The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-09-22
! LAST NIGHTS SCENES.
Prominent Leaders and Can
didates on Hand at
an Early Hour.
Especial to ssrhe Jersey city News."l

! general expectation there was a large
throng of Republican politicians in the
| city last night, and things about the
| Trenton House assumed the appearance
/ of an old time night before a convention.
| All the prominent leaders and candidates
| Were early on the scene, and made their
headquarters at the Trenton House. But
one element was missing. a contest. The
situation was too one SIDED TO be inter
esting, and there was little excitement
about. General Sewel1 opened his old
/ room, No 1e0 and prepared to receive the
faithful After a waiter had deposited
| upon the big centre table sundry articles
always Indispensable to a gathering of
! this kind, and Congressman John j.
Gardner had taken his position on the
Generals right hand, and Commissioner
| of Banks and Insurance William S.
| Bettle had arrayed himself upon his left,
| the doors were thrown up. The crowd
surged in. and after shaking the Generals $
| hand and doing obeisance to the centre
| table, the visitors dispersed themselves
| through the room and paid more attention
| to the centre table than they did to the
| General. Senator Sewell looked to be in
bad condition physically. Indeed, he is
| far from we'll. AS soon as the convention
is over he is going to the Hot Springs of
Kansas and endeavor to regain his old
time health He is well along in life and
this may be a far more difficult matter
than the Senator imagnes. Nevertheless
he was in excellent spirits, and it was gen
orally remarked that it is a long time
since he was seen in such good humor
| Among the first to bow to the great
boss was Lish Gaddis, the minister
| plenipotentiary in the county of Essex.
He had to whisper something into the
/ Generals ear before he Joined any of
the small groups which were scattered
around the big room. Alex Ford, Tren-
! toms energetic postmaster; Barker Gum
mere, who aspires to be chairman of the
State Committee; Comptroller William S.
Hancock, who still mourns his dead Guber-
natorial boom; former Congressman Bu-
| ehannan, who is capable of filing any Of
fee he can get, and many other Re-
publican stars of lesser magnitude quick
| ly greeted their political lord and tarried
around the centre table,
Judge John A. Blair, Prosecutor James
S. Erwin. Edward w. Woolley, Colonel
Charles w. Fuller represented Hud-
son county and shook the hand that shook
McKinley's. John P. Landrine and Alex.
Mclean went through the ceremony just
like any of the regulars, and then when
they got out into the corridor began to
tell people how they downed Sammy
Dickinson aad kicked holes all through
the Hudson county machine in the Ninth
ward, at the primaries, the other night
A. 3. Cosey, the colored gemmin, was
pertinaciously active and button-holed ev-
eryone who is supposed to have infiu-
ence with Governor Voorhees,. It was ru-
mored that he was going to make another
effort to oust his fellow Afro American,
Sam Gordon, from the position of Gov
ernor's messenger and take unto himself
the honors and perquisites of the afore-
said position. If he does not do better
than he did three years ago Brer Cor
don has nothing to fear. Governor Voor-
hees opened his headquarters in Room
So which, lower in number than Gen
eral Sewells room is two floors above it.
Here also was a centre table and Con-
gresham Charles N. Fowler, former Mayor
Rankin of Elizabeth, Editor Robinson of
Railway, Charles Codding of Westffeld
and other Union statesmen dispensed the
hospitality. Next to the Acting Governor
the biggest attraction was Nathaniel w.
Voorhees,, the venerable father of the
nominee. He had to be introduced to and
shake hands with almost as many people
as his illustrious son. A noticeable fea-
ture of the gathering in this room was
that many wore the Voorhees, badges they
wore three years ago when their favorite
was a candidate for the nomination.
Those who wore the badges were Voor-
hees delegates in 1895 and are Voorhees,
delegates today. They and their badges
caused much enthusiasm. Congressman
Fowler was in fine spirits and said that
he felt confident that he would be re-
nominated and elected. Another head
quarters or 'open house., whichever
you prefer, caused considerable comment.
1t was on the floor below the Governors
and was ostensibly Bergen corntys. The
central figure, however next to the centre
table was Sheffield Phelps. He was there
as a delegate from Bergen, but the busy
bodies declared that all that lavish hos
pitality on the part of an ordinary dele
gate was not without cause. Some said
that he would run for Congress in the
Hudson county district, as there was
nothing in the constitution to prohibit a
resident of one district from running for
Congress in another district. Others said
that he wanted to be the candidate three
years hence. Most people, however,. said
nothing, as they knew nothing.
Around the corner from Mr.. Phelps
room was another headquarters which
might more properly be called a mortuary
chapel. He was deosntly laid out--ali that
remained Of the Pltney boom. Mr.. PIT
hey smiling his sweetest did his honor
and frequent libations were poured out
''to better luck next time.'' The mourners
We're few and of the fitting kind. No one
stayed long, and most OF the time the
room was deserted. A newspaper man
from Morrstown and your own Colonel
Fuller stretched to his full length on
| sofa SO as to make it look as though
there were more In the room were the
only permanents. Mr., Pitney was a
cheerful mourner, and took his defeat
philosophically. IT struck the ordinary
observer that a denomination for Congress
would not nave to be handed to him on a
silver plate.
For United States Senator John Kean
OF Union, Is what The throng hummed as
( II went into the ladies' nar1or on the first
floor, where John kept open house. He
and his centre table were very popular.