The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-07
GRlGGS VS.. VOORHEES,
The Breach Between These
Two Great Men too Wide
to be Healed.
KElA AHEAD IN THE SENATORIAL FIGHT
Republican Leaders Look With
Alarm Upon the Beings Of
The Local Bosses.
KElA AHEAD IN THE SENATORIAL FIGHT

~ TAG oSA5cy &Ay S"es
TRENTON. June Z, 1E97.-"Few men
among the rank and file of the Republic
cans know just how far apart Governor
Griggs and Senator Voorhees, have fall
en-" said one of South Jerseys leaders,
who was here the other day. .I tell you
the breach Is so wide that there is no
prospect of its being cemented and in
the next eighteen months you'll see the
liveiiest fight in our party you've seen
In many a day. VOORHEES, will stake
his all in the battle, for he has much to
gain n little to lose. Should he win
he whl be at the pinnacle of his political
career, for then he will be the most for
midable candidate for Governor. If he
loses he can still remain a power in the
Senate, where he has yet two years to
serve. He IS strong at home, and has
a large following among the rank and
file, although few of the leaders are with
hin Governor Origgs assume a grave
responsibihty-viewing the situation in
the light of his ambition to succeed
United States Senator Smith-when he
arrayed VOORHEES, and Voorhees, friends
in opposition. 1t was neither diplomatic
nor polite, and l am surprised that it
ever came about, for the Governor has
always been given the credit for the
keenest sagacfty.
There is a heap of trouble ahead for
US" continued the South Jerseyman,
"and for the life of me I can't see how
it is going to be healed. The wires are
now being pulled for United States SEN
ator and for Governor, and we conf
IDENTIFY expect to land both, but we've got
TO do a tan heap of harinonizing. At
this day 0 Kean has all the BEST of
It for Senator down our way. 1t was
South Jersey that stood by him IN 1895,
when he came SO near being nominated
for Governor Had his own county of
Union stood by him as well he would
have captured the convention on the first
ballot. It was Senate Voorhees, who
by dividing the Union delegation. He
held more than a third of the vote from
his county, and beside the figure it cut
In the ballot it had CONSPICUOUS influence
upon the delegates from other counties.
Tor when a man goes into a convention
without solid backing from his. own
home his chances of victory are slender
in Union County, and exerts a very
wide influence. He will undoubtedly
bring all his strength to bear Upon the
campaign for Senator, and it is safe to
say that that strength will not be ex-
erted in behalf of those Assembly candi-
date who favor Governor Griggs. Voor-
hees makes no effort TO conceal the true
condition of affairs between himself and
the Governor, and it's the greatest pity
in the world for two such good men
to be at swords points.
Nor is that all the trouble we have in
hand. What we are going to do in Essex
and Hudson counties to s~traighten out
the muss made by Carl Lentz and Sam
Dickinson I don't know. They were
warned owe and over again that the
anti-spring election law was bad politics.
and probably unconstitutional. 1t proved
one and the Supreme Court p~ronouncing
1t the other. Well, that was really the
only simon pure, clear-cut partisan
scheme we put through last winter, and it
created the biggest kim of a row a1nong
the member of the State Committee.
Lentz and Dickinson were called down,
and they didn't like it. > The people rose
once and ebuke offensive partisanship,
and we got possession of the State. The
p pe aed WE W. m Da d9 end d the same o thin lg for for
cold, I'm thinking. OF course, we have
the hope that the Democrats will con-
will get all over their quarrel and forget
the money issue in the State campaign.
II they. do that and the two wings flap
together in peace and harmony III be
darned if I'd bet a shoestring on the re-
suit"
The State League of Republican Clubs
do not propose to be inactive, ever if this
is an off year in politics. The Executive
Committee had a meeting in this city last
Thursday night and decided that a lively
convention of the league would be the
proper thing for the opening of the fall
campaign and have agreed TO hold one,
but just where and when is. a matter for
future conference.
The League believes that it did It's share
toward securing success in 1885 and 1896.
and has a better right now than ever be-
fore for claiming the interest and support
OF active Republicans. There is a DISPOSE
ton on the part of the State and local
leaders to discourage these league con-
ventions because they inspire special con-
tributions and requent assessments, and
all evils of such a character are being
reduced to a minimum.
The League, however, claims it has
demonstrated its usefulness in campaigns
if the past.