The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-31
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THB SILVER SECTION
Observations on the Po1iti-
cal Drift in Hunterdon
and Warren.
MERCER SOLID FOR M'KINLEY
Bryanites Make Noise But There
Are More Gold Democrats Than
Silver Republicans.
SOLID FOR M'KINLEY

Mercer county is supporting the National
ticket Of the party. In no other county
Of the State is there such a universal de-
lection of men Who have heretofore been
| recognized as leaders. In others the
counseilors have divided, some boiling,
| some remaining in the regular organiza-
ton, but in Mercer all are boilers The
| list includes such men as G. D. w. Vroom,
S Jonathan Blackwell, Henry
| c. Kelsey, John H. Scudder, W. Holt
Apgar, Gardiner H. Cain, Quartermaster-
General r. A. Donnelly, ex-Mayor Joseph
B. Shaw, John H. Backes, Joseph L.
| Naar, of the True American; Depart
ment Commander of the q. A r. Ernest
| f. Stahl, Samue H. Walker and a host
of others. The county is also niq IN
the fact that there is not a newspaper
within its limits supporting Bryan and
Sewall. Even the Trenton True Ameri-
cam for so many years the Democratic
State organ refuses to aid in the election
of the Chicago nominee.
Edward Reading. the chairman Of the
Democratic County Committee, says that
| this detection does not extend beyond
these former leaders. .There are some OF
the prominent men of the party out for
gold said Mr.. Reading, 'but the rank
and file of the party is all right and Will
vote for Bryan and Sewall. Most of these
men who nave bolted the ticket are either
wealthy or are connected with corpora
tons, and their example will have no IN
fuence with the workingmen."
Asked if this detection would be offset
BY silver Republican recruits, Mr. Read
/ - ---Is.7 49, 10 %bo,11bf II uv01lIH and
more. MANY Republicans will vote for
Bryan" said Mr.. Reading, especially
among the farmers. At the last meeting
Of the County Committee I took especial
care to inquire of the country members,
and they told me tina lots of Republican
farmers would vote the silver ticket. l
also believe that many pottery employees,
while ostensibly Republicans, and talking
Mckinley and Hobart, will really vote
for Bryan and Sewall. They don't want
their employers to know what they are
going to do"
r. P. Wilson, chairman of the Republic
can City Committee, and a member OF
the County Committee, told quite a diff
ferent story. Mercer county is all right"
said Mr.. Wilson. II nave made it my
! business to investigate the reports that
| Republican farmers are for free silver
and I find there is not truth in them.
There was some little silver sentiment
at first, but has nearly all died out.
Mercer Republicans believe in protection,
and that If there was plenty Of work
there would be no trouble about money"
Mr.. Wilson secuted the idea that the pot
ters would vote for Bryan, and declared
I : r. AE-,11- - 1ooC+ Rs Ave T1arrn0raf re
would bolt Bryan for every Republican
tina would vote for him.
Samuel H. Walker, who for a number Of
years was chairman of the Democratic
County Committee, has Topped clear over
and will vote for Mckinley. II estimate"
said Mr.. Walker, that one-half the Dem
ocratic vote in Mercer will be for sound
money and all the Republican vote except
about two per cent. I fix McKinley's
majority in the count at from 5000 to
5000. Nearly every Democrat of any
prominence in this city is for sound
money"
Mr.. Walker then named the men men.
toned above as well as many others. Y
am not a third ticket advocate" he corr
t.nued. Il believe IN taklng the most Ell
fectiye way of defeating Bryan and shall
vote for Mckinley and Hobart"
H. 4. - \. "a f1AS4 IL NGS al
last Democratic candidate for County
Clerk. and has for many years been Sec
rotary Of the County Committee. You
said Nj. Smith. The party is IN a state
OF Fermentation and the froth and scum
have come TO the top. A good many Demo-
Gratis will support the ticket upon the
plea Of regularity. but that has no effect
with me- Mr.. Smith sad that in Hights-
town the loudest advocate OF free silver
was a Republican, r. T. Norton, a prom
| ippf1t business man Norton he said.
claimed to be making converts. 1t would
not surprise Mr.. Smith If a number of Re-
Bryan. particularly those h had for
merly been infected with greenbaekisrn.
Bordering on Mercer Gun lies Hun
terdon, but politically the two, as a rule,
lima and Pennsylvania. Hunterdon has
always been a Democratic stronghold. 1t
sisted the Republican landslide of three
years ago and elected a Democratic Sem
ator. Party factions have at times
thrown it to the Republicans. but when
good for from 1850 to 1000 majority for
that party. Hnnterdon is almost ex-
c~luslvely an agricultural county. It's
and IN the northern part to peach grow
ing. For several years grain has not
paid the cost of production, and this
year the peach crop is a failure. AS a
consequence, the farmers are In q des-
perate mood and ready 70 grasp at any
/ straw winch promises refleI. Inc apoS-
ties of free silver fnd in them willing
listening and easy converts. .
Throughout the whole county, said
Senator Richard NJ. Kuhl, 4 am Informed
that party lines are practically obliterated.
The question Is simply for or against sill
yer, and l believe the friends of silver
are largely in the majority" Turning to
a client who was waiting to state his
business, Senator Kuhl said.-tMr.
Fowler, you are a farmer and a Republic
can, how do you find it2"
lust about as you have stated 1t,
judge was the reply. I'VE don't. care
anything about party this year; we are
gong to see If free silver won't do US
farmers some good
Senator Kuhl expressed the opinion that
If the silver sentiment was as strong
everywhere in the State as in Hunterdon.
for Bryan,
Forrest B. Rice is the Postmaster at
F~lemIagton, and is also the Chairman of
the Democratic County Committee. Hum
terdon." said Mr.. Rice, Twill give $500
majority for Bryan, and perhaps more.
If the election were nex week it would be
5000. TIL farmers have dropped politics
and this year will vote for seif-fnterest.
In the upper part of the county the silver
sentiment Is particularly strong and /
am told that IN some localities II is Inn
Mckinley" Mr.. Rice then told about
the monster farmers picnic held near
Pennington last week. which was attend
ed by 5000 or 10000 people, and said that
Ievery person present seemed to be for sill
Ever. So iItolerant were thew of opposi-
tton that they Kissed Congressman Me-
Evan. Of Jersey City, when he attempted