The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-18
FAT JOBS IR0nPS
New and Very Lively Deal
in the Board of Free
holders.
DEMOCRATS AWAY ON TOP
Lions Share Of the Offices Stay
Where They Are-Hobo-
ken Turned Down.
Clayton Loses His Head and the
Board Does Business After
He Declares It
Adjourned.

The Freeholders held a meeting yester-
day afternoon which VIII be memorable
in the annals of the county. All the ru-
mors about the various combinations
which had been or were to be formed
were set at rest, and early in the game
everybody knew the component parts Of
the combination which held a royal ace
high flush and which raked in the pot.
The previous combination was completely
knocked out. and is now looking about in
q half dazed condition trying to find out
how it all happened.
The original combination, as has already
been told In 1.-THE News, ? consisted Of The
welve Democratic member and Freehold
ars Clayton and verdon of Hoboken n
Nicely of Baydnne, Republicans. 1t seemed
% be a natural sort Of combine for the
reason that the Republicans who were in
t realized and acknowledged the fact that
they were only accidents and that they
were elected chiefly by Democratic votes.
These Republicans at the organization
meeting bolted their party caucus so far
Is the selection of a Director was con-
eerned. and made a deal with the Demo-
Gratis which resulted in the election of
Freeholder Clayton as Director and Ed
ward W. Woolley as Clerk. If any other
slate was arranged at that time it was
not produced, and now it cannot be pro-
duced for the very good reason that it has
been smashed into fragments. Shortly
after his election as Director, Freeholder
Clayton began to give indication that he
intended to ignore whatever arrangement
had been made before his selection and
~repudiate his contract with the Freehold
ers who put him in the presiding officers
chair. He manifested a disposition to re-
turn to the Republican fold. The Demo-
Gratis of course did not propose to sur
render without a struggle and the leaders
began to hustle. That they hustled to
some purpose was shown yesterday at the
meeting of the Board. It was known be-
fore the meeting was called to order that
a new combination had been formed and
hat it consisted of a sufficient number
way.
Freeholders Lynch and Simon Kelly,
who had allied themselves with Clayton
and Verdon, were dropped out and Clay
ton, Verdon, Pagan, Hanna, Wilson and
Percy, Republicans. were dropped with
them. That made the new combination
consist of ten Democrats and nine Repub-
licans. AS the Board consists of twenty
proved adhesive, was manifestly strong
enough to control the Situation, and it did
control it.
Under the previous deal County Super
intendent C. P. Smith was to be removed
to make room for Edward M. Stanton of
Hoboken and Aaron S. Baldwin, also of
Hob0ken, was to take the place OF Michael
j. Coyle as Superintendent of the Boule-
ward. That arrangement might have gone
through but for the fact that the Hoboken
members of the Board developed a strong
desire to get all the other plums for Ho-
boken. 1t is said that they had a candi-
49, f.r ,naar1rr axrnrxr 1xncftfnn in thu 0iff
of the Board. That was one of the chief
incentives for the formation of the new
combine. FreeholdeEs Kelly and Lynch
were willing to give the gentlemen all
they asked for, but their Democratic coll
leagues were not willing that they and
their constituents should be left out in the
cold with a probably cold, hard winter
just making its advent
The Republican member who had been
knocked out at the organization meeting
began to expect that there might be
some balm in Gilead yet. They felt sore
at the manner In which the decree of the
Republican caucus had been upset, and
consequently when overtures were made
tc them to participate IN the formation
of the new combine" many of them
listened with a willing ear. They had
nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Under the old combination they would
have to keep guessing as to what plulns
t Hsu pIum 6all w their assured way. Is ! bif tae n n tSs
hand IS worth two in the bush it was
not difficult to persuade them to go in the
way in which they went yesterday.
The meeting was held in the Supreme
Court room, and the room was ovid
as it has never been before. Every seat
was occupied, and the alsles were crowd
ed. The enclosure in front of the Judges
desk was literally packed with either are
or believe themselves to be leaders,. Both
parties were about ecu ally represented.
Even the gallery, which has not been oc-
cupied for years, was crowded. There
was an air of suppressed excitement
among the audience, which indicated thai
something Of momentous import was
about to happen.
When Director Clayton took his seat he
seemed to be a trine nervous He APP
parently knew that his Waterloo had
come, but he was a man of considerable
nerve, and he did not propose to surren-
der without a battle. When Clerk Wool
ley called the roll Freebooter Simon Kelly
was the only member of the Board who
did not respond to his name.
Director Clayton submitted a report of
what he had seen on his visit to the III
stitutions at Snake Hill last week. He
called attention to some abuses which
he had discovered there and suggested
remedies. He felt convinced that II his
suggestions were adopted the county
save fully $4,000 a year. The com
munication was placed among the ar
chives.
Freebooter Eichhorn, one of the mem
bers of the new combine, sent a resolu-