The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-10
COUNTY s CLERKSHIIlPF'
Four Gentlemen Who Would
Like 10 Be the Demo-
cratic Nominee.
CONFIDENT OF VICTORY.
They Are Justice O'Donnell, Ed
ward Gritten, Judge Paxton
and John Purtell.9

being made for the election to take place
next November. This election viii be q
very important one, for a member of Con-
gress, a County Clerk, a Register, eleven
Assemblymen and a Board Of Chosen Free
holders will be selected by the people. Each
of these offices is considered a prize, but the
greatest and most desirable from a financial
point Of view Is that of County Clerk. AS a
consequence, the struggle to secure the
nomination for this Office will be a hard
one.
So far there are four pronounced candi-
dates in the Democratic party, and they are
all good men. Three of them are generally
known in every portion of the county, and
each one of the three has the happy faculty
of making and retaining friends without
apparent effort. Each is popular, and each
has a following.
POLICE JUSTICE o'DoNNELL.
The first of these is Police Justice N. j.
O'Donnell, who, for a number of years, filed
with credit the difficult position OF Chair
man of the Hudson County Democratic
Committee.
Mr.. O'Donnell first entered public life as
clerk in the Courts of General Sessions and
| Common Pleas. He was appointed by
County Clerk Dennis Mclaughlin. He
made an excellent clerk, and his executive
| ability was appreciated by John F. Kelly,
who, when he became Postmaster, appointed
Mr.. O'Donnell his assistant. As a matter OF
fact, Mr.. O'Donnell was the actual head OF
the Post Office, and he instituted many re-
| forms. When he finished bis term as Assist
ant Postmaster, Mayor Cleveland appointed
| him a Tax Commissioner, which office he re-
| signed to become a Police Justice.
The leaders In the Democratic party rec
ognize his worth, and more than a year ago
many leaders promised Justice ODonnell
| they would work hard for his nomination to
the office of County Clerk.
l called on Justice O'Donnell last night
and asked him IL he was a candidate for the
nomination for County Clerk.
II do do not care to be interviewed on
that subject at present. he politely an
swered.
the same reply.
JUDGE ELIJAH j. PAXTON.
The next candidate for the Office that |
saw was Judge Elijah J.. Paxton. | found
him In Hoboken, where he resides. he is
| the Judge in the District Court, has been q
Lay Judge in the Common Pleas Court, a
was a State Senator for one term. de Is
very popular and has q large law practice.
Judge Paxton has been largely identified
with the Democratic party in this county
| for a score of years, Il every Office he has
| filed has been with credit to himself and
the party. When ! asked him if it was true
| that he was In the race for the nomination
| for County Clerk he replied that he was.
1.-THE northern section of the county is
| the place now where democrats look for
! large majorities, and for that reason, II there
was no other, Hoboken and North Hudson are
| entitled to recognition. Some OF my friends
| sincerely believe this, and they have asked
me to become a candidate. | feel certain
| that if / should be nominated | would carry
| Hoboken and the Eleventh Assembly dis
trict by an old time Democratic majority,
| and my friends believe hat unless this can
be done by the candidate, a republican will
| be elected. The recent elections show that
the Democratic party need not expect much
| from Jersey City, and that to win every
! Democratic vote in Hoboken and North
| Hudson must be cast for the Democratic
nominee"
D you think you will be nominateda'
sThat is a question entirely for the con-
vention. Now that | have entered the race
I shall use all honorable means to obtain sue
| cessful candidate.
EDWARD GRITTEN.
Edward Gritten, the very popular Chief
| Clerk In the County Clerks office, is the
| third candidate for the nomination. 1t is
| not fiattery to say Of him that he has as
| many, If not more, warm personal friends
| than any democrat in the county. He was
| twice elected President of the Board of
| School Trustees in Hoboken. and he filed
| the office with credit. Mr.. Gritten is a re-
| fined and cultivated man, and IS a great
s~pective with the members of the bar ire
| favorite of politics. His present position is
| one which brings him In constant contact
with lawyers and prominent business men,
and his uniform courtesy and obiging dis
position have created @ warm place in their
hearts for him. He is q member of the Car
teret Club and other clubs.
"Yes,n said Mr.. Gritten with a pleasant
smile, II have been persuaded to become a
i candidate for the Office of County Clerk. Do
you think | am qualified to fill itg"
/ replied most certainly and then I
asked
"What are your chances for obtaining the
nomination."
II really don't know, but I should think
very good, if | might judge from the num-
Der OF prominent people and lawyers who
have, unsolicited, asked me to be a candidate.
If / have any strength it is with the people
more than it is with the leaders, for, as you
know, Ihave kept myself aioof from the
facJional fights which have Of late entered
into the party. a very large majority OF
the lawyers who do business at the Court
House are in favor of my nomination, and
my name has been favorably canvassed by
people who will have a hand in the election
Of delegates to the convention. | am GER
tain that if nominated ! can be elected by a
handsome majority. l nave received aSSur-
ances of this from Bayonne, Jersey City,
Hoboken and North Hudson. In connection
with this matter / might add that, should /
be elected, it would SIMPLY be in the line Of
promotion
Mr.. Gritten's friends are working like
beavers already and they believe their eff
forts will be rewarded, for inasmuch as the
candidate is not connected with the Regu-
lars or the Reformers, he would make a
compromise candidate of unexceptionable
worth.
J0HN r.. PURTELL.
John r.. Purtell, the clerk of the Court Of
General Sessions, is the fourth candidate.
He announced himself as such several
months ago, and has been working for the
nomination ever since. Mr.. Purtell labors
under the disadvantage of not being SO well
known as the other candidates mentioned,
but should he succeed in securing the prize
the county will have an excellent official.
or the four candidates that nave been
named, the election of any one Of them would
be q credit to the Democratic party.
REPUBLICAN, sTRAws.
The Republicans have slated Edward W.
Woolley, Chairman OF the Hudson County
Republican General Committee, for the