The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-04
BLACK EYE FOR HOLT
Yesterdays Conference DAM
ages His Speakership
Chances.
CROSS FRIENDS JUBILANT.
Salinger's Time Game Frustrated
by the County Members
Anxious Candidates.
Spseia1 to the Jersey City Ne.cs.


TRENTON, Jan. A, 1s94-The conference,
or caucus, according to who your candidate
for Speaker is, which was held here at the
Windsor Hotel yesterday, was in some re-
spects the most remarkable gathering that
has convened in Trenton in some time. Ii
was called to endorse John l. Holt of Passalc
for Speaker, and resulted in giving him
blow from which he will find it hard to
recover; especially since it was thought by
his friends that the machinery had been SO
well oiled that it could not possibly break
down. When thirty-two Assemblymen,
whose names were published in THE JERSEY
CRY NEWS Yesterday, the two leading can
didates for the State COMPREHENSIVE,
prominent candidate for State Treasurer
ship a small army of the aspirants
for the minor offices gathered together
in the same place one was warranted In be-
ing that something definite would be done.
At any rate the candidates for office thought
SO and they were out in force trying to OBJ
tain uotes The lobby of the hotel presented
as lively an appearance as that of the As
sembly Chamber when the lobbyists are
struggling to make votes for some measure
they are interested in.
John Ulrich, candidate for Comptroller,
who served two terms as an Assemblyman
and has been a District Court Judge of
Plainfield for several years was among the
first to arrive Mr.. Ulrich has been State
Organizer of the Republican Club and has
been at one time or another a
high official in almost every secret order in
the State, and he needed only few intro
ductions either to the old or new members.
His principal competitor from this part OF the
st ,te William s. Hancock, of Trenton
was not so fortunate. He is a banker and
capitalist, and never having been prominent
in State politics is not so well acquainted
with the Assemblymen. The Mercer delega-
ton, however, took him in charge, and saw
that he had shaken hands with everyone OF
the thirty-two possessor OF votes.
CANDIDATES ON HAND.
George B. Swain of Newark also came
down to see what he could do for his boom
for State Comptroller. He was accompanied
by his brother-in-law Major Carl Lentz one
of the leading republicans of Essex Major
Ientz has reiide red his party much valuable
! service in Newark and all the reward he
\ asks is the State Treasurership for his
kbrother-in-law The two worked like
beavers and claim that they secured great
many votes.
James Logan, editor of the New Brunswick
Fredonidn who is just as much entitled to
! the position of Clerk of the House as Wilbur
Mott is to be Secretary of the Senate tand
it is generally acknowledged that Mott is TO
for that office on hand. He appears to have
formed a combination with the Cross men,
and if the Judge is elected Speaker, Logan
will undoubtedly be made Clerk.
Herbert Potts, who a great many think
has s'cinch" on the Clerkship was not rep
resented in person, hut several friends of his
were in the company and worked hard for
his candidacy. Frank Sutherland, who
wants to be journal Clerk, was at work, and
SO effectively did he cultivate the members
that his little boom got quite boost.
Edgar Williams, of the Orange Record,
and ex-Assemblyman A. G. Studor,
of Montclair, another newspaper man,
who are candidates for Engrossing
Clerk worked side by side in the lobby.
There was small battalion of candidates
for Sergeant-at- Arms, Hudson county be-
ing represented by Captain John Graham,
who, after taking two crooks to the State
Prison, came over to the hotel to see how
many votes he could corral.
MAX SALINGER'S GREATNESS.
All these candidates worked hard and
long, and from the assurances and promises
they received it is not to be wondered at
that they looked to this conference or caucus
to settle matters definitely, and relieve them
from their suspense. Their belief was
strengthened by the confidential and
most amiable relations, which to
all appearances existed between the
\ various members. They, however. were
doomed to disappointment and they still oc-
cupy the anxious bench. The greatest indi-
vidual in the hotel was Max Salinger. He
y had called the conference and it was con-
sidered his especial meeting. He ran the en-
tire shooting match and was the biggest man
that had been in the Windsor for many a
day. No one seemed to know why the con-
ference was called and everyone went to
Max for information. Max looked wise and
very imposing under the burden Of the re-
sponsibihty thus thrust upon him. He de-
clared SO persistently that the meeting was
simply called to talk over matters and see
how things stood, that the general impress
sion got abroad that it was the intention to
get all present pledged to Mr.. Holt
for Speaker, which proved to be the case.
] 1t was about three o'clock when the con-
ference got together IN an upper chamber
and after remaining two hours behind tightly
closed doors, they emerged and de-
clared nothing has been done. They tried to
throw out the impression that like the anci-
elit King of France
salingsr with thirty odd Assembymen
Marched up the stairs and then marched down
again.
Mr.. Salinger kept up wonderful show of
cheerfulness and said that although nothing
definite had been done the meeting had
accomplished great deal of good in as much
as it had afforded the members an opportun-
itv to get together and become better
acquainted with each other. Everything
had been harmonious and he predicted that
the thirty-two who were present would act
together at the official caucus to be held next
Monday night. That sounds all very well
until what really took place is learned.
WHAT REALLY TOOK PLACE.
As soon as the meeting was called to order
the young Ethiopian in the woodpile dis
closed his grinning countenance. A motion
was promptly made to consider the sub
ject of organization. Several of the new
members looked upon such an arrangement
fas scheme to muzzle the independence of the
/ individual member in which they discerned
y the iron hand of General Sewell while
others. who know something about politics,
Immediately recognized an attempt to COM
NIT them to Holt Charles A, Walters of
Seabright, one of the new members, imme-
diately obtained the floor and objected to the
cheme. He said that it would not be fair to
be absent members to commit them to
nv candidates without giving them q
nance to be heard Although there were
hlv eight members absent, this struck a
aiority of those present so forcibly that
hey voted down the proposition. All the
syo hours talk resulted in was a resolution
utting down the number of doorkeepers to
twenty and the pages to eighteen.
The friends of Judge Cross OF Union are
very iubilant over the outcome of the con-
ference and said that it puts a qnietus on
Mr.. Holt's aspirations, and as the Judge is
the most prominent OF bis opponents, they
see the Speakership going to Elizabeth
Mr. Holt and his friends don't look at it in
this light but say he will have thilty-six