The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
OCEAN GROVE cHEWIxG FREE CUM.
All the supply In the Market Cornered By =
Republican Candidate.

AsBuRY PARK. Oct. SO.-Monmouth county 10
overrun with yea GUS politicians just now. Go
where you will, the candidate can be found.
accompanied b u rctinue OF licutenants and
professional jolliers. and working the glad-hand
and baby kissing ats six days in the week from
sunrise until sunset. There IRE sixteen town.
ships in Monmo tn county. and the candidates
for Surrogate and Assembly are expected to
visit every city, town, village, farmhouse, and
blacksmith shop in the county at least twice
during the campaign.
Campaigning in Long Branch. Red Bank,
Freehold, and other wet towns Is comparatively
easy. providing the candidate is a past master
in the art of carrying n jag Of applcjack and his
bank account suggests the klOnGike. But in
Asbury Park and Ocean Grove 1t is different.
Here barrooins are banned. so the hustling can.
didatcs are unable TO rely on glad hands and tho
seductive essence of trouble to corral voters.
When they hit AS ury Park they must wear
white nccktics, polish their shoes. talk temper
ance, la d Founder Bradley, roast Atlantic
City, whistle The newest hymns. and spend their
money for peanuts. popcorn. chewing gum,
cigars, and undulteratcd soda water.
The very first thing an up-to.date candidate
does when he reaches this place ia to ask about
Mr.. Bradley's health. Then he visits each cigar
store. shakes hands with the proprietor and buys
a box Of cigars. He places the box on the coun-
ter, after lacking on the lid n sign reading:
Smoke with Surrogate Crater" or " Have one
with Assemblyman Brown" The Prohibition
voters in Bradleyville take kindly to this way Of
campaigning. for it means FREQ smoking during
the canvass. The candidates. on the other hand,
save money by coming here. for the cigars do
not cost so much as wet goods. There are ff-
teen cigar stores in Asbury Park. and in every
one Of them free Republican or Democratic
smokes can be had for tho asking.
Over in Ocean Grove cigar stores arc not toll
Grated, and even smoking is prohibited by
ordinance within seeing or smelling distance Of
the camp grounds. The free cigar plan. there
fore, can't be worked there. and the hustling
candidates are compelled to treat the voters to
chewing gum or soda water. Dealers in chew
ing gum. and they are legion. stock up to the
limit every fall in anticipation OF the coming of
the oficeseekers, and their sales OF gum are
enormous. Dave Crater, the Democratic candi.
date for Surrogate. has worked this political
circuit for many moons. and what he doesn't
know about vote catching is not worth lear ms.
But he was caught mapping this week. and his
brief slumber will cost him hundreds OF votes in
Ocean Grove. and the gum habit may be respon-
sible for ousting him from the office he has held
tor the past fifteen years.
Ben Ogden. his Republican opponent. put up
the Job that .aused Crater TO lose his grip. OC-
den learned that Crater was due in the camp
meeting town this afternoon. In order to
head of the Democrat he came 10 the grove
unannounced this morning, and executed the
market in the twin cities. He bought uD
e einity, s and. after al Eu he had "a 80 secured pipedaf pledges sI from Il,
the dealers that they would not replenish
their stock until after Crater's visit. the gun
nearly a wagon loRd-was carried across Wesley
Lake. Apackage was lett in every cottage and
business house; Boxes Of the gum were placed
in every schoolhouse and, to make sure that no
one was sighted. n package was ma led to every
householder and every voter. On every bundle
ness OF the Republican candidate for Surrogate
and these words: "Chews this day whom sc
will serve. For Surrogate. Benjamin b. Ogden
Before midday early every man, woman and
child in the neighborhood was chewing gum tt
beat the hand and, at the same time. ~laudinG
Ogden to tho skies for his forethonght. The
chewing bee was in full swing when the un
suspecting Crater. his handsome face wreathed
in an educated political smile and his glad hanC
in good working order, arrived on tho CAM
adherents OF former campaigns. but it did no
take him long to discover that marble heart
and frozen faces were epidemic, the result o
Og ems free and unlimited distribution OF gun
Surprised. CHI grined. AM Inundated at tn
frigid reception, Crater attempted TO squNr'
but the thermometer WAS flirting with the AZ
mark. and the shivcring. chewing popuinc'
more he importunedt the faster the voters chewel
Ogden's delicious gum. Realizing the impossi
bi!ity Of procuring Democratic gum Ior tn
sadly acknowledged that. Ogden had stolen,
march on him and silently departed from tn
haliowed precincts of the camp meeting resort
breathing threats against the man who invente'
gum.
chewing gum campaigns are not the style. Her
he fell back on the time-honored style of mai
ing votes. and when he left the natives were ur
usually hilarious. and unanimously declared bt
tween hiccouRhs that Crater was the best thin
that ever happened, and he was proclaime
"the next Democratic Surrogate
Ogien's fight for victory is an uphill one. tn
county being normally Democratic. hut he
banking on his Ocean Grove gum-che wing friend
to increase the Republican vote In that distrit
and thus insure success.