The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-24
THE SAME OLD GAME.
Republican Bosses Getting
Ready to Name Their
Speaker When the
Time Comes.
TIE WATKINS AND PORTER FIGHT
Carl Lentz Against the Essex Man
Because He Married DEM
Gratis Daughter.
TIE WATKINS AND PORTER FIGHT

ing on in this State and another hand
was played In it yesterday. 1t is known
as the Speakership game and is played
between the bosses and some ambitious
Assemblymen who let's his ambition run
away with his better judgment. Ever
since the sage of the West Jersey, as
General Sewell is sometimes called, took
intos his own hand the management of
the party of hypocrisy and hungry spoils-
men this game has been gong on. Some
young ASSemblyn1an, who has probably
been in the Legislature d session or two,
announces himself as candidate for
Speaker and starts out to get votes. He
may be a genial agreeable young man
OF more than ordinary ability ana with
a faculty for making friends. and he
soon secures half or conditional pledges
of enough votes from his fellow mem
bers to make him see the presiding Off
GERS gavel within his grasp, and he has
delightful dreams of beng the third citi-
zen of a great and proud Commonwealth.
But when the caucus comes, how rude
is his awakening The leaders crack the
whip, che Republicans, like the political
slaves they are, Sink away 10 do their
masters bidding, and the candidate OF
the bosses is elected.
The game this year is between the
bosses and George William Wray Porter,
nice young man from Newark. Mr..
Porter is a candidate for Speaker, and,
like the good Mr.. Skinner before him,
is confident of being elected. He has
they are really with him, and in the
corridors yesterday, on the surface, every
thing appeared to be going pretty much
his way But there was an undercurrent
setting in strong toward Mr. Watkins,
a current like the fatal undertoW which,
though invisible and more dangerous
catches you in its .grasp and bears you
away Dick Redding, Trolley Roll,
ex-Speaker Louis Derousse and the other
executive officers of General SeWell's or
rail
know who would be Speaker. but it
looked very much like Mr. Watkins; and
i you happened 70 haye nave vote aisol IN In,7 tne
why Watkins should be the man. Then,
about noon, Barker Gummere, General
SewelIs chief of staff in Mercer, announc-
ed that he was for Watkins because ne
was a South Jerseyman.
Mr.. Watkins was addressed many times
yesterday. in the State House corridors,
as Mr.. Speaker The young legislator,
who aspires to rule from the big chair
in the Assembly Chamber, could not, IN
the expression of his face, conceal the
words he told his friends that the caucus
had not YET been held Many OF the poll
ticians present, VINO used the appeiiation
did SO in the nature of harmless
Jolly, but as many, or more, so ex-
pressed themselves as indicative of their
belief in the result Of the pretty three
cornered fight for Speakersnfp that has
been urged for three weeks past
Tine attempt OF Henry w. Gledhill. OF
Passaic who engineered the free bicycle
baggage bill of last winter, Tor the honof
of welding the gayel over his colleagues,
seemed to be sfde-tracked, as little WAS
heard of it.
Mr.. Potter was present, as was also Mr..
Gledhil. Seven of the Essex Assembly
men were on hand. Mr. Porter ieft carry
but before going he expressed himself as
confident of finally succeeding. He said
that another caucus Of the Essex delega-
ton would be held, and ne expected better
results than at the first one Al the first
caucus there We're two ballots tahen, one enc
secret ballot there were but Two Porter
votes, while on the open ballot there
were eight, and one of these was MI;
Porferss own ballot. The remainder of
the eleven votes were for Mr.. Watkins
From the beginning 1T was belleVed Ihat
Mr.. Porter had good chances OF success
If ne could hold together his. delegation,
The claim was made by his friends that
this could be done, but now that claim is
believed to be matter of history in the
not lost hope by reason of this. He says
candidates have succeeded when their own
county was not solid for them. and that
they have failed when their county was
solidly for them. He believes that he is
strong with the old members, and that he
will get his share of the new members. He
saws also that he has reason to believe
that he can yet command a solid delega-7
tion. One OF the rumors that intensified
that two OF his supporters were ready at
any time to desert him for Watkins.
Major Carl Lentz, the active leader of
Essex was present. There is no disguise
ing the fact that it was he who inserted
the wedge which broke up Mr. Porter's
fairest chances. In the last Legislature
antl-Spring Election bill, which resulted
in a wintry atmosphere between them.
ITnmedia tely after this falls election, the
geant-at- Arms of the House, and there
followed this event a small army OF Es--
sex patriots who would like to participate
in the feast of petty offices in the Leg
isiature.
The latest amateur in politics knows
that Essex county cannot have every
Thing, and Mr.. Porters troubles then COM
pSIsant smiles begs not to be interviewed
and says that he is keeping his hands, or
the only one he has on his single arm, out
of the Speakership fight.
A sentimental report yesterday was to
the effect thar the Major was only work
ing q bluff on Mr.. Porter in order to test
mis- Republicanism. The Major has for
some time made no secret OF the fact that
his opposition to Mr. Porter was based on
the fact that he is the son-in-law of
Judge Guild, prominent Democrat of
Newark, and that he is employed in law
work by Colonel Price the Bryanitic
Chairman of the State Democratic Com
self into the proposition that Mr.. Porter
will only get time to attend to his duties
by the grace of his Democratic employer.
The power of a Speaker. to keep bills on
the calendar by reason of absences, might
jeopardize the majority on important oc-
casions. No one near Mr.. Porter has
taken this objection seriously, and at the
very beginning of his campaign he Sc
cured expression from his county coll
leagues as to their faith in his stalwart
Repubhcanism.
Major Lentz held short conyersa ton
with Messrs. Watkins and Gledhin, and it
was regarded as history making. in that
it looked, If Mr.. Watkins We're elected
that Mr.. Gledhill would be selected as
leader. The mater of selecting a leader,
however. will be question to be set
tied when the atmosphere has become
clearer.
Mr.. Watkins says he has every reason
to be confident at the present situation
He desired to contradict a statement made
in some papers which said that he was
willing to withdraw in case Essex went
solid for Mr.. Porter. Mr.. Watkins stated
that nothing he had said would authorize
such a statement, and he added mat he
was in the fight TO stay. II was said yes
terday that Mr. Watkins is sure of. nine
teen votes In South Jersey and that with
three from Union county he will have a
clear majority in the caucus.
Assemblyman Weller was pres4at and
was looking for his. colleagues, Messrs.
Nicklin and Yard, who did not appear.
The following are Mercer county candi-
dates for places: Assistant Sergeant-at-
Arms, Carl Weidel, ey-Freeholder Baldauf
and John ROLAND; Doorkeepers. Albert
Moon. David Carney and Harry Walker.
Mr.. Murphy was the only Hudson mem-
He ran down to pick out seat on the
floor of the House, and was very much
disgusted to find that the best desk On