The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-23
KEAN'S WALK OYER
Nothing Except Death or
Democrats Can Keep
Him From the United
States Senate.
eRIaas ANTAGoNlzED BIS FRIENDS
His Defeat the Sure Fate Of All
Ambitious Governors Who
Seek to Go Higher.
eRIaas ANTAGoNIzED HIS FRIENDS
Especial to ..rhe Jersey city News."l

prevent John Kean from goins ~ W
United States Senate in 1893. remarhcu
a Republican leader the other day. Anu
that is the prevailing belief IN poilicai
circles. The announcement recently
made by Governor Griggs that he wih
be g. candidate for Senator makes II
easy for Mr.. Kean to crafty his ampltioh
TO occupy the seat now held by James
Smith.
The rather sudden collapse OF Governor
Griggs' boom was not to say a general
surprise Well informed politicians mao
predicted all along that the boom wouio
not amount to much when the time ar
rived for practical work. or course
some of the Governors nearest FRIENDS
feel keenly the disappointment Which nag
been brought about through ms pfo-
nunciamento They had hoped that
their brainy chieftain would be III
recognized by his promotion to the SEN
ate. where he would have an opportunity
TO display his ability as an orator anu d
statesman.
: When the Governors friends started
him in the race for the Senatorshlp they
miscalculated his strength. They iaio
stress particularly upon his ability as d
LAWYER and an orator, but they forgot 70
take into account the extent OF his popu-
laritv. When Mr.. Griggs was electeo
Governor he was considered a very pepu-
lar man indeed. He defeated one OF Inc
hest citisens of the State-a man OF the
highest integrity-Chancellor McGin and
by a plurality. too, of not less than zo.'uo,
the largest ever given a Gubernatorial
candidate in New Jersey. Mr.. Griggs
ia y, pnntfSrn on the
stump, and during the campaign he was
the idol of the Republican masses. ne
had the politicians solidly at his BACK
ard at time the prediction was geheraiiy
made that he would go up even hlgher
before the closing OF his political career.
And, loi what a change has taken place
even before the Governor has served nan
the length of his term! Politicians VINO
championed his cause when ne was d
candidate for Governor-men VINO cheereo
him to the echo, and pointed MIN OUT as
the great leader of his party-noW can
scarcely say a kind word for him.
well. the Governor is out OF the race
for Senator" was the remark made TO
a Mercer ounty leader the other day, a
man who was foremost in the Grlggs
vanguard two years ago. Yes, ne was
licked out of 1t and I am BANKED glad
of it," was the reply. 20
It. will be remembered hat the Mercer
county Republican leaders were Largely
responsible for the nomination OF Mr.
Griggs for Governor. They took the inlti-
alive in his behalf, n when they dia
they ruthlessly trampled upon the boom
of John Kean. In the Republican state
Convention Barker Gummere was CHAIR
man of the Mercer delegation. BY MS
shrewd tactics, and with the aid OF ex-
senator Stainsby, of Essex, n john
Franklin Fort in the chair, a stampede
was virtually caused in favor of MT.
Erises when his victory was achieved.
Now, there is not even n among the
corerie of Mercer county politicians who
feels pleasantly toward Mr.. Griggs- In
fact. they are all for John Kean for
United states Senator. Why such a re-
yulsion in feeling in such a comparatively
short space of time? That is a question
to which the politicians give rather a SEN
tentious answer. The Governor mas maqe
himself unpopular because OF nus colu
manners and arbitrary actions: he mas
not kept his promises and he mas gone
back on the men who made him. Inat
is the sum and substance of the arralsn-
ment of Governor Grlggs py ,me On
When the Governors term expires. SIX,
teen months hence, his active political
career will have been far shorter Ihan
90 up higher will then have been nipped
in the bud, and he will resume the prac-
tice of the legal profession, OF winch
surely he is a very gifted member In
less all the signs fail, John kean VIII
then be chosen a United States Senator,
and either MahloH Pitney or. William
s. Hancock will be a candidate for the of
fee as Governor Griggs' successor. Such
rs the wnift1gig of politics. In the pc
litical field there is nothing new undo
ways likely to happen. It is only four
years or so ago when the late Leon
Albeit reached for a seat IN the unlted
States Senate and felt confident that he
would succeed. But without much of a
fuss the politicians got up a movement
against him, and they landed James
Smith sn Il. 5 IT, jar IN the her seat It So tbs % nlhoe eogefeo
The politicians vanquished Leon Albeit
Just the same as they have knocked the
bottom out of job w. Griggs' boom for
demonstrated that one cannot succeed in
politics without the support of the poll
t%icians.. The politicians are supposed to
ascertain the will Of the people. and then
carry it out by their choice of men for
public places. When a Mercer county
politician was asked why It was that he
for Senator. when only TWO years age
they SO warmly supported him for Gov
ernor, the reply was that the people favor
ed him at that time, while now they are
decidedly opposed to him.
During recent years the Mercer county
Republican, leaders have been fortunate
in their diagnosis of the public pulse
They have aiken the bull by the horns
when they discovered which was the
popular side and came out fat-footed fol
the men and measures which they deemed
best for the welfare of the State and the
interests of their party. Republican lead
ers feel no doubt as to the result of mex
years campaign. They say that the
battle is already half won, and that with
continued prosperity a complete victory
is doubiy asEured.
United States Senatorial fight and thu
announcement that he weuld retire from
politics when his term expires, recalls ths
fact that very few men who have occu-
pied the Executive chair in New Jersey
ever got any higher. Many of the for
allied positions, but very few have real
1zed their ambitions.
Within . period of fifty years the onl,
Governors who ever figured In Nationa
politics were William A. Newell, March,.
George b. Mcclellan, Joel Parker an(
Leon Albeit. Most Of these aspired tt
positions in the National government, blu
failed. Governor Newell served in Con
gress before he was elected Chief Elk
ecutive Of the State, n afterwards h
was appointed Governor of Washington
Territory, which has since become
State, and where he at present resides.
Joel Parker, once or twice after ht
served his second term as Governor, wa:
boomed for a Presidential nomination
him by their votes in national conven
tons. He lever got any further on tn
road to his ambition, and when he diet
he was serving as a justice of the Su