The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-17
'GRIGGS BOOM BURST
Newark Evening News"
Says Politicians Believe
He Is No Longer in
the Senatorial
Fight.
JOHN KEAS's FRIENDS REJOICE
Governor Said to Have Come to
His Present State Of Mind AZ
ter an Interview With
Sewell.
JOHN KEAN's FRIENDS REJOICE

| Especial to the Newark Evening News j
TRENTON, Aug. IA, lS97.-It is believed
by some of the leading State politicians
that Governor Griggs is no longer an eie-
ment in the United States Senatorial con-
test. A statement to that effect is being
very generally passed along the line, and
! while the information is not corroborated
by a direct statement Of the Governor.
neither is it denied. The United States
| Senatorial contest is absorbing all po-
litical interest at the present time The
period is rapidly approaching when the
| consideration of suitable candidates for
Assembly nominations and the settlement
of the six Senatorial contests will be the
| NincipaI occupation of both the county
and State leaders.
Governor Griggs was interviewed on the
subject by your correspondent. The re-
sultf was not entirely satisfactory SO far
as securing emphatic statements that
would corroborate the current rumors.
The question was put direct to the Gov
ernor as to whether he was or was not
a candidate for the office of United States
Senator. His answer was
Il am not In a position to answer that
question. ! have never said that I was
a candidate. / have no need to post now
that / am not. My name has been asso-
ciated with that Office through my friends,
but l have never said that I was a candi-
date
But it is known. Governor, that in some
counties there is already considerable zest
given to the legislative contest because
the lines have been drawn between your
friends and those of John Kean, who is,
according TO all reports, a candidate for
the same honor?'
Whatever my friends are doing, they
are doing of their own accord. 1t is a
spontaneous effort on their part, and it
is not for me to go about telling my
friends that they shall not do certain
things. I have made no requests for
them to do what you say they are doing
in my am neither am | obliged to affirm
or deny current newspaper statements
that are made about me. / certainly can
not say that L am not a candidate for
United States Senator, because l never
said / was a candidate"
The great query that has evolved itself
since the names of John Kean and John
w. Griggs nave been associated with the
United States Senatorial contest is the
relative position Of Senator Sewell. Re-
cent rumors haye it that Senator Sewell,
feeling grateful 10 the Governor for fav-
ors he has received from the administra-
ton, leans cordially to the candidacy of
the Governor, and the PRONUNCIATION of
that fact set politics all awry, but the
truth of the matter is that while the
Senator is very grateful to the Governor
for favors extended, and has said so,
ne has also said that he cannot help
him TO acquire a Senatorial toga- There
is good authority for the statement that
General Sewell has told Governor Griggs
that he and his friends were pledged to
ohm Kean, and while he, as United
States Senator, would not take an active
part in the contest, and would not as
sist personally any candidate, he was in
favor of John Kean, and SO were all of
his friends.
Senator Sewell, it is said, told this to
the Governor at a recent interview when
the latter found convenient time and
place to unbosom himself to the Senator,
and ask him direct for his interest and
support in the Senatorial fight. The Gov
ernor, it is reported, was somewhat dis
turbed at this plain answer He had
expected more. While he did not expect
tlC 0iCoA VI putAOiAo5S iS SoSt hPoh
the water would all come back cake.
he did not anticipate 1t would return
<petriied. A warm, personal friend of the
Governor. who has always had easy
access to Senator Seweli's ear. also, it
is said. called to plead the Governors
case, but the Senator's devotion to the
cause Of the Sage of Ursino" was stead
fast.
Since then, it is said. that to at least a
half dozen friends, the Governor has de-
clared his intention. of going back to
Paterson in January, 1899. to practice law
at the old stand. To some he has made
to be a United States Senator, and to
others he has expressed a very general
WEAKNESS of politics. Whether these un-
the direct reaction Of the shock that Sem
ator SeweIl gave him in the interview,
or the calm conclusion of well-seasoned
Judge j. Frank Fort Of ESSEX IS looked
uI;on as the Governors first lieutenant,
and when the Judge speaks politically it
is known that frequently ne speaks Tor
is the Governor. It is not so ANY
months ago when the Judge said: Why
certainly. the Governor Is a candidate for
beaS =
No one could exactly say why he should
not be. and the Interrogation remained
unanswered, until within a few days ago
when Judge Fort answered his own ques-
ton. and he did it not far from the Gov
errors little white house at Sea Girt, in
these words: mo. the Governor is not a
candidate for United States Senator. He
| realized that he was not rich enough TO
abandon his law practice for Washington
The effect OF this news on the kean
lieutenants has been as ~invigorating as
an ocean trip. They think now that
their candidate will be practically unop-
| posed. They do admit that Griggs was
an adversary who had to be watched,
but they would not admit that he a
any show to win the purple %pennant. Bar
| ker Gummeres of Mercer. r. B. Reading
OF Hupterdons State Comptroller Ham
cock. Congressman L~oudenslager of
Gloucester. Robert Carson of MiddIesex,
Senator G, Asa Franciseo of Monmouth,
Senator Charles Reed of Somerset, Isaac
Moffet of Gloucester. Assemblyman Hand
OF Cape May, Robert C.. Hutchinson Of
burlington, and a host OF others, all
trained campaigners, have charge OF his
campaign.
One Of these, an active member of the
State Committee, said yesterday:-"John
Kean would be elected if the caucus were
held tomorrow. He will have a solid dele
cation of Assemblymen and Senators in
| the First, Second and Third Congressional
districts. even ii any opponent is in the
field He IS reasonably sure of Essex and
Union. Hunterdon. If Republican, and
Morris. Even with The Governor as a
candidate he could get Bergen and nearly
all of Essex. ] do not know of any Re-
| publican who would come in the fight
! o,dabraoIr in an fha oaxrax4oo~E KrZ,