The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-10-14
His Base Effort to Wreck
His Own Party Exposed
and SCotChed.
HERBERT POTTS TRIUMPH.
Catspaw Sutherland Plays Fast
and Loose with Fifth
District Republicans
in Vain.
Jeffersonians Hold an Enthusiastic
Meeting Johnnie McPhillips'
SchoolboY Letter.

j. Herbert Potts was renominated for
the Assembly last evening by the Repub-
licans of the Fifth district in spite of
despicable trick to steal the convention
for G. Frank Sutherland. Nothing but
pity was expressed on all sides for Mr..
Sutherland. as it was well understood
that his opposition to Mr.. Potts
that he was forced to act as
he had by his employers, 'Dr. !" Pangborn
and ex-Dominie Benson. Several years ago
Benson. who was then the correspondent
Of the Journal at Trenton, and Mr.. Potts
were candidates for one of the clerkships.
Mr. Potts succeeded in securing the posi-
t1On, and ever since then he has been the
object of all the mean attacks ana vitu-
peration of the Journal. Every time he
has been nominated he has been opposed,
tooth and nail, by Pangborn and his
Ring city editor. But he never cared for
that, as he always said that the opposi-
tion OF the Journal was worth more to
him than its support
This fact seems to have finally worked
Its way through the rhinoceros like skull
of Benson, and this year, seeing that the
sentiment of the Republicans of the
Fifth district demanded the return of Mr.
Potts. he resolved on other tactics.
SUTHERLAND APPEARS AS "A CANDIDATE.
g. Frank Sutherland is one of Benson's
reporters and also chairman of the dis
trict committee. Benson called Suther-
land up and literally assigned him to run
for the nomination In opposition to Mr..
Potts. Sutherland demurred and showed
his city editor how hopeless such a course
would be Benson then suggested that
he would have to get up a petition ac-
cording to the new law, and be a candi-
date any how. Herbert Potts could
never be forgiven for having more friends
than Benson, and he must be made to
repent such presumption somehow.
Benson soon persuaded Sutherland
that his duty to himself and family, if
not to his party, demanded that he should
accept the assignment. Sutherland has
many friends in the district who
saw nothing whatever of the cloven hoof
in his petition and willing to crafty
what they considered a little harmless
vanity, they readily swore TO his petition.
But they never had any intention of
voting for Frank, and when it became
known that out of the 200 who were on
the petition not twenty-five would vote
for him, Benson resolved on another ex-
pedient.
A week or so ago the Fifth District
Committee. of which Sutherland is chair
man, met for the purpose of preparing
the call for last evenings primaries. AL
though Sutherland was in the building
and was requested so to do he refused to
call the committee together. The COM
mittee then organized by the election Of
Freeholder w. S. Nelson as chairman
pro TEN and formulated q call for the
primaries of last evening at the Avenue
House. This was advertised in the
papers in due form and every other step
which was taken was in strict accord
with party usage.
HOW THE SCHEME WAS WORKED.
In the last column of the last page of
last evenings Journal where no one
would think of looking for it, appeared a
call for a primary to be held last night at
Fairmount Hall This did not appear I'M
til the last edition and many of the voters
failed to see it. 1t was discovered, how
ever, by State Treasurer Toffey and others
and number of men under 'Joe" Locke
and ex-Fire Commissioner tom" Mills
were hurried down to Fairmount Hall.
When they arrived there they found
Frank Sutherland and a few men loung
ing about the room. When eight O'Clock
arrived Mr.. Mills asked Sutherland what
he meant by issuing call tor a conyen-
tion at that late day and in the manner
he did. Sutherland replied that he had
been ignored by the committee and tnat
the call issued Tor the Avenue house pri-
mary was illegal.
All right,' said Mr. Mills, "may be it
is Illegal and yours is legal, call the pri-
mary to order and We will proceed to
business.
This Sutherland refused to do, and
though requested several times to call
the meeting to order persisted in his re-
fusal. Then Mr.. Mills called the as
sembled voters to order, and was made
chairman, while John G. Landwine was
made secretary Theu Joe" Locke
moved that they proceed to nominate a
candidate, nominated j. Herbert Potts,
and moved that the nominations close all
in the same breath. Potts nomination
was carried without dissenting voice,
and the crowd headed by IA drum corps
started to tell those at this Avenue House
what they had done.
AT THE AVENUE HOUSE
In the meantime the Avenue House
contingent had been organized by the
election of Charles w. Laws, chairman.
aid p S. Jacobs, secretary; and recess
taken to await the result of the Fair
mont Hall meeting. They did not have
long to wait, for soon up from the street
came the sound of drums, and loud yells
for Potts. When quiet had been restored
in the hall, Mr.. Mills stated what had
been done at FairmouAt Hall. Then the
Avenue House primary nominated Potts
with great enthusiasm, and committee
was sent out to find him. They soon
returned with the candidate. Mr.. Potts
accepted the nomination and said he con-
sidered his nomination by two conven-
tions a hearty endorsement of his course
at trenton. lie PROMISED 10 vote IN Lne
interest of labor, the equalization of taxes
and anv measure which would in any
wav tend to break the odious Ring which
encircles the county. He also promised
to do all he could to have any defect rem
edied which may be discovered in the
ballot reform law.
Ex-Judge Charles II. Worries made a
good speech from a Republican stand
polnt, but before he finished a keg of beer
was opened near the door and that settled
the convention.
BENSON & co.
Potts friends feared that Sutherland
might sneak around and get little con-
tiugent together again for another meet
ing and they set watch on him. he
went into Garrison's real estate office,
and was followed there; then into
little dancing hall, where
something was going on, and was still
followed. Then he tiled to dodge under
the cover Of the shadows through Fair
mount avenue west, but the men who
had been put ON his trail were after him,
and kept him under their eyes without
any interruption. ..o,,
AZ about haif-past nine O'Clock Con