The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-11-11
y II"
DBkOUSSE DECLINES
He Announces That He Will
Not Be a. Candidate for
Speaker.
GRAND SCRAMBLE FOR OFFICES
Hungry Republicans ThrOng the
State House Looking
for Places.
speetal 10 tne yersep cttu wescs.

Special 10 the Jerscu Cftn Netcs-
TRENTON. Nov. II, 1S9S.-It was some
thing like old times around the state
House yesterday and the largest throng
seen at the Capitol since the Legislature
adjourned blocked the corridor which
leads 10 the Governors room. The Cover
nor himself was not on hand. he came
Ia Trenton Monday afternoon and went
to the Kuser farm. In the evening ne
attended the performance of The Tam
ing CT the Shrew," by Ada Rehan ana
Days company al the Taylor Opera
House. and after the theatre returned 10
Kaser's farm. He sent work to the
Executive chamber yesterday morning
mat he would not be at his office. until
the afternoon, when most Of these who
<bad business with him had gone home.
1t was said by those who knew all about
it that the Governor was trying his hand
on the game in Colonel Kuser's preserves.
The Governor is a good shot and an en-
thusiastic sportsman.
When you come to look the crowd over
there were not so many statesmen of i'm
portance around after all. The greater
part of the throng was made up of men
looking for minor clerkships, door-keepers
and assistant sergeants-at-arms positions
and other Offices in the Legislature. and
mindful of the old acage about the early
worm.
Senator Skim of Mercer, Stokes of
Cumberland. Herbert of Middlesex. and
Asa Francis, the newly elected Senator
from Monmouth, were the MY Senators
about, wails Msssrs. Wilde Of Burlington,
Tnorne and Mcpherson of Mercer were
the sole representatives of the lower
House. There were several members of the
last Legislature VINO were not reelected
~ IN the thranU ErQmIrpnr amnnr them
was ex-senator Maurice Rogers Of Cam
den. The love OF office is stsIl strong in
Naurie. as he is farniliarly called. Hav-
ing had all the Legislative honors custom
and precedent can give him he now wants
to be a State Office holder.
David Baird, one of the Republican
was elected Sheriff of Camden last week.
1t was generally accepted that he can
not hold both Offices. and before the
tyne which announced his election was
dry. Governor Griggs was besieged with
applicants for the Office. Rogers was one
of the earliest. He based his claims on
the fact that as Baird was a Camden
man, the place should go to another
Camden man, and TO none more so than
to him. He also modestly called atten-
ton to the great services he rendered
his party by being President of the Re-
publican Senate in the stormy days of
the dual Senate, and exposing himself
to the risk of assassination by the hired
minions of the wicked Billy Thompson
of Gloucester. BUT Mr.. Rogers yesterday
found several men who dispute his or
Camden's divine right to the office. AS
usual, Mercer county had a candidate in
the portly person of ex-Copgressman
James Buchanan. A delegation. consist
ing OF Senator Skirm. "Comrade' Ale
C. Yard. Barker Gummere and Comp
troiler Hancock, waited all the morning
TO see the Governor in behalf of Mr.. Blu
chanan, and when the Governor finally
did appear they were the first to see
him.
Middlesex also produced a candidate in
the person of ex-Assemblyman Tice. of
Perth Amboy. Mr.. Tice was one of the
best Republican members of the last
House and was a conscientious. painstak-
ing legislator. He was Secretary of the
Appropriation Committee and as such
rendered the State valuable services. He
would make a good State Assessor, and
the Governor could go much further
without finding a better man. Passaic,
which thinks these days that it has a
first lien on everything in sight, from
Cabinet office at Washington to scrub
woman at Trenton, has two or three
candidates, and 1T is even said that Alec
Mclean, editor of the Jersey City Jour
nal" is looking for the position. Alec
was here all day yesterday. deeply inter
ate refused to confirm Dick Reading. two
or three years ago., and Speaker Holt
was appointed, Alec came very near
landing the plum.
The principal topic of conversation was
the organization Of the Legislature. There
appears to be no opposition 70 the election
"a 1ACOSIl Ffllll4flS u dSS6NC 10 EAcSl-
dency OF the Senate He was elected
to the office last winter when Mr.. Thomp-
son. the presiding officer. was appointed
Z Clerk in ChanceTy by Governor Griggs
just before the session adjourned, and
according to all. precedent he is entitled
TO the election this year. The indications
are that precedent Will be respected in
this case.
1t was the general opinion yesterday
that George Mcpherson of Trenton will
be Speaker. 1t was officially announced
yesterday and privately confirmed by
"Dick" Reading that Louis Derousse,
speaker Of the last House. would not be
. candidate for the office again. With
him cut CT the race Mr.. Macpherson is
supposed to have the best chance, es-
pecially as it was said that the powers
which really make the Speaker had Sc
1eeted him.
He is not without rivals, who will
RMg r n Ms cnb enongh for the PLACE to keep
course, comes forward with q candidate.
He is Henry iGledhil and the hardest
fact that he is from Passaic. He was
one of the prominent men of the last
House and would have been far more
prominent than he was If he had awaken
ed himself up more often. Thomas H.
Jones Of Essex has announced himself
as a candidate, but the announcement is
Mr.. Jones has been connected with the
Legislature TWO years. In 1885 he was
clerk of one of the committees and last
anything to show that he was particu-
larly equipped 70 preside over the House
or that he was any better than the aver
age Assemblyman. who minds his own
business and votes conscientiously on
every question as his party wishes.
Assemblyman Wilde is another candf-
date, and came TO Trenton yesterday to
push his candidacy along, but he found
none of the new member and so few of
the old ones in the corridors that he did
not do much booming OF course all these
Speekership booms are started with the
old idea that those who make the best
fight will get the best committees when
the leaders have placed their man in the
chair.
The offices of both houses which pay all
the way from $500 TO 100 are the ones
for which there is much scrambling and
dickerinR. Henry B. Robinson of Rah-
way wa<s to be secretary of the Senate