The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-10
RIkER, NOT LEATz
Governor Voorhees, Makes
Chan" Prosecutor Of
Essex in Place Of
the Major.
FRIENDS SAY CARL WITHDREW
Some Mystery in This Unex-
pected Ending of an Ex-
ceptionally interest
ing Fight.
FRIENDS SAY CARL WITHDREW
Especial to erhe Jersey city News.

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News. ]
NEWARK, Feb. 10, 1S99.-Governor
VOORHEES, this morning rendered to Chan
dler w. Riker the position of Prosecutor
of the Pleas of Essex county and Mr.
Riker signified his willingness to accept
the place. The formal nomination will
be sent to the Senate at its first session
next week, it is said, and among Republi-
can leaders no doubt is expressed but that
the appointee will be confirmed. Under
the rules of the Senate all nomina tions,
except those of former Senators, are con-
sidered in executive session, referred TO
the Judiciary Committee and then taken
up for further action the following week.
1t is therefor expected that Mr.. Riker will
be confirmed one week from next Monday.
The Governors action practically closes
one of the warmest political fights over an
appointive office that has aroused the in
terest of local Republicans for many
day The candidates for the position
were Major Carl Lentz, Robert H. McCar-
ter and Francis ]. Swayze, and the respec-
tive friends of these men were bringing
all possible influence to bear upon Cover
nor VOORHEES, in the interest of their can
didates.
Major Lentzs friends made a most ac-
tive canvass, though it is said the Major
personally never filed an application for
the Office He had the backing of Sena-
tor Ketcham and ten of the eleven Essex
AssembI bIymen. The only one to decline to
Endorse the Majors candidacy was Assem-
olyman Mungle. The latter's ten col
leagues and Senator Ketcham went to
Governor Voorhees, several weeks ago to
urge the Majors claim to the position and
TO impress upon the Executive that Mr..
Lentz was the choice of the majority of
the rank and file of the party.
Iost of the members of the Republican
County Committee, of which Major
Lentz has been chairman for years, were
ravorably disposed to him and wanted 10
see him get the appointment. Franklin
Murphy and other men high in the party
councils were also said to be working in
Mr. Lentz's favor.
Taking the forces that We're behind Ma
5or Lentz as criterion. many predictions
were made up to within week or SO that
the Major would surely be appointed. The
opponents of Mr.. Lentz, however, kept up
their opposition, and the claims of Mr..
,Swayze and Mr.. McCarter were urged as
vigorously and as quietly as ever despite
statements made by friends of either man
that they were doing nothing to further
their chances of appointment.
The opposition to Major Lentz grew as
the days went by, and last Friday the
Lawyers Club, composed OF Essex Coun-
ty members of the bar, added their OBJ.
,jections. as a body, to the selection or
Mr.. Lentz. Charges were made which re-
fiected upon Major Lentz in his profess
sional capacity and the same were re-
ferred to the Ethics Committee of that
body for an investigation. The Governor
was notified of the clubs action in
letter written by Robert II. McCarter
president of the organizatio
Since last Friday there has been a no
ticeable change in the trend OF affalrs re-
name was brought prominently to the
fore and some of those who week ago
were predicting Success foT ay Ma19ar a peked
Mr. Riker a winner. The latter, 1t is
said, had not filed an application for the
place nor had he seen the Governor IN
relation to it, so far as is known,
a visit made by Governor voorhees, to
this city on Saturday last, when he had
SAID said to have have called at Mr. Rikers office
was regarded as significant, ana was
taken as an indlcation 10 sho% W hew ent 'ie te
blow. Several other conferences were
held since then by local leaders, among
Mr. Coult. The oonferees kept their little
business to themselves pretty closely, put
from the meetings sprang the rumor tnat nat
Major Lentz would Withdraw from I'm 11e ne
race To this report the Majors fr1endS
answered that he was not the kind of a
man to retire under nre, ana tne.e ,asresot eset-
for he did not withdraw.
The Major was found .atshis home, NO.
4O6 Washington street M yes5eraay bsT "a Of py the
Governors action, and OF Mr; h1ker
signified intention to accept. II Mr.. Lentz
was disappointed, his appearance dld not 1t,t
a hearty good morning. and was ap-
parently in a cheerful state OF mind.
Asked what he thought OF the news re-
garding the Prosecutorship Major Lentz
..The appointment of Chandler w. Riker
as Prosecutor of Essex is most excellent
anything about his ability; it is too we'll
known Mr.. Riker is a strong personal
friend of mine and his appointment VIII
not leave shadow of disappointment
with me- nor will it, am sure with any
of my friends
Major Lentz had been away for several
days attending to State Board OF Taxation
business and he expects to go away again
today on similar mission.
Governor Voorhees, was not inclined to
discuss the appointment; 4 re es eoh1enefd aea nf
the appointments which he has to make
and he reached his conclusion after hav-
ing carefully looked over the neld
Mr. Riker was admitted to the bar in
November 1879, as an attorney and be-
came a counselor at law three years later
In 1885 he was appointed County Counsei
and served until 1889.
When julius A. Lebkuecher was elected
Mayor in 1894, he appointed Mr. Rlker as
CITY Counsel on May 21, and the latter re-
mained at the head of the city's law de,
partment until Mayor Seymour was IN
Quoted into office.
Mr.. Riker,s interest in politics has been
active for years. and he has long been re-
garded as one of the local ReDubllcan
leaders. His brother, William Riker, now ON,
Clerk of the Supreme Court and formerly
Register of Essex county and an Alder
man of Orange, is also conspicuous IN
Republican politics.
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