The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-29
lively POLITICS
State Senatorship Fights Are
Waking Things Up In
Eight Counties.
DEMOCRATIC PROSPECTS BRIGHT
Troublesome Times For the
Republicans In Many OF
Their Strongholds.
DEMOCRATIC PROSPECTS BRIGHT
Ispeoial TO .srhe Jersey city News."l

fions are important, for in eigh couhlles
stare Senators will be elected who VIII
boxa a voice in the choice of a United
States Senator. 1t is also the year IN
which important county offices, such az
Surrogate. Sheriff and County Clerk are
6,lad II is a time for settlement OF
nolitical scores. determining political SUI
nremacv and in general clearing the way
for the big fight of the campaign loiio"-
ing.
On the face of things it looks ike a
Democratic victory. TIL sample OF ne
publican politics that is on tap just ny"
is not suggestive of an easy outcome.
The loss of our Republican Sehator1ai
counties would turn the scale, ana II -
happens that there are just four oouptlui
counties at the present writing. lhese az
Somerset. Gloucester, Salem ana Mon-
mouth.
I Essex is the pivotal county and mos
political soothsayers declare that sue
can be carried by the Democrats.
According to the information that
Comes here all the Republican Assem-
blvnen are to be renominated in Essex
excent Albert T. Guenther, who mas hao
the traditional two years. William hlker'
Clerk of the Supreme Court. is losing no
onportunity to discourage all compile
mentary boomlets intended to make MN
the candidate for Senator. he mas mo-
said a work that can be implied as
meaning that he will accept the honor'
neither had he declined with any great
degree of positiveness.
There is some consideration Tor eN-
Judge Thomas N. McCarter after MI.
Riker. Others named are Davlo Wal.on'
George Russell and George w. W.NFor-
ter. -
Camden looks all serene, BECAUSE peine
a strong Republican county ana senatoi
johnson being slated for a re-eieceioh'
there is no reason for a quarrel IN lhe
organization of the dominant party. ihae
organization is nearly as perfect as can
be: SO much so, that it has MADE Cahuei
the safest Republican county of the state
not even Essex, which once in a wnlie Is
considered doubtful.
The Sheriff's Office, in most of the coull-
ties is more sought after than that o.
Senator or Assemblyman, or, IN fact'
any other in the gift of the people, pc
cause its ~emoluments are SO large anu
its duties so light. The average ONCE
seeker would rather be a Sheriff thah
anything else. This year Sheriffs VIII pc
elected In all of the counties with the ex-
ception Of Passaic, Somerset, Bergen ana
Cape May. In Essex and Hudson the re-
Enumeration attached to the office is sald
to be nearly as large as the salary OF
the President of the United States. VI
course, it is only natural to expect that
the candidates for this fat berth are
numerous in each of the eighteen coun-
ttes. and that there will be a very hot
tfht in most of them between the rival
political parties. There are now Demo-
cratic Sheriffs in the counties of Pas-
sale, Somerset, Bergen, Hudson, Warren,
Hunterdon, Monmouth, Sussex and MID
dlesex. all the others being Republican.
The Democrats are reasonably sure OF
holding their own, and perhaps they may
make gains in Salem and one or two other
close counties.
Should the Democrats get in good light
ing trim and make an effort, such as
their party used to do in former years,
they might succeed in electing a sufficient
number of Senators to control the next
Senate. With old-time vim and enthus1
asm, backed by a recourse to practical
politics, they could be successful in the
counties of Monmouth, Somerset and
Salem. 1t is not SO long since these coun-
ties showed a Democratic tendency. In
fact, Monmouth county is normally Demo-
cratic. and Salem and Somerset have had
as many Democratic as Republican Off
Gals within the last quarter of a century.
Republican difficulty is Democratic OPP
portunity. In Somerset the Republican
clans are yet at war, and there is no sign
of an armistice. 1t looks as if the Reed
faction has been successful in the contest
over the postmastership of SomervHlc.
The report is that while the Thompson
faction has apparently yielded with grace
to the inevitable, yet a sting remains, and
it will be felt for some time to come. In
the selection of a candidate for the State
Senate Mr.. Thompson is likely to exert
more influence than he did in the postmas-
tership contest. Should the factions keep
up their wrangling then the much desired
opportunity will arise for the Democrats
to prepare for a battle which, If properly
managed, will result in a victory for their
ticket.
There is a report that there may be a
sharp contest for the Republican nomi-
nation for Senator in Gloucester county.
Speaker Watkins is out of the race be-
cause he has agreed to accept the Office
of United States District Attorney. Sena-
tor Stranger desires another term, and ne
has influential friends who are working
for his nomination. He is Undoubtedly a
hard man TO beat. George E. Pierson, who
was private secretary to Speaker Wat
kins for two years, however, thinks that
he has sufficient strength and popularity
to capture the nomination, and conse-
uuently he has announced himself as a
candidate. Should he receive the support
of the friends of Mr.. Watkins in the con-
test, then, perhaps, he would make things
pretty warm for Mr.. Stanger. But the
latter is one of the most popular men IN
Gloucester, a fact which has been dem
onstrated by his election to the State AS
sembly four years in succession, and i'm
mediately afterward to the State Senate
for one term. There is u a thing, how
ever. as running once too often for an
office before the people. Chiefly for that
reason DR.. Roe was defeated for a re-
election to the Senate not many years ago
in that county. Gloucester although nor
mally Republican, has not been without
Democratic representatives in the Legis.
lature within recent years. Thomas NJ.
Terrell carried it several times, and SO did
James J. Davidson, and George H.. Bar
ker defeated DR.. Roe, all these being stur-