center's Rainbow Room one evening last week Chairman Myron C. Taylor of U. S. Steel, Governor Theodore F. Green of Rhode Island, President Jonas Lie of the National Academy of Design and many another notable sat down to dine in honor of the opening of the National Exhibition of American Art. Also present among these friends of culture was husky Governor Harold G. Hoffman of New Jersey. Up to him strolled Lou Wedemar, Universal News Serviceman who covered the Lindbergh case. Said Hearstling Wedemar to New Jersey's Governor:

"I've bet you won't lead your ticket in tomorrow's primaries."

"Then you've lost your money," snorted Governor Hoffman.

Governor and newshawk thereupon made their way out of the dining room together discussing the Hauptmann trial. They got no farther than the steps leading down into the lounge when Harold Hoffman was heard to say, "You can't call me yellow and get away with it!" The 210-lb. Governor then swung on 130-lb. Newshawk Wedemar, who slumped to the floor. Mr. Hoffman returned to his dinner.

In an atmosphere typified by this brawl, New Jersey Republicans next morning went to the polls to record their preference for Presidential Candidates Borah and Landon. Governor Hoffman was candidate for no more exalted office than one of New Jersey's four delegates-at-large to the Republican Convention. In addition to him, the official slate of Landon delegates-at-large included Mrs. Edna B. Conklin; President Edward D. Duffield of Prudential Insurance Co., chairman of Princeton's board of trustees; and Walter Evans Edge, onetime (1919-29) Senator, Herbert Hoover's Ambassador to France. Into the fight at the last minute had jumped onetime Congressman Franklin W. Fort, who emerged from political retirement to offer himself as a substitute for Governor Hoffman on the Landon slate. Mr. Fort's sole issue: the Governor's handling of the Hauptmann case (TIME, April 13). Said Republican Fort of Republican Hoffman: "No man has done more in my memory to attempt to break down the fundamental American respect for the power and dignity of our courts of justice."

In New Jersey's eyes the Hoffman-Fort battle eclipsed the Landon-Borah contest. While Fortians were urged to "vote the alphabet" (C for Conklin, D for Duffield, E for Edge, F for Fort), Governor Hoffman's machine concentrated on urging the faithful to vote not for four Landon delegates-at-large but for Hoffman only, thereby saving the Governor's face with "bullet votes." Fort men charged that in mustering Republican votes, the Governor was supported by Jersey City's Democratic Mayor Frank Hague. Indeed, in Boss Hague's Hudson County Hoffman polled four votes to every three for Edge, Duffield, Conklin, surpassed Fort 3-to-1. Nevertheless, final results added little to the Governor's prestige. The Landon slate beat the Borah slate 4-to-1. Among Landon delegates-at-large, however, Hoffman ran fourth, 50,000 votes behind Oldster Edge, whose comeback raised political eyebrows. Recognizing the rebuke, the Governor announced with unaccustomed modesty that he would not aspire to chairman the New Jersey delegation at Cleveland, resigned that post of honor to Mr. Duffield.

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