The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-16
REORGANIZATION
The Ninth Ward Is an Ex-
ample Of the Republican
Committees Work.
The SHRIEVALTY ASPIRANTS
Mark Fagen Has the Best
Chance For the Nomina-
ton and Erwin is
Second
qHE SHRIEVALTY ASPIRANTS

Another aspirant for the Republican
noYnination for Sheriff is Mark Fagen OF
the Fifth ward, the defeated, Freebooter
candidate. AT present his chances OF
landing the nomination are very bright
He is considered by some as sort OF
independent candidate, but the machine
Is Doubtless behind him. John j. ErWln
the secretary of the County Committee,
Is hustlfng for the nomination, too. rms
generous man raised a mild row When
the present Sheriff was selected to I'LL
the vacancy caused by the late SherlH
Hellers death.
A prominent member of the Republican
Executive Committee is the authority for
the statement that Erwin cannot get
votes enough at the coming convention
to carry him through, while Fagen's
chances are very bright The other nom
nations are still In the dark as yet.
The recent disgraceful proceedings en-
acted at the Bergen Republican Club,
show the position of the biggest part Of
the G. o. P in this county Where
apathy does not reign, dissension is rife.
Apparently the disrupted factions in the
several parts of the county have been
successfully amalgamated by that prize
package combination termed the sub
committee" Of the Organization Commits
tee. One taking superficial view of the
matter would be led to believe that such
was the case. And the bosses would
have the followers of its old and badly
battered machine believe this.
In many wards and townships the ser
vices OF this subcommittee were gro
ciously declined on the ground that the
leaders were capable Of settling the diff
fculties existing without interference.
Although the workings of this commit
tee were directed from headquarters
where the bosses pulled the strings, the
result of its labors has proved anything
but successful Not a few Republicans
openly declare that the whole show was
a roaring farce fro mthe start; that when
any suggestions touching on the better
7nent of the party were offered by the
anti-ring men, they were promptly
squashed and buried, and the bosses be-
ing against them, for they were always
looking out for their own interests and
not for the benefit of the party in gem
eral The party is still running in the
same old channel, despite the efforts Of
the anti-ring element to bring it to a re-
spectacle level.
An illustration of how successfully the
ward leaders can settle their controver-
sizes, is found in the present condition of
the party in the Ninth ward. Here the
scrap is hottest. There is no sign of
1et up on the political horizon. Both fac
tions are in deadly earnest in their efforts
to down each other. OF late there has
been much talk fan attempt to bring
about settlemnt. Precinct primaries
have often been spoken of as a means to
drag the anti-ring element into the
machine net, or in other words call them
off from interfering with the machine
plans.
This question of precinct primaries will
come up on Tuesday evening at a meet
ing of the Ward association. The resolu-
tion, submitted by Flavel MCGEE at the
last meeting, which asked for precinct
primaries, will be acted upon, and per-
haps fayorably if the talk of the machine
men, is to be believed.
The anti-ring element, judging from its
present position, intends to remain quiet
until the question of electing County
Committeeman comes up next December.
Those leading the forces against the
bosses have little interest in the fall cam
paign Their choice for Sheriff is Alex
ander Mclean. The present Sheriff has
refused to be a candidate and the forces
which favor him care not who runs now.
There will be no contest at the primaries.
The anti-rngsters have lost interest in
the coming convention and have not
Bothered with naming an opposition
ticket
But things will be far different when the
choice of County Committeeman falls due.
About twenty-five members are to be
elected. The anti-ring element feels con-
fdent that fifteen of that number can be
elected by them. This will give the ma
chine opponents some voice in the su-
preme councils of the party.