The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-13
ALL EYES NOW ON ESSEX.
Heroic Struggle to Be Made
to Garry That County by
Both Parties.
DEMOCRATS ARE VERY HOPEFUL
Major Carl Lentz> Still OPP
poses Voorhees, Which
Threatens a Republi-
can Split.
FsneciaI 70 "The Jersev CITY News.''l

Especial to 9TH Jersey City News.
TRENTON, June IS. lSss.-The past
week has only served TO emphasize the
conviction that Acting Governor Foster
M. VOORHEES, will be the nomine of his
party for Gubernatorial honors thus fail.
State Committeeman Barker Gummefe,
whose political sagacity is such that ne
has yet to get on the wrong side of a
contest, is one OF the latest to declare
himself in favor of Voorhees, nomina-
ton. Major Carl Lentz of Essex county
is still keeping up his opposition and IA
voring the nomination of Franklin Mur-
ply, but the most that the Major can
hope to do is to divide Essex, and unless
Congressman Mahlon Pitney should stay
in the fight there would be little doubt OF
the State Convention being practically a
unit for the acting Governor. Those
who claim TO know whereof they speak
do not hesitate to say that when the time
comes Mr.. Pitney will not be in the lelu
at all for Governor. but that he will take
a denomination for Congress and en-
deayer to make a third successful at
tempt TO carry the old Democratic
fourth district against ex-Congressman
Johnston Cornish. who is likely to be the
candidate of the Democrats.
The talk of e~x-Supreme Court Clerk
BENJAMIN f. Lee as the Democratic can
didate for Governor continues. although
it has been limited that Mr.. Lee Is not
fayorably impressed with the idea OF
making a vigorous campaign, such as ms
experience in politics tells him he wouic
have to make in order to strengthen ms
chances of being elected at the polls. MI
Lee would go into a campaign with ms
thoughts directed toward victory, and no
one knows better than himself the physi-
cal strain involved in making a poilticai
campaign. Whether he would reel
physically equal to the requirements OF
such a campaign such as he would con-
duct would be a matter for himself TO &c
eide. It is known that he is not enam-
ored of the idea of going into a vigorous
campaign. and yet there may arise coh-
ditions under which he might feel con-
strained to sink his personal preferences
and answer his party's call
But Mr.. Lee is not the only name men
toned in connection with the Democratle
nomination. Ex-Speaker Bergen of SOM
erset. ex-Judge Garretson and Senator
DAILY of Hudson. Mayor Seymour of New
ark Prosecutor Crane of Essex, Clarence
T. Atkinson of Burlington and ex-Judge
tfaTTON Oh III alC A-t
those from whom a selection might be
made If Mr.. Lee is not named. or course,
some of them nave better chances than
others. and the name of Mayor Seymour
is not ~infrequently mentioned with favor.
One If the things that commends Mayer
Seymour's name is the strength that he
has twice demonstrated in carrying the
city of Newark by over 5000 plurality, and
81 eoof shot fba DomaarafS unless they
should carry several normally Republican
counties, would have to have Essex coun-
tv in order TO control the Legislature on
Joint ballot for United States Senator, to
succeed James Smith, Jr.
The present Senate consists of fourteen
Republicans, counting acting Governor
Voorhees,. and seven Democrats; eight
Republicans, including the acting Cover
nor. and six Democrats hold over. For
the Democrats to wrest the Senate from
the Republicans it would be necessary to
elect five Senators this fall-a feat which
does not seem at all probable at this
writing. OF the retiring Senator's but one
DAILY. of Hudson, is a Democrat. The
retiring Republicans are Hoffman. At
lantic; johnson, Bergen; Stokes. cumber-
land: Skirm. Mercer; Vreeland, Morris.
and Engle. Ocean. If the acting Governor
is nominated for the G-overnorship he
will undoubtedly resign from the Senate,
to AXE effect when the new Governor is
-inaugurated, in order that the vacancy
from Union county for the remaining
year of his term as Senator might be fill
ed by the election of someone else. This
would not make any change, however,
in the number of Democratic Senators
that would AVE to be elected in order
to make the Senate Democratic. If the
Democrats should elect three Senators.
which is probably a too liberal estimate,
they would have but nine Senators out
of twenty-one, and would need thirty-two
As~semblymen to control the joint meet
ing. Should they only succeed in carrying
Hudson county for Senator. they would
have only seven Senators, and would need
thirty-four Assemblymen.
With a recognition of the fact that the
Democrats will need from 80 to "a AS
Eernblymen to have a majority on joint
ballot, the necessity of their securing the
II Essex members is quite apparent. The
practically sure Democratic Assembly,
men are Hudson II; Hunterdon, two; Mid
dlesex. three; Monmouth, three; Sussex.
one; Warren two; total. 20. These. with
the IL Essex members. would have the
Democrats still one or two short. but
there would be little doubt that a we'll
directed fight in some Of the close or
doubtful counties would result in secur-
ing these. 1t would be an almost impos-
sib1e task, however, to secure in the
doubtful or close counties these one or
two and also enough to overbalance the
loss of Essex county. Still, the unexpect-
ed often happens in polite and a Demo-
cratic Legislature on joint ballot might
be secured without Essex county. TAX
Ing the 20 sure Assembly1men and the sew
en- sure Senators, counting the six hold
overs and a new Senator from Hudson,
the Democrats would nave to elect IA adj
ditiora1 members of either one house or
the other. If Bergen, Morris and Union
could be brought back to their old Demo-
cratic nnoorings. then Somerset, Salem
and Atlantic, with IN AssemblyInan each
and the latter with a Senator. would
make up the needed IA. This leaves out
Of the reckoning altogether Passaic-
which now has one Democrat among her
four Assemblymen. and Cape May, which
was carried by the Republicans a year
ago by only 205.
Of course these figures only show pos
sfbilities. They do NOT undertake to set
tie anything as to what the result will
be. That win depend largely upon the de-
next few weeks in matter OF pro-
mcting harmony lln the party ana
making nominations and platforms that
Will meet the approval of the voter. Who,
after all, has the last say.
There is one thing, however. that may
be put down as settled and that is that