The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-10-27
BRAUT|GAN ON TRIAL.
Nominated for Senate to Test
Popularity as Mayor
atty Candidate.
KEEPS HIS DOODLE BAG SHUT
His Record Coming Out Par
ticularly on the Park
Site Purchase.
KEEPS HIS DOODLE BAG SHUT

Henry Brautigam, the senatorial can-5
dfdate of the Republican machine, was
nominated to test his strength as May
orally candidate for the spring OF 1879
That fact was admitted today, by a Re-
publican who is in position TO speak au-
thoritatiyely
Henry Brautigam's ambition is to be
Mayor of Jersey City" continued my
informant. When Mr.. Brautigam was
Finance Commissioner Mayor Hoos re-
buked him for the method of doing pusl-
ness the Finance Board was pursuing.
Doubtless people remember that the
Mayor informed Mr. Brautigam that ne
was pursuing different tactics from which
he would in his private business. Since
that time Mr. Brautigam has been mad.
He wants to try conclusions with Mayor
Hoos. The Republican leaders know that
Mayor Hoos' administration of affairs is
pleasing and satisfactory to property
owners To beat him, a strong man
would have to be named, and Henry
Brautigam was looked upon as the one
man capable of doing the trick. The Ger
man vote is such an important factor in
local politics now that it was thought
Mr. Brautigam would prove stronger than
Mayor Hoos with the Germans. Before
naming him for Mayor. however, it was
decided to try him as candidate Ac-
cordingly he was named for Senator, and
it is my opinion that he will not be nomi-
mated for an office again. He has not
developed the strength looked for. In
fact, he is proving very clearly that he IS
a weak candidate. The Germans are
not supporting him. All the McEwan fol-
lowers have turned him down. In many
sections the independent Republicans
have discarded him, and his. vote will
come from the dyed-in-the-woo machine
men and regular workers. Why he is
being turned down puzzles me. He is
being roasted for other things, and
it will not surprise me if he
runs far behind his ticket. Ma
jor Pangborn will certainly head our list
Up in Hudson City, where Mr.. Brautl-
gam was supposed to be strongest, he Is
turning out to be a very weak candidate.
Some of his friends say he is not trying to.
be elected. Whether Mr.. Brautigam
wishes to be elected cannot be ascertained.
one thing is quite certain and that is he
Is not making much of a canvass. He re-
turns from business about fotr o'clock
every day, makes a few stops on The Hill
and goes home Al night he ooes not
venture out Republicans ere surprised
at his Indifference. Another cause OF
surprise is Mr.. Braatigam's point blank
refusal 10 open his Doodle barrel He has
been Appealed to dump money into the
fight. but evidently prefers his money 10
the seat in the Senate that has been held
out as a tempting bait.
One thing III Mr.. Brautigam's career as
a Finance Commissioner is costing him
not only votes but the friendship Of many
old residents of Hudson City. II is his
connection with the acquisition Of park
site for that section. Until lew Gays
ago the Old Fourth district residents
imagined that the park size acquireu W5ts
thai beautiful tract of land owlled by The
Ogden estate, bounded by ogden avenue,
Liberty street, Palisade ana boWefs
street. So confident were the residents
of Hudson City ;Eat the above atscflDea
parcel was the park site that lew even
ings ago three or four gentlemen trends
of Mr. Brauuigam, made bets on i rang
ing from s. upward. Ine gentlemen
who made the bets intended voting for
Brautigam, but declared that II they
were wrong about the park site they
would oppose his election, not only Tor
Senator but for any office for Wnlcn ne
may be nominated in future.
Ihe records of the Street and Mater
Board were looked uD and it was found
that instead of the tract bounded by
Palisade avenue, Bowers street, ogden
avenue ana Liberty street. having been
acquired a parcel of land east or Pali-
SADIE avenue, between Bowers and LID
erty streets, overlooking the picturesque
Paterson Plank Road, had been pur-
chased. The park site is on the brow OF
the hill, and by experts is declared TO
be as useless for the purpose Tor
which it was intended as are the
lots out on the Hackensack mead
oWs For this so-called park the
city is mulcted to the tune of $42,5V0
The Board of Finance, Of which Mr..
Brautigam was the leading spirit con
Cured in the purchase OF the site.
Property owners of Hudson City con-
denim Mr.. Brautigam severely for not
having Interrupted the scheme, he being
thoroughly familiar with the location OF
the property AS the site stands at pres
ett it is utterly useless, and the prospects
Of ever making it amount to anything are
very small In the first place sus-
tanning wall will have to be built about
the tract When that is finished the site
8scribed by Hudson Cityites as big hole
into which $42 500 of the city's money
was dumped. by men who apparently had
no interest in the icitys welfare. low
estimate of what it will cost to build the
sustaining wall and fill in the site is
$50 0G0, so that the total cost or the site
without the place being adorned in any
way will exceed 100000. Br. Brautigam
has been asked 70 explain his connection
with the purchase, but so far he has
maintained discreet silence Several
charges are being made, and on election.
day Mr. Brautigam will doubtless be
made to feel in what esteem he is held
by his neighbors.
Since some of the facts concerning the
park site purchase have been brought to
light Mr.. Brautigams record in the
Board of Finance is being looked up.
There is a possibility that he will be cali
,d f,ralr ff1 IA "a