Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-10-19
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
Argus writes Of the
Approaching Political
Cyclone.
AND Thinks THE INDICATIONS pORTEHD DANGER
THE MEETING OF THE COUNTY COMMITTEE
REPORTED "KICK" AGAINST HEAVY
ASSESS MENTS.
AND THIHKSTH INDICATIONS pORTEHD DANGER

The political cyclone is coming this
way and the close observer of CONVEX
sation, and the street corners, can de-
tect unmistakable signs of the approach
of the storm centre that always pre-
cedes a close election, There is we'll
defined area of thirst around the gin
mills, men stop and gesticulate wildly,
and candidates are working their pump
handles vigorously along the lines of
Arctic and Baltic avenues. All these,
and mauy other indications" point to
a political disturbance that is going to
agitate the atmosphere on the eighth
of November. Sharp ''frosts' are pre-
dicted in some quarters, and there is no
telling what promising political buds
will get nipped on the eventful date.
There is an area of low barometer over
Mays Landing that portends q violent
storm against the County ring centered
there, and much damage is predicted to
Assemblyman Ashley's political fences.
In this city danger signals are out on
every hand, and some people are going
to be capsized If they don't shorten sail
before the cyclone hits them.
The Republican County Committee
met here, on Saturday, to take account
of stock and see where they were sat"
All the members whom l talked with
were pretty close-mouthed, and | found
it rather difficult to extract much politi-
cal information from them. | therefore
inferred from their reserved manner, and
rather serious faces, that everything
was not as lovely as might have been.
The bald fact is-and it isn't any use
to deny 1.-THE party in this County is
badly demoralized over the "break''
against Ashley that is being reported
from every quarter. The managers are
between the Devil and the deep sea-
and they hardly know what to do or
which way to turn. The detection is
tioD, and some heroic measures will
to have republican Assemblyman at
Trenton next winter. Only two ways
out of the difficulty seem to present
off the ticket and the other is to raise a
big sum of money to buy votes enough
to elect the unpopular candidate. The
latter plants attended with some risks
and it also makes it necessary for the
offce-holders to dive away down into
their trousers pockets and bring to the
surface big slice of their salaries. Now
if there is anything that the average
office-holder dislikes to do it is to part
with any considerable portion of his
salary after he has once salted it down
in his pocket. These office-holders-of
which there are quite large number in
all-are evidently haltiDg and protest
ing before parting with their ducats.
They are asking themselves why deep
cut should be made in their salaries to
"pull through" such man es Ashley
when by q good nomination the candi-
date could be elected without the expen-
diture OF a dollar. 1t is pretty tough to
face such a situation, and pay heavily
for it, and then be defeated at last.
don't wonder that some Of our salaried
leaders "kick" at such q prospect and
refuse to be comforted when they are in
vited to "walk up to the Captains
Office and SETTLE" have been thinking
of possible way out of the difficulty.
The ancient Lydiaus found a small
brook which they called Pactolus. 1t
was never more than ten feet wide and
only foot deep yet it's soft mud and
sand contained vast treasures in the
shape of particles of gold which the in
habitants gathered and became immeu-
sely rich. 1t was from this little stream
that Old Croesus became the most cele-
brated "gold bug" of all time, and piled
up the greatest individual fortune ever
accumulated. And then he cut loose and
"blew it in' like the gay old sports that
come down here in the summer time
from Philadt lphia. Who knows, now,
but whst our own classic Clam Creek
may be filled with just such material ?
We have the mud and the sand, and we
have the men who are willing to be
made richer than Croesus ever dreamed
of being, and who could give him points
in painting the town red. The expert
ment is worth trying, and if q Pactolian
stream can be struck that is wide
enough, and deep enough. perhaps Ash
ley can be reelected. 1t would be a
bonanza just now, in every sense of the
" ord, for tell ou there is weeping and
wailing, and gnashing Of teeth when
the subject Of these heavy assessments
70 for1aho1 rrnnn r. kpcrg