Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-11-10
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
argus Writes of the Result
of the Election.
HOW The COUNTY CHAIRAANSHIp WAS CAPTURED.
HOW ASHLEY WAS TO HAVE BEEN BEATEN,
HOW HE WAS SLAUGHTERED AT THE
POLLS, AND BY WHOSE EFFORTS HE WAS
SAVED FROM DEFEAT.

Last week was devoted mostly to
politics-in getting ready, voting, and
discussing the result of the election.
Hence there is but little else to write
about outside of that subject. The old
Bread and Butter Brigade having sue
ceeded, as usual, at the County Conven-
ton, in doing some disreputable political
work, came home to rest, and let the
ticket they had nominated by deceit and
false promises go to the dogs for aught
they cared. The men nominated, how
ever, were good men and had no part in
the treachery made successful by the
Vaccinations of the crib-feeders. They
had enough friends in the party to rally
to their support and pull them through
at the electiOn-in spite of the indiffer-
ence of the men VINO nominated them.
For two successive years the will of the
people has been thw arted at the County
Convention, and the rights of a majority
of the Republican votes set at naught by
these buzzards who live by the efforts of
honest men. 1t is a well-knOwn fact
that majority of the delegates sent to
the Republican County Convention were
in favor of Samuel Smith, of Egg Harbor
Township, and nearly everybody con-
ceded his nomination and election.
Samuel H. Kelley was also conceded the
position of County Chairman; but both
these gentlemen were entirely too reput-
able to suit the gourmands of plunder-
SO the latter secretly plotted their over
throw. To make sure that there would
be no miscarriage of their plans their
chief deluder was despatched to Egg
Harbor City to "watch out, and cap
ture the Convention by false promises, or
in any other way that might present
itself. He looked long and earnestly
before he saw an opportunity to work
his little bunco game, but it came at last.
1t is said, in theological circles, that the
Devil is always kind to his own, and it
must have been his Satanic Majesty who
first suggested that George Long could
be captured by the empty promise OF the
Post-ofifce, or some position of honor in
the city government. George was daz-
zled with the vision, however, and
allowed himself to be drawn into a
despicable game to defeat his friend Sam.
Kelley. to whom he said-Only few
minutes before the Convention assembled
that he would not allow his name to
be used against him. Who would have
thought that George Long would have
been so easily landed in the arms OF his
enemies ? Will they let any of the prom
ised plums of patronage fall within his
reach Not on your life When Kelley
was told of Longs sudden change OF
heart he was thunderstruck and refused
to believe it. They had both stood
shoulder to shoulder, fighting the ring
that sought their downfall, and both
had been warding off the blows aimed
at the movement for purer politics and
better government for Atlantic City.
Alas Kelley in few minutes found
everything true which he had refused to
believe, and found himself dethroned by
supposed friend. Mr.. Ashley was
nominated for the Assembly by the Con-
vention, and it is not known that he had
any lot or part in the bargaining that
brought about his candidacy. Indeed it
is said the old ring really did not want
him, and it looks that way at first,
when we look at the election returns
The people not at the Convention did
not know of the treachery that defeated
their choice, and they assumed that the
old crib-feeders had nominated Ashley
because he could be depended upon to do
their bidding. Acting upon this theory
be was murderously slaughtered all over
the county--including his old home in
Galloway Township. 1t was not be-
cause his old neighbors disliked him or
blamed him; but they wanted to put
their stamp of disapproval upon the ring
that had fed at the public crib for q life
time and had given nothing but incom-
potency and treachery in return. think
| they made mistake in knitting him at
the polls, and shall believe, until con-
vinced to the contrary, that he was not
| and will not be the tool of the old ring OF
| officeholders.
Now how about those who were SO
shamefully betrayed and so despicably
used at the County Convention? ? One
and all they forgot their grievances and
went to work to elect the ticket.
Samuel Kelley, Samuel Smith, Captain
Walter Fifeld, and Lewis H. Barrett,
and their many friends went to work
with q vim to elect Ashley. Without
their efforts he would surely have beer
defeated. As it was it required the
hardest kind of hard work and quite q