The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-03-04
BIIRO POLITICAL MIX.
Warm Fight over Political Spoils
in @Non-Partisan" Madison.

Three Candidates and Three Tickets for
Next Tuesdays Election-Democrats end
the Boro' Record for Non-partisanship.
Name Their own Ticket and Then Steal
the Citizens Primary Republicans
Name a strong Ticket and will Fight for
it Account of all Primaries.
-partisanship in Borough politics
in Madison is now thing of the past.
From the organization OF the borough
until now, party lines have been ignored
and the citizens have worked on COM
mon ground for the good of all, and not
unsuccessfully. But in recent days af-
fairs have become sadly mixed, marked
by strong evidence of uneasiness, among
Democratic politicians, an uneasiness
which about two weeks ago took
shape in call for Democratic primary
the firstparty primary in the history Of
the borough. The primary was held on
Tuesday evening the 23rd ult., the night
previous TO the regular Citizens primary.
Concerning its call, the exact responsible
ity is still shadowy, yet it is charitable
to say that the idea was in exact har-
mony with the wishes of R. L. Remnitz,
the defeated free silver candidate for As
semblyman in 1896 and Charles B. Gee,
a would be Councilman of the Borough,
the first of whom served as chairman of
the primary. in which capacity he took
occasion to denounce the previous gov
ernment of the borough as gross failure
and laud the Democracy as competent
to give an economical administration,
and the latter as chairman Of the nomi-
mating committee. The ticket agreed
upon was: For freeholder Samuel Brant;
for councilmen, r. L. Remnitz, B. War
ren Burnet; for assessor, S. Whitfield
Cook; for collector, John McTernan;
for commissioner of appeals, j. j. Ryan;
for justice of the peace, Alexander
Eagles, ardent supporters of the free
silver idea being in the majority.
A Campaign Committee appointed
later gives further idea of the person
mel of the meeting: G. B. Gee, Daniel
Dunn, Frank Hamilton, J. j. Ryan,
Patrick Connolly, Samuel Brant, S. w.
Cook, j. w. Dwyer, H. I. Hopper and
John Waters.
Next came the regular borough pri-
mary, on Wednesday evening, and with
its assembling came many of the Demo
Gratis who participated in the meeting of
the night before, a delegation of whom
were active in circulating printed tickets
containing the names of the candidates
for Freeholder and Councilmen nomi-
mated at the Democratic primary the
night before. James FL. McGraw was
chosen as chairman and F. B. Bardon
secretary. Under call for nominations
for Councilmen to succeed Councilmen
Wilder and Burns, A. L. Reynolds, Re-
publican, and B. Warren Burnett, Dem
ocrat, were chosen. For assessor VIM.
T. Brown and Charles E. Cook were
named and the vote selected the former
115 to SO. For Freeholder Eugene
Troxell, (the present incumbent chosen in
1895 on non-partisan ticket, was named
but refused to accept the nomination on,
what he termed "a three-cornered ticket"
Then Samuel Brant (the candidate of the
Democratic primary and W. T. Red
mond, (Rep.) were named and on ballot
Mr. Brant was chosen.
But it turned out, of course, that the
candidates named at the borough meet
ing were not acceptable to the Republi-
cans, not to mention goodly number of
Sound Money Democrats, who still
think that borough affairs should be con-
Quoted on non-partisan lines. And thus
it was that the Borough Republican
Committee decided to issue call for a
Republican primary. and Messrs. Brown
and Reynolds forthwith withdrew from
the Citizens ticket. In its call, signed
by w. F. Redmond, as secretary, the
following paragraph clearly stated the
reason and purpose of the meeting:
.'From the organization of the Borough un-
til now, it has been customary to ignore party
lines and meet on common ground In selecting
our Borough officers. and the Republicans had
hoped this plan would be continued. The
Democratic party has taken new departure
and placed ticket of their own In the field. In
view of their action and their determination
groove, as evidenced at the recent Citizens
meeting, the Borough Republican Com
mittee. at the urgent request of the Re-
publicani voters, has called the above named
meeting.
This meeting was largely attended and
enthusiastic, and included large num-
Der of the prominent men Of the borough.
James A. Webb served as chairman of
the meeting and A. P. Smith, secretary
The following candidates were chosen:
For councilmen, w. f. Redmond to sue
ceed Enos Wilder and a.. L. Reynolds to
succeed Daniel Burns; Freeholder, Eu-
gene Troxell; assessor, Charles E. Cook;
collector, William 7. Brown; commits
sioner of appeal, James Fl. McGraw.
There was very little difference in the
resolutions adopted by the three primar-
! les, the most important being the resolu-
tion Of the Republicans to raise $500 for
the building Of crosswalks.
| This then is the present political field in
Madison hitherto non-partisan and the
fight of Tuesday next promises to outdo
even that of a presidential campaign.
Rev. S. 2. Batten and leaders of the
Citizens Union have informed Mayor