The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-11-10
MAKING States.
Already the Republican
Leaders Are Discussing
Legislative Officers.
CANDIDATES FOR SPEAKER.
Parsimony Johnson Wants
to Be President Of
the Senate.
Especial to .srhe Jersey city News."l

| begun to make states for the roster OF
! Offices of the Legislature of 1900 and to
figure out just where the plums shall 60
AS matter of fact, the talk In regard
| to the offices began before the election
and soon after the nominations had been
made, so sure were the Republican, pollti-
| cal astronomers that the signs of the
times pointed to victory for that party
Even thus early in the arrangements
for the coming season there are half a
dozen candidates for the honor OF sue
ceeding David o. Watkins among the men
who served in the lower House last year,
and the fight for that place promises to
be interesting Several weeks ago 1t was
announced that in the event of a Republic
can victory Essex County would have a
candidate in the person of Assemblyman
Franklin Jones, of South Orange. The
| further statement is made that Mr.. Jones
will have the support of the members OF
| Essex County, but it is hinted that his
candidacy will not be allowed to stand in
the way of securing as many as possible
of the official positions for Essex County.
Adr. Jones himself is thoroughly in earnest
and believes that he can make the Speak
ership He is credited with having the
support of Supreme Court Clerk William
Riker and others of the prominent leaders
hereabouts, but there is nothing authentic
in such rumors thus far.
Shrewd observers who kept track of the
work of the members of last years House
and took mental notes as to the calibre OF
the men of which it was composed have
selected young Edward W. Wakelee, of
Bergen, as the man most likely to meet
the general requirements for the Speak
ership. Wakelee is a lawyer and IN the
debates In which he took part last year
showed a ready wit, an aggressive man
ner and cool self-possession that nothing
could shake A number of the Essex
members incline toward the young Bergen
man. but they will stand by their own
colleague until the last, just the same.
Passaic county also has a candidate for
the chair In Vivian M. Lewis, a last year
man. who gave evidence of ability in that
| body Mr. Lewis is also talked of as the
possible leader of the majority in the
House. to succeed Wood Mckee of Passaie
who was chairman Of the Republican eau
Gus Last year. Mercer county, too, has
man who may be put forward for the non
or of welding the gavel. The Mercer
man is Ira w. Wood, the Trenton orator
and lawyer, whose speciality in the speech
making line runs toward the waving OF
the Stars and Stripes.
1t is more than likely, however, that
South Jersey will set up a claim to the
place and that William ]. Bradley OF
Camden, will be the man selected to stand
as the champion of that end of the state
Mr.. Bradley is entering on his third term
in the Assembly and is popular with his
fellows. Some of the members hold to
the opinion that Mr.. Bradley is scarcely
forceful enough for the duty of presiding
over the deliberations of the House
In the Senate there Is a possibility that
Senator Charles A. Reed. of Somerset,
who was reelected, may aspire to another
term in the chair but it is believed that
the honor will go to Senator William NJ
johnson, of Bergen, who made fight Tor
the place last year. but failed to get it.
Then there Is some chance of it going TO
Senator Edward c. Stokes, Of Cumber-
land, while Mahlon Pitney or Joseph
Gross may also loom up as factors In
the fight for the gave1.
The prospective candidacy of Senator
johnson for the Presidency of the Senate
is regaded by some as being good thing
for Mr.. Jones, of Essex. It Is scarcely be-
Aeyed that the members can be induced
to allow the Presidency of the Senate
and the Speakership of the House to go
to Bergen County, or that they will admit
that all the available talent in the Legis-
lature halls from that particular section.
From this 1t would seem that If Senator
johnson. of Bergen, shall succeed in cap
turing the Presidency Of the Senate there
J,n Ia oh mo- r
lee, also of Bergen, to occupy the Speak
ers chair in the next House of Assembly.
There is promise of an interesting battle
for the fat places in the two Houses, and
the ante session gatherings of the mem
bers-elect will be watched with careful
eyes. Essex last year had the Sergeant
alarms, the Clerk of the House, his as
sistant the Bill Clerk and six doorkeepers
and pages, and it is not likely that she
| will be satisfied with much less in the
next session. The Sergeant-at-Arms,
John r. F1avell has had two terms and
cannot well look for another, nor can Her
! bert H. Mats, who was assistant to the
4 Clerk Of the House. The clerkship was
| held for two consecutive terms by an Es-
| sex man and that with the other two
| Offices will be claimed by the members
| from other parts of the State. George p.
Powell. the Bill Clerk Of the last House.
has had but one term, and the same ap-
plies to Noah f. Morrison. who does bust
ness in Newark but lives in Union county
Both will claim a second trip and it is
likely that they will be given their way
| about It..
| Another interesting fight that will devel-
on shortly Is found In the contest for the
new position Of Supervisor of Legislative
Bills, to take the place of the old and
cumbersome Engrossing Department,
which was wiped out by the Legislature
of 1899, under an act creating the position
| of Supervisor. The principal contestants
for the place are Charles H. Folwell, the
Engrossing Clerk of the last House and
Edgar Williams. who held a similar po-
sition in the Senate The appointment
rests with the Governor and is subject to
| confirmation by the Legislature Mr. Fol-
4 well halls from Mount Holly, in Burling-
! ton county, while MIR. Williams is a resi-
| dent of Essex county and members of
| the Republican County Committee.
| Up to date there has been no call issued
/ for a meeting Of the Essex delega ton, but
/ Il is expected that the members will come
together next week and talk the situation
over in an Informal way before starting
out for the crop Of plums