The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-20
PRECINCT PRIMARIES
Anti Ring Republicans Won
In the Eighth but Can't
Get Control of the
Books.

party in the Eighth ward came together
last evening at meeting of the Ward
I Association. When the smoke of battle
had cleared after the red-hot scrimmage,
| 1t was found that honors were about
| even. In spite of the overwhelming ma
| jority of the ring forces, the anti-reguars
succeeded in gaining the object of their
incessant fght-preeinct primaries.
The session was productive of a few
warm personalities. In view of the COM
ing Presidential election it was thought
that an effort would be made to patch up
! the feeling, which has now reached a con-
dition equalling the bitter strife in the
Ninth ward. Since the ward went Demo-
cratic on two occasions, there has been
a great deal of mud-slinging and charges
of disloyalty passed about indiscrim-
inately.
Chairman Joseph A. Dear, Jr., presided
last evening over the eighteen members.
The very first business taken up preciptat-
ed trouble. Abram Wilson moved that
the custodian of the enrolment books
hand them over to the secretary of the
Ward Association within twenty-four
hours. Charles T. Roe moved that this
motion be tabled This was carried. This
to let the opposition forces lay their
hands on the books this fall. This move
was clever one on the part of the
ring. The anti-ring men are now at sea
as to who the Republican voters of the
ward are, and the ring people intend to let
them remain in ignorance Of the people
who usually come out to the primaries. 1t
| is quite probable that the ring forces
/ will bax bop nd hot
| have the enrolment books secure.
| The question of precinct primaries was
| then taken up. George w. Decker moved
| that the Ward Association go down on
record as favoring separate primaries.
He made a pleas for this form of prim-
ary on the ground that it will tend to
/ harmonize the warm and give all Repub-
licans chance to come out and vote for
! their choice. Mr.. Wilson seconded the
motion.
| John H. Weastell then delivered one of
| his characteristic speeches in which he
/ stated that no action should be taken
on this matter until there were more
members present to decide what course
| they should pursue. He added that pre-
| cinct primaries would no doubt pleased
many people and that he favored them
| also.
| There was an object in his plea for
| delay on this question. He wanted the
! full ring contingent to be present when
| this matter was brought up in order to
smoother the opposition faction and
maintain the old system of joint prim-
| aries.
| Mr.. Roe again moved to lay Mr..
Decker's motion on the table, This was
lost.
Director Birdsall also spoke in favor of
separate primaries and Alderman Fichtl
opposed the precinct primaries and
| Freeholder Richardson favored Mr..
Deekar's motion Cuthbert Mccain
moved that the secretary be empowered
to call special meeting in the near fu-
ture to take up the primary question and
that was lost too. Mr.. Decker's motion
was then put, and thea anti-ring forces
won out by two votes, several of the ring
men voting with them. This is consider
ed a big victory for the opposition people
and will lgive them big chances of carry
ing several precincts heretofore controll-
ed by the ring when joint primaries were
held for five of the eight precincts.
The ring people succeeded in jamming
through resolution appointing election
officers for all the precincts. The anti
ring people had no cay whatever in this
matter Those selected were:-First pre-
cinct, Edward H. Lutch and Cornelius A.
Price; Second, Charles A. Roe and James
McCausland; Third, Harry c. Nichols and
| Frederick Rodgers; Fourth, John Bum
sted and Henry Jachers; Fifth, George P.
Swinterton and Alfred Stevens; Sixth,
Archibald McCabe and Cuthbert Mccain;
| Seventh, Charles c. Belts and George H.
| Anderson; Eighth, John Mitchell and
Thomas Sayne.
The Wanser Republican Club has recon-
mended Arnett Prescott to fill the clerk
| ship in the postoffice made vacant by the
arrest of Alfred Booth. who was caught
| robbing the mails.