Jersey Scramble

New Jersey Democrats scrambled about last week to pick a candidate for Governor. Their big problem: for the first time in a decade, the Republican opposition was solidly united. Three months ago, GOPsters had settled on grey, urbane Walter Evans Edge, onetime Governor and U.S. Senator, as their man.

Jersey's arrogant Boss Frank Hague is no man to ignore facts. Month ago he had received an unasked-for, but resounding, buss from the Communists. Now he wanted more than that: support of all New Jersey's labor unions, whom he had often kicked around as thoroughly as he had the Communists. He tried to get that support on his own terms, for his own gubernatorial candidate.

Repeater. Hague's choice for the nomination was his perennial errand boy, three-time Governor A. (for Arthur) Harry Moore, a Hague henchman since 1913. As Hague's U.S. Senator in 1935, Harry Moore had voted against Social Security, giving his reason in the deathless phrase: "It will take the romance out of old age." Labor, anxious to team up with Frank Hague to help along the Term IV campaign next year, nevertheless balked at backing old A. Harry.

In the meantime the main New Jersey force for clean government, Governor Charles Edison, harried and hurried Mayor Hague. Danger was that the Governor might trot out his own candidate, and that man might be the best vote-getter in sight. The Mayor finally, reluctantly told reporters that Mr. Moore would not run, because of his health. (You could have knocked hale A. Harry over with an aspirin tablet when reporters told him he was ill.) As Moore was thus given the Jersey bounce. Governor Edison announced his support of Newark's Mayor Vincent J. Murphy, who, as secretary of the New Jersey A.F. of L., is acceptable to labor. Two hours later, Frank Hague, breathing hard, boarded the bandwagon.

Newcomer. Observers rated Candidate Murphy as little more than a common Garden State variety of politician. A onetime plumber, he was a $28-a-week union official when elected to Newark's City Commission in 1937. As Newark's Mayor (since 1941), he has worked hard.

Real test of Frank Hague's new alliance with labor will come on election day in November, when the Hudson County ballots are counted. Frank Hague can hold back votes as well as deliver them. If he has decided that this is a Republican year anyway, he may not break his back to keep control of an ungrateful State.

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