Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-11-02
Letter from Atlantic CITY.

ATLANTIC Cry, N. J. Oct. 29th, 1898,
Mr.. Press
As the campaign becomes warmer
more heated discussions of all sorts are
heard. One of the most interesting, to
an observer, is the change that has
come over your neigl b0r, Mr.,
Barrett who seems to have discovered
the insuficiency of his home paper very
recently. My mind takes me back two
years ago when he himself beca me 8
candi date for Sheriff and in schedule
style was laid on the shelf by the bosses
he now SO ardently serves. He VAS
very sore then. aud retaliated by de-
feating Sheriff Kirby in your town by
over one hundred votes. In addition
Mr.. Jackson, the nominee for Assembly
was treated likewise. remember that
The Press supported the straight Re
publican ticket in that election, even
against it's own managing editor who
was the Democratic candidate for the
AsseE,hlv. 1t supported Mr.. Barrett
for Sheriff, and it did not condemn him
when he ''cut" the ticket as it was
never s'cut" in Pleasantville before. On
the contrary it sympathized with him be-
cause he had been so unmercifuay sfaugh-
tered as candidate by the very men
who are now patting him on the sack.
Later on the Republican County Com
mittee became indignant at what il
termed his treachery in Pleasantville,
and have heard that they demanded
his resignation. | have also heard 1T
stated that Sheriff Kirby openly charged
him with dtceiviug him kirby until
IL. 1oe a1y
cumstanc have been told that the
County Committee asked for his resigna-
ton upon the ground that he had re-
ceived campaign money, and had work
ed against the party. The fight wax d
hot, and it was openly said at the time
that Mr.. Barrett sent in his resignation.
At any rate remember very well that
The Press came to his assistance, deftnd-
ed his course, and his resignation was
not accepted. At that time, will ven-
ture to say, Mr.. Barrett thought your
paper was right. Now, when it assails
the same disreputable methods of the
same men who defeated him for the
Sheriff nomination, strange to say he
thinks it entirely wrong and forthwith
proceeds to condemn it. 1t is certainly
q most awkward position for Mr., B ir-
rett to place himself in, and one that
will prove expensive to his political
ambition.
There ia but one inference to be drawn
from his change of course. His history
proves bis disloyalty to the party candi-
dates, and no excuse has ever been made
by him for slaughtering Kirby and
jackson. So it must be for spoiis, and
spoiis only, together with the assumP-
tion of the dictatorship that accounts
for his present course. This is all right
so long as two interests are not harmed.
One of them is the claims of the other
workers, throughout the county, who
at present seem to have been ignored,
and the other is tie interests OF the peo-
pie who are becoming conscious OF the
fact that they have been made the tools
of scheming politicians and their sole
interests. 1t was Mr.. Barrett am in
formed, that espoused the cause of Mr..
Ashley when the different delegations
came up and entered their protests
against his nomination to the great
Mogul who demanded his nomination.
The only apparent reason seems to be
the continuation of Mr.. Curtis Somers
as Door-Keeper whom Mr. Ashley ap-
pointed last year. Now Mr.. Somers, so
far as know, is gentleman, and one
fully competent to ill the position, but
it would ba much better and cheaper
for the taxpayers Of Atlantic County to
perso nally contribute the amount of sal
ary Of several door-keepers half dnzan
times over than to continue such foil
politics as prevailed at the Egg Harbor
Convention. A SEASIDE VOTER.