The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-08
THE BATTLE GROUND.
Next Years Senatorial Contest
to Be Fought Out
in Essex.

The MewaE4 Sunday CaliS of yesterday
has an Interesting discussion of the next
Senatorial contest. It says +
The political Campaign of 1898 is on, and
Essex county is the battle ground. That
| fact was made clear by the result OF the
election on Tuesday. Besides members of
the Legislature who are 10 vote for United
States Senator. the Governor and the
bnlembers OF Congress In each Congress
sional district are to be chosen. 1t will
be BY far the most important election
for State officers held in New Jersey in
many years.
Seven State Senator's are to be chosen.
Atlantic, Cumberland, Mercer and Ocean
the ruie-or-ruin policy of the Sewell forces
may turn them over to the Democrats
| just as Burlington county was this year.
The same policy may lose to the Republi-
cans some of the Assemblymen. and fac
| tional differences, resulting from the same
influence, may cause the defeat of the
Republican ticket in Essex county. Ber-
gen may return a Republican State Sen
ator e year, as 1t has returned two
| Republican Assembiymen this year, but
this is doubtful. Morris may be ~epub-
lican next year, but Hudson is Demo-
cratic.
The return Of four Republicans and
three Democrats to the Senate ext year
will make the Senate twelve Republicans
ity on joint ballot, for the election Of a
United States Senator the Republicans
must lave twenty,nine OF the sixty As
two. With twenty-three ~Assemblymen
elected from the same counties as return
ed Democrats this year the eleven Essex
| county ASSenblymen would give the
Democrats thfrty-four-two more than are
necessary. The Republicans could lose
Bergen county. Morris county all the
county, and still ave The needed num-
Der. bu they must have Essex county.
With Essex, Morris, Union and Passaie
have a majority of thirteen on joint ball
lot. but il is unlikely that any such ma
jority will be secured. Should the Re-
publican majority be very narrow it would
then be a question whether the full party
strength could be controlled to follow the
dictates of the bosses. Senate Sewell is
| determined to force the election of John
Kean for United States Senator. His in
1uence in South Jersey gives him control
OF q large share of the votes in the Re-
publican caucus. A bolt from Sewellism
Jersey at n time, and the possibility of
this, with a narrow majority, is a con-
tinuously besetting danger.
Governor Griggs knew that with Sena-
tor Sewell determined to nominate John
Kean, he, the Governor, could not hope
to be successful. hence the announcement
ernor out of the race for linked States
Senator. The Governor and his close
personal friend, Vice President Hobart,
are in consequence not friendly to Mr..
KeanTs candidacy. They would not at
tempt an open revolt, but they would
favor the election of some other Repub-
lican.
Besides John Kean, the names of
Franklin Murphy, John +. Dryden, Will
lam Barbour, of Paterson and Bergen,
and E. B. Gaddis have been mentioned.
Any of these, with the exception of John
kean and e. B. Gaddis, would receive
the support of Governor Griggs or Vice
President Hobart. Mr.. Gaddis' candidacy
has been suggested, it is believed, solely
for the purpose of dividing Essex coun-
ty in the interest of John Kean. Such a
division would cause feeling that would
result in disaster to the Republicans of
Essex county and of the State.
For Governor, Franklin Murphy is also
a prominent candidate. His connection
with the State Committee, gives him a
wide acquaintance. Mr., Murphy has the
support of Messrs. Hobart and Griggs,
but is bitterly opposed by Senator SeWell.
The latter has not yet openly indicated
his preference for Governor. He is
wrapped up in the candidacy of John
kean for United States Senator. Senator
Sewell is believed to favor Congressman
ernor, and Congressman Gardner also.
Neither Senator Seweli, Vice President
Hobart nor Governor Griggs would op-
| pose Judge Fort.
That. Senator Smith means to have a
Democratic Legislature, if. it is within
the realm of possibility, was made clear to
the least credulous by Tuesdays work.
But Essex is the battle ground. The
course of the Legislature this year is GER
men force unpopular measures again, as
they have in the past, the chances of Sem
ator Smiths victory would be greatly in
creased.