The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-05
REPUBLICAN, MESS
The Leaders Realize That
the Election Extender
Was a Huge Blunder.
WHAT is VOORHEES, DRIVING AT?
His Action on Constitutional
Amendments and Other Bills
Causing Bosses to Wonder,
Special to the Je7sev catu Ne,ca.

oDeSeUt ~ ice Jtf6EK C3tu NeltS.
TRENTON, April 5, 1Ss7.-The sorry mess
INTO which the Republican nave been
drawn in Newark ard Jersey by the cleo
ton law fiasco is bringing down severe
censure upon the heads of the two men
most directly concerned In it. Nor is this
feeling confined to the big counties Of
Essex and Hudson. 1t has spread to all
otner parts of the State, where the local
party managers are almost a unit in con-
demnlng the laundering manoeuvre. 1t is
almost unanimously agreed that the
Democrats have things all their own way
in the two counties directly affected by
the Supreme Court decision. So far as
Jersey City is concerned there is no
doubt,for there they followed the advice of
ANan L. McDermott and other shrewd
men OF wide practical experience, and pro
ceedea to place nominees in the field as
though no abolition law. had ever been
started on it's way. 1t was this move,
indeed. that showed the blunder of the
Republicans in its worst form-its uncon-
stitutionality-for it led to the proceedings
ON Which the decision was given. In vain
the Republican opponents of the measure
IN the Legislature protested that that
would be the fate of it; in vain they held
that it was bad and dangerous politics;
that it would be re%pudiated by the peo-
pie-the same people who had shown
such a marked tendency TO act for them
selves and shelve a leaders when the
Democracy pursued the same tactics.
Lentz n Dickinson would have none
of it. They claimed that the scheme
-n1t16 cf ro,, ~, ~ --k.~, IL. a .x..I
add to the chances of keeping it i'll line
in Democratic Hudson and to the proba-
hility of maintaining the strong grip on
Essex. They pulled every possible wire
and lifted every lever they could lay a
hand upon; they dickered and dealt and
promised and threatened till they carried
their point. 1t was a close shave for
them in spite of their. tremendous efforts
however. The Senate. passed their bill
by a bare majority of one; that, too, in
a body where the party majority was Is
out of a total of q. It was plain, there
fore, that it was not a strictly party
measure. Indeed. it was somewhat sig
nificant that all their pulling and promis-
ing failed to move the President of the
Senate, who comes from Passaic county,
the home of Hobart and Griggs; nor
could it wheel Voorhees,, the leader in
the Senate, into line. 1t seemed more
OF a pity, therefore, that the professional
politicians should have accomplished their
purpose and brought the present
avalanche down upo the devoted heads
OF those who had vainly, but honestly,
~counseled moderation and due caution,
What Governor Griggs thinks about
THIS Kettle OF fish is left to surmise. He
even when events would seem to Justify
such a course, but he is certainly doing
some deep thinking, since he signed the
measure much against his inclination.
What is VOORHEES, driving at is one
OF the questions of the day. That young
man, who once seemed the logical leader
CT the party, the sure candidate for Gov
ernor, the cautious, conscientious, pains
taking and genial Voorhees,! Some go So
far as to say hat he has split with
Grggs; that their paths hereafter lie in |
difterent directions and that the defeat
of voorhees, proposed Judiciary amend
ments lies at the bottom of the e-strange-
ment, which seems, SO much IN New
Jersey politics. Voorhees, had SET his
heart upon his ideas of how the consti-
tuition should be altered with regard IL |
the formation OF the State Courts and
that upon a test of strength in the SEN
ate he won. 1t was declared that if bigger
hands had not been shown in the contest |
ne would have won, too, in the House.
Hls great error, it is limited, was in
opposing the conformation of certain an
He is said to have taken that |
stand upon the same ground that he
opposed the Lentz-Dickinson scheme
party danger. He made the fight and
lost and its consequence will be felt In
the day to come when higher trophies are
at stake.
nv voorhees is strong in Union. county.
delegation against John Kean and co ms
lIlputed largely to the defeat of that
shreWd and experienced leader, who was
supported by such strong Influences r.
was shown again last year. when he Yves
returned to the Senate in spite Of onnnsi.
l1on from certain sources. Now, IS it
new machine, the object of which will he
the overthrow of the oresent nowai.f III
triumyirate? If it be. he has pDTerbnl
chances. for it is a desperate lean ef fe
take. Young birds sometimes mako faoo
tai errors IN trying their wings. If the
future he will probably cool Of
a bit between now and the ides Of NJ
X tha . lsss; # he means to throw down
himself at the head Of a new line pt snd
march forth to do or die, his recent co,srsa
Is no puzzle to those who have watched
the future IN m Mldn caaIl n'na as to
be needed in caucus, as well as the o+bnr
codnt les Of the State and it is probably
one vote, particularly when that ~
oessteS
bills on, his hands to poster his a1if a fo y
the next thirty days. He has sjenaG IA
20 81 the more than 300 which got throa1eb
waking lsoI hours q w 1ne Ln~eegghtslhatture and his
burden to him before he disposas of q
dass one. Each particular bill is the pef
tor, each with particular reasons WIZ T.
become a. law, and the Govar
VII nave all these things to 20 over in
.dlsposing of the documents before bii,n ~
1