Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-02-24
A Letter FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
Politics Lively Relating to
the Spring Election.
FIGHT FOR C0UHCIlHEN LIKELY 10 Be HOT.
"ARGUs" DIsCOURsEs UPON POLITICS, Po-
LITICAL PURIFIcATIoN- COUNCILMANIC
CoNTEsT-THE POsT-OFFICE-THE SCHEME
TO REsURRECr THE sCHAUFLER DEAL, ETC


coNTEsT-THE PosT-oFFIcE-THE scHEMI
TO REsURRECT THE sCHAUFLER DEAL, ETC
II the present political situation con
tinues until election day there will be nc
intelligent forecasting of the actual re
suit. States are made and broken every
day, and candidates who were regarded
as likely to capture certain nominations
d week ago, are now out of the race al
together. New names are brought up
suddenly, and are suddenly dropped, and
the process is repeated day by day.
The split among the colored people in
the Third Ward has 80 complicated mat
tiers there that even Father" Rose can
barely keep track of the different fac
tons. The First Ward is less split up
than the Third, and it looks like an ex-
cellent ticket. with Councilman Parker
and his running mate preparing for a
walkover. In the Second Ward there
will be struggle as tits said that Coun-
Gilman Lee intends to dictate his sue
cessor. Indeed it is whispered that he
will not hesitate to sacrifice himself
again for another three years, notwith-
standing his recent declination. 1t is ru-
mored that this sudden change of base
has been brought about by the eloquent
pleadings of Charlie Forsyth. who engi-
neered the deal for the Schaufler prop
erty from which the city was to get rich
If it had gone through. If all hear is
true, however, there will be another
chance for the city to make q few hum
dred thousand dollars out of the same
s'scheme that is, if these great friends
OF the poor taxpayers are successful in
electing enough Councilmen to put it
through. No doubt the taxpayers will
rush to the rescue when they find out
the good things in reserve for them that
are involved in this sly little deal that
may not prove to be SO very sly after
all. No sooner was the intention of
these disinterested philanthropists made
known, than Doctor Cuskaden and other
prominent men of the Fourth Ward
called meeting of taxpayers to assist
in the matter so far as the Fourth Ward
is interested therein. 1t is said to be the
intention to call into active service the
well-known and handsome Samuel H.
Kelley, and the combination is expected
to knock into smithereens everything
and everybody who favors the resurrec-
ton OF the Schaufer ''snake." Mr.. Kel-
ley, SO it is said, will be asked to become
candidate for Aldermal-so as to Sc
cure for that important position man
of high character. If one-half the re-
forms promised materialze we may look
for new order of things of which this
city may be proud.
The formation of g. committee of one
hundred prominent citizens of all par
ties to try and stop the scandalous whole
sale purchase of votes is a move in the
right direction, and it ought to receive
the support OF every man who ever eX-
poets to become candidate for Office.
The way candidates have been stood up
and bled, in various ways, to support alot
of political harpies and barroOm blOkes
is well known to all who ever entered
politics in this city. 1 hope the Commit
tee of One Hundred will be able to up
root this crying evil, even though the
long lines of the Sons of Ham who line
the sidewalks all Cay long on election
day waiting for "bid" should be per-
ceptibly diminished.
Stewart Shinn, | hear, will be a candi-
date for reelection to the Board of Free
holders, and he thinks his position in op-
position to the removal of the County
Seat will be endorsed by the people OF
his ward. am, for one, glad that he
proposes to make the issue on that line
SO that it will be possible to getsome ex-
preston of public sentiment in that di-
rectiOn. A vote cast for him will be a
vote to have the County Buildings re-
main at Mays Landing. In the mean
time Absecon is waking up and prepar-
ing to take advantage of hemagnifcent
offer of Mr.. Waters, of the Windsor Ho-
tel in this city. l hope they will make
an effort to induce Assemblyman Jack
son to let up on his little game of chOk-
ing the removal bill to death in com
mittee, and permit it to come to asquare
vote before the House. | hear that
many of JacksOn's prominent cOnstitu-
ents, at HammOntOn, are indignant at
the position he has taken in the matter.
They well know that it is only for delay
and his intention is to kill the bill. If
the bill doesn't suit his Royal Highness,
why doesn't he urge the committee to
report it in order that it may be perfec-
ted? This would afford him an excellent
opportunity to demonstrate his great
ability as a law-maker by suggesting
such amendments as his superior legisla-
tive knowledge would enable him to
frame and get adopted. Concerning the
bill itself, l have been considerably
amused to see the criticisms launched
against it by the brilliant intellects that
are retained by those who oppose it.
From their much talk and frequent writ
ing, it is plain enough to be seen that the
Mays Landing hackers have been
led to believe that the bill was written
by ex-senator W. l. Newell or Mr.. Jen-
ness the editor of the Pleasantville
PRESS. am assured by the former that
neither of them saw line of it until it
was completed and sent to them by law
yer A. Stephany, of this city, who
drafted the bill from beginning to end.
After all it may not be found to be quite
SO crude measure as some people would
have us believe. Mr.. Stephany expected
it would be amended when it came up
for discussion-but it would seem that
an open discussion of it's merits is exactly
the thing that Mr.. Assemblyman Jack
son of the Board of Chosen Freeholders
is doing his best to prevent. 1t is we'll
known fact that no part Of the county
would receive more benefit from reno
val of the County Seat than Mr.. Jack
sons own town. The Hammonton
newspapers, together with the business
men, bankers and Others are largely in
favor of it. Yet he can say as did the
Apostle Paul, "None of these things
move me-" In view of these facts the
people can only say: $50 mote it be-"
The weather has been SO disagreeable
for the past few weeks that it checked
- -