The Jersey City news., 1899-12-18
SLATE
SEEMS SAFE
South Jersey Republicans
Unable to Defeat Lead
ers' Plans.
CAUCUS TOMORROW At TRENTON
Essex Gets Everything Worth
Having Lentz to the
Front Again,
CAUCUS TOMORROW At TRENTON
fsuec,al to arhe Jersey city News.sl

Especial to s'The Jersey City News..l
TRENTON. Dec IS, 1S99.-When the Re-
publican Assembymen meet in caucus IA
this city tomorrow a slate already prepar-
ed will be presented, providing for the as
tribution of the various offices within
their gift. This slate has the approval
of the prominent leaders of the party
and the proposed smashing is not hkeiy
to materialize. A week or so ago, wnen
the Governor gave the office of bill super
visor to Essex county some of the Assem-
blvmen felt sore and disappointed; SO
ynucb SO that they threatened to start
movement for the defeat of Mr. Jones LOT
Sneaker They contended that Essex was
asking for and getting too much patron
age, as usual and 1t would never oo ~
hermit that county to continue its dicta-
torial tactics. The efforts to create pre-
iudice against Essex on this score now
ever. did not succeed, especially When at
tention was called, to the TACT that the
officer of supervisor of bills is an executive
and not a legislative appointment anu,
furthermore, that that county has not hao
a Republican Speaker in 10 years. me
state leaders advised that as long as the
banner county was united in its demand
for the Speakership 1t would not pc gooa
,,ol;tics 10 ignore 1t. A contest against
Essex in the caucus would then pe Iutlle.
The delegations of the upper countles
would naturally side with Essex, and the
combined vote would overwhelm the oppo-
sition from the rest of the State. In view
of these facts, then, it is nearly saIe 10
predict that the slate will go through JUST
as it has been arranged. The only once
of consequence over which there may be a
contest is that of sergeant-at-arms
should Monmouth county make an ear
nest demand for that office, most likely
it win get it.
The slate which will be presented for
the ratification of the caucus is as fol-
lows:-For Speaker Benjamin F. Jones,
of Essex: Clerk, James Parker. of Pas
sale; Assistant Clerk, George E. Poole,
of Morris; Journal Clerk. Noah F. Nor
rison. of Union; Assistant Journal Clerk,
Aaron c. Demarest, of Bergen; Bill Clerk.
George Powell, of Essex; secretary to the
Speaker, Herbert H. Mats, of Essex
The minor positions, such as door
keepers, pages, committee clerkships, ETC..
will be distributed among the counties not
represented in the slate for the principal
offices, and. if there is not enough to go
around, then good COMMITTEES assignments
will be given to the counties not provided
for. Mr. Wake1ee. of Bergen, will be
chosen as the leader of the majority, and,
in accordance with the Importance Of that
position, he will be made chairman Of the
Committee on Judiciary. Other important
committee chairmanships will probably be
as follows:- s:-Lewis, Passaic, for Revision
of Laws; Bradley, of Camden. for Munich
pal Corporations; Wood. of Mercer. for
Corporations; Clark, of Essex, for Rail-
roads and Canals, and Klein. of Essex,
for Towns and Townships.
The Republicans have always possess
ed the happy faculty of being able to
settle their disputes over the distribu-
tion of the spoils without the spilling
of bad blood or the creation of irrecon-
cilable animosities. The dictation and
influence of the big leaders of the party
invariably prevail and to that fact as
much as anything else is due the splen-
did organization of the forces which now
exists throughout the State.
From lessons of the past the Republic
cans always seem willing to take ad-
vantage Since their enactment of the
local option law about ten years ago,
and which act drove their party from
power at the next election, they have
been very careful not to attempt any
| such legislation again. They have re-
fused to legislate in any way with re-
gard to the liquor traffic. believing that
| the present laws regulating it are am
| pie. and to interfere with them would
be very bad politics indeed. The en-
| actment of a sunset election law some
| years ago also damaged Republican in
| terests, and hence the disfavor in which
| is held the proposition Of Colonel Dick
inson of Hudson to have that law re-
/ vived Partisan legislation more thar
once deprived the Republicans of power
| and they want no more of it. For these
/ reasons, then, the schemes of the hot
heads of the party to grab offices will
| be frowned upon at the coming session
| of the Legislature. About the only leg
1 islation suggested by Hudson county
Republicans that will receive considera'
ton is that concerning the abolition OF
| spring elections in Essex and Hudson
/ Governor voorhees, says that he is il
! favor Of such legislation, provided it |:
made general and not special; and pro
! yided, further, that it does not prolont
! the terms of those officials now in OF
| fee. And he advises that there shoult
NOT be any haste in the matter a. all
so that a law may be drafted and test
ed to meet with constitutional require
| rnents. With regard to the othe
| schemes Of the Hudson county spoils