The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-03
Mr.. ER WIN DECLINES
His Defamation Breaks Up
the Goo Coos Scheme
for an Indepen-
dent Ticket.
WANsER TO BE THE NOMINEE
Republicans Decide Upon an EIec-
tion by Very Close Vote
Probable Candidates.


independent candidate for Mayor has col
lapsed, or, more properly speaking, has
been shattered to pieces. 1t was not an
explosion of Joseph A. Dear's vocal gas
which caused all this ruin, nor was it a
break in one of Henry v. Condict's tanks
of verbosity. 1t was, however, this letter
which the committee received this morn
ing from Mr.. Erwin
JERSEY CITY, April 8, 1897
To Hon. Jos, A. Dear ct ais, Commit
tee Citizens Association
Your committee having conveyed to me
your request of the Citizens Association
that accept their nomination for the
Office of Mayor of this city, as the inde-
pendent citizens candidate / have given
the matter the consideration it demands
and have concluded not to accept the
nomination. Thanking you for your ex-
pressions of confidence in me, | remain,
JAMES S. ERWIN.
This goo goo movement differed very
materially from those of its kind. There
was more of the practical politician and
less of the goo goo mugwump about them.
and there was enough of them to dis
courage the impractical element and re-
strain their ardor for an out and out mug
wnnnp candidate.
The practical goo goo at the start laid
down the proposition that the attempt to
run candidate, pure and simple, would
be disastrous and bring their ticket into
disrepute So they suggested that the
best thing to do would be to pick out a
man of such a character that they could
conscientiously support him, and at the
same time one whom the Republicans
would endorse. A difficult thing to do,
but they succeeded.
They selected James S. Erwin and then
opened negotiations with the Republican
managers. Mr.. Erwin struck the ma
jority as a good man, only there was one
objection to him from the Dickinson
wing, which is a pretty large and in
fluential one, if not both wings. They
said that Mr.. Erwin was a Toffey man,
and it was pretty hard that after having
gotten the genial Colonel completely out
of their way they had to lift him back by
making one of his men Mayor. When
Colonel Dickinson heard of this he is
said to have waived the objection aside
and said that Mr.. Erwin would do.
The Goo-Goos then became elated.
They considered everything theirs with
Mr.. Erwin and such heavy backing and
they were jubilant. Their elation turned
to depression when soon afterward they
received Mr.. Erwin's letter declining The
nomination. When they had recovered
from this blow sufficiently to look about
them they talked the matter over a while
and then concluded that they had had
enough and would go out of the reform
ing business for the spring season of
1897 The said that the time was too
short to get together and name a new
candidate
The leaders of the Republican party in
this city decided last night to make a
| tight at the coming election, fixed tonight
as the time for primaries and Monday
morning for the city convention, which
will be held in Bergen Hall. In spite of
denials and rumors to the contrary Mayor
Wanser will be the nominee of the con
vention and that statement comes from a
good authority
Never was there a better illustration
of the chaotic condition of the Republican
party than that seen last night, when
/ in one part of the city Republicans were
uniting with Democrats to make an in
dependent candidate and in the other the
| regular machine was wrangling over an
other name.
The first party, now sinking under the
name of Citizens Movement" is really
the East Jersey Water Company, and a
| glance at the names of the leading mem
bers shows that There was Joseph A.
Dear, whose sudden adherence to the
East Jersey Water Company a few
months ago was a matter of notorious
comment. Henry v. Condict, another
friend of water syndicates, and their man
Judge James s. Erwin, who appeared be-
| fore the Board of Finance during its con-
sideration Of the award of the water con-
tract to the East Jersey Water Company
and argued for its concurrence Then Mr.
Dear roped in the Board or Trade, repre-
sented by President Afurew J. Corcoran
and that nice, harmonious gentleman
whom some people regard as as the mosi
mischievous blatherskite that ever ours
| ed a community Mr. Frank o. Cole Te
| hide as much as possible gne East jersey
| Company in the Citizens Movemen for
sooth, Mr.. Dear added the names Oh
Messrs. Michael Murray, of the Cosmus
| Club, J. G. Lesnbeck, James C. Young ani
| Warren Hardenbergh and A. Washblmne
of the Hudson County Bank, and William
p. Drake, a very particular friend an6
admirir, nit, of Col Sammy Dickinson
All these gentlemen, early today, led b5
| Mr.. Joseph A. Dear, called on Judge Err.
1 win and dangled. the g1ittering prize OF
| the Mayoralty nomination, on behalf od
! the East Jersey Water Company, before
| his judicial eyes. The Judge didn't know
what to say, begged for time, didn't believe
this and didn't think that, and would
! the dear kind gentlemen give him until
! this morning to consider?
! At the meeting IN the evening Mr.. Dear
did all the talking, taking first the pre-
! caution to bundle out his own reporter
and placing an ebony-faced gentleman on
guard at the door.
4 understand, said Mr. Dear. .sthai
the Dickinson Woolley crowd are in ses-
sion at the Union League Club. I sup
pose we ought to acknowledge these peo.
pie in some way and let them know wl1at
we propose to do. If they will endorse
Mr.. Erwin so much the better, If not why
we can do without them.
Mr.. James G. Young moved that d com
nlittee Of three be appointed to go to ths
Union League Club and confer with tht
i City Executive Committee. That motion
was carried and MessrH. Young, Dear ar(
condict were appointed.
while AL this was going On there wa,