The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-19

Sounds of voices in round meeting
room, half hidden in grove on Grand
avenue, guided my steps to its door this
afternoon. These notices flanked the
proscenium of the platform opposite the
had at last stumbled upon the Guberna-
torial Convention of the great Prohibition
party of the State of New Jersey.
If had had any lingering doubts, a
glance at those within would have chased
them away. The short, stout figure of
Courtlandt L. Parker, with his dark
round face set in full frame of grey and
black hairs, was at the presiding officers
table. S. B. Ransom, vigorous still of in
tellect, though his HAIR is silvered with
age, was one of the two gentlemen who
sat behind him. DIR. ]. N. Quimby shook
his leonine tresses in the shadow of the
platform. Stalwart Joel w. Brown was
few feet removed, and between them
was moody Thomas j. Kennedy.
A glance around the hall revealed an
array of dyspeptic looking faces. A num-
ber of ladies were distributed among
them. Ladies were indeed conspicuous
feature of the days entertainment.
in resolution, and one of them went in
to wrangle as a member of the Organiza-
tion Committee about the choice of pre-
siding officer.
REVIVAL MEETING SCENES.
When Mr.. Parker had opened the pro-
ceedings l saw that the gathering was a
cross between revival meeting and a
deliberative body. His incidental OBJ
servation that the delegates recognized a
"higher power" than mans brought out
a chorus of "amens' and ''hallelujahs"
from the throng. Rev. Mr.. Parker's sup
plication to the throne of grace were
pointed with these pious Interruptions.
"God guide us to pick out the right
man." he prayed. 4
sudden loudness of one startled from a
Slumber.
.'God grant" moaned another.
Eyes, YES" twenty others drawled in
sanctimonious discord.
And when the prayer had finished one
of the sisters struck up
"An hail the power of Jesus name"
and the whole crowd of men and women
Joined in.
The first brush of the day-for the State
Committees programme was sat dCwn on
twice-revealed the fact that the attend
ance was not by any means up to expecta-
tions.
The Prohibition organ, in preliminary
notice of the gathering, had predicted 600
for the throng. Chairman Parker in
sisted that there were $50 in front of him.
but division" let the cat out of the
bag.
to have the committees made up by
counties. Venerable Mr.. Ransom moved
that they be named by Congressional
districts Instead. When an acclamation
vote had been taken some one declared
there was doubt as to the result. Those
who favored Mr.. Ransom's amendment
N CfQnh n THAR
feet. Those who favored the State Com
mittee's programmes were next asked to
stand Fifteen took the floor. The count
showed that Chairman Parker had seen
double in sizing up the attendance. 1t also
gave Hudson three votes on each COM
mittee The State Committee had de-
signed she should have but one.
! On this basis the delegations were re-
quested to fill up the committees on Gre
dentials, on Rules, on Resolutions and on
Organization, and to name the new State
Committee Brother Thomas j. Kennedy,
chairman of the Hudson caucus, an
nonnced these names
CREDENrIALs-F. II. Gaiger, B. W. Frank A. A.
RuEEs~william Hay, j. B. Purple, R. P.
Vroom.
REsoLuTIoNs-Joel W. Brown, l. N Quimby,
Henry Wheeler.
oRGAN1zArIoN- The Rev. c. L. Wilson, Stephen
B. Ransom Homer Brooks.
STATE CoMMITrEE-Joel W. Brown, F. H.
Gaiger, William Maver Jr.
GREETING ABSENT GENERAL FISK.
OF course each of the other districts
handed up an equal assortment of names
When the Third district was called, Cen
eral Clinton b. Fisk was announced for
the State Committee. Some comment had
been occasioned by the absence of the
General from the Convention. His inter-
view in the JERSEY CITY NEWS, which
was copied into every newspaper in the
State, had aroused the suspicion that he
had been captivated with local option, and
that he was no longer in full accord with
the radical theories of the party. Even
the issue of the Votcc, the Prohibition
organ, that lay on the chairs for gratu-
itous distribution, quoted him as saying
this for local option.
iii believe the Convention will calmly view the
situation In New Jersey and pronounce en-
phaticaly against the action OF the late Legisla-
fure in repeating the Local Option enactment of
1888. Several counties had already gone dry"
ard other counties were ready to vote on the