The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-27
OFFICE SCRAMBLE.
The Republicans Greed for
Place Becomes a Party
Scandal.
GENERAL sEWELL's REBUKE
The Change Of Governors to Be
Marked by Many So
cial Functions.
Especial to sThe Jersey city News."I

tention of all the politicians of the State.
1t is a dull day, indeed, when either of
those counties fails to furnish a political
sensation. At present Hudson county is a
hot-bed of excitement, and later develop
ments in the scandals concerning the Dis
trict Attorneys Office will, it is predicted,
add fuel to the flame. 1t is generally be-
ieved that both Noonan and Simpson
nave been indicted for bribe-taking, and
that they will be formally arraigned in
court the beginning of the week.
The trial promises to be one of the most
sensational that ever occurred in the GRIM
inal annals of New Jersey. Already for
mer Attorney General Stockton and for
mer Judges William T. Hoffman and
Thomas F. Noonan have been engaged
for the defense. No doubt the prosecution
will be conducted by Attorney General
Grey. owing to the illness of Prosecutor
Winfield, which will prevent him from APP
pearing in the case. 1t is not improbable
that Mr.. Winfield may resign his office
before his term expires, and in that event
his successor would be able to assist in
the prosecution. 1t is not that an indict-
ment for bribe-taking is of such a char
acter as to call for the service of eminent
lawyers, but he fact that the case will
assume q political bearing which will be
of extraordinary interest. If not directly,
at least indirectly, the Republicans ex~
pect to make capital out of the case,
which will, they believe. inure to the
benefit of their party in the great cam
paign of next year.
1t is about settled that Corporation
Counsel John /. Blair will succeed Judge
Hudspeth in the Hudson County Court.
The candidates for Prosecutor are James
B. Vredenburgh, Colonel Charles NJ.
Fuller and former Judge James S. Erwin.
All are politicians more or less, and 1t Is
doubtful if Hudson county will be bene-
fitted by the change from a non-political
point of view. OF course, in a partisan
aspect the Republicans will no doubt be
the gamers. The race is said to lie be-
tween Fuller and ~Vredenburgh, with the
chances in favor of the latter.
Governor Griggs Will make the Hudson
county appointments as well as all others
of equal Importance. 1t is said, however,
that the appointment of a Prosecutor of
the Pleas for Mercer county will be left
for Acting Governor Voorhees,, as well as
the Assistant Factory Inspectors and
SClllt OlllCIS I'll lCsS II a ~ 49,
is in progress for the Mercer county berth
between former Congressman Buchanan
and Police Justice William j. Crossley.
Each has influential support, and in maxi
ing his choice the Acting Governor may
find a hard nut to crack. There is much
speculation as to who will succeed Charles
II. Simmerman as Chief of the Bureau Of
Labor Statistics. 1t is a very snug berth
pays 81, 800 a year and the term is Tor five
wears There mIfST he some uncertainty
felt as to the condition of the Board, or
else there would be more candidates for
the office of Chief. "A report is current
that the Board may be abolished alto
gether or else merged with the Board of
Factory inspectors and the Board of Ar
erisd1 nau qnae dia fasor h f6s exist G9verho Of
these boards, as his belief is they are no
earthly good to the State. In his annual
message to the Legislature ne may rec
ommend either their abolition or their
merging, and then the new Governor can
do as he pleases in the matter. A Repub-
lican Senator of prominence said the other
day that he believed it would not be good
policy to wipe cut those Boards. He
said there was an influential public senti-
ment behind them which it would be I'M
wise to ignore. For that reason alone he
believed that the Legislature would not
take radical action and that there is a
strong probability that the Boards in
question will not be disturbed.
Professional politicians, of course, are
opposed to any interference by the Leg
islature with the present order of things.
There arc a score or more of fat berths
belonging to these departments. All pay
good salaries and there is scarcely one
which is not a sinecure. Republican
glances at those places and must have
them. Consequently, the Legislature
would be stepping on slippery ground if it
dared to interiors ner : With mis- gTist q pa
of Cumberland, is an active candidate for
Simmermann's PLACE. As he is an or
iglnal Griggs man perhaps he may get
been a thorn in the path of the Republican
machine in his own county, it may be con-
sidered good politics. to remove him from
that field of mischief and place him in an
Office which hereafter will secure his al
legiance to his party through thick and
thin.
The demand of the Essex county
p~lace-hunters for offices in the gift of the
Legislature is of such magnitude as to
scare the wits out of the rural Assem-
share of the crumbs of comfort. Just
think of it, Essex wants the Clerkship,
the Sergeant-at-Arms, IN Assistant Ser
geant-at-Arms Assistant Engrossing
Clerk, eight doorkeepers, nearly all the
pages and most of the cuspadore workers!
And the claim for all this patronage is
based on the concession made by Essex
with regard to the Speakership. The
country members are very angry, indeed,
and they have concluded to get together
Tor SelI-pTOlecllOl SO that the Essex COM
morants may not gobble everything in
sight. OF course Essex can be easily
downed if a combination is formed against
it by the rest of the State.
1t does not speak well for the Repub-
.lican leaders that they are permitting a
Campaign for the caves and fishes to
take the place of a movement for wise
legislation at the coming session. Instead
of discussing a plan for the enactment of
measures in the interest of the people of
the State the Republican statesmen are
in the throes of excitement over the dis
tribution of the offices. 1t seems to be
the old. old story, as, when Delegate
Flanagan, of Texas. asked the question
at a National Convention some years
ago: What are we here for but the
Offices
In bygone days very little interest was
taken in the organization of the Legisla-
ture until the time arrived for that pur-
pose. Nowadays the State House COR
ridors are thronged by spoils seekers
every Tuesday, all bent upon feathering
their own nests. 1t is no wonder that
General Sewel, seeing the harm that is
being done to his party by such gather
ings, has called a halt by telling the
place-hunters to cease their weekly visits
to the State House. Perhaps it is not too
late to mend
The difficulty over filing the position
of secretary of the Senate has not yet
been smoothed over. and 1t begins to
den was doomed. The terrific storm of
opposition raised about his head has been
felt in all parts OF the State, and the
North Jersey Senators may unite upon
"a strong candidate for the place. The
South Jersey Senators-and even john
son. of Camden-would very much like
to find a oophole of escape from their
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