The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-08-21
TO SIT ON ILENTz
Rumors That State Com
mittee Will Interfere in
Essex's Fight.
GIBSON STANDS FIRM
Plans for an Active Cam
paign in this State
this Fall.


fairs of the Republican County Com
mittee, and if the people who oppose the
present methods are sincere there will be
a change in the methods. If there is any
effort being made to effect compromise
do not know of it,"
That was the statement made by Su-
preme Court Clerk William Riker, in re-
sponse to a query as to the rumors con-
cerning an amfcable settlemei,> of the
trouble. The statement has been freely
made, in print and otherwise, that several
of the big men of the Republican party
in this State had taken alarm at the pro-
portions which the fight against Major
Carl Lentz's policy of sole power, and
that they had stepped i'm to quiet the
matter. The was story that Major Lentz
had been warned hat he must be less
dictatorial, so far as the making of nomi-
nations for the various offices, and that
he must agree to allow the conventions
to have something to do about it. Then it
was added that former City Comptroller
John S. Gibson ha dagreed to withdraw
from the contest for the Congressional
nomination of the Republicans.
Men who pretend to have a knowledge
machine take these statements with a
! large quantity of salt. In the first place
they win not believe that the Major has
been persuaded to change his mind about
running the convention in the work Of
selecting candidates for the party or that
he has agreed to keep quiet Major Lentz
is too well experienced in political fights
to retreat under fire, or to forego his
cherished plan of turning down the two
Johns, Gibson and Dezheimer, both of
whom are on the Majors books for pun
dshment for contumacy, the one being
guilty of obtaining a position against the
Majors will and wishes, and the other for
coming out as candidate for nomination
without first consulting the chairman of
the Essex County Republican Committee.
Gibson is in the race to stay. and no
power short of an earthquake can move
him. said one of the former Comptrol-
lers ueutenants. who claimed to speak for
his principal $50 far as Mr.. Gibson is
concerned, there has been no compromise
offered to him, and from what I know of
the situation 1 am satisfied that he will
not listen ito any such offer. His fight will
be settled by the delegates in convention,
and by them only, as neither he nor his
friends propose to accept Lentz's assur-
ance that he is already bea,ten.'
The statement that John P. Dexheimer
is booked for defeat was freely made in
Newark yesterday, but it was remarked
that such statements came from men who
hold themselves subject orders from
Major Lentz and not from any one in
terested in the Orange mans fight for the
nomination for County Register.
Mr. Riker, when asked today if the
Executive Committee of the State Re-
publican Committee will take hand
in the Essex affairs, with a view to patch
ing up a truce between the warning fac
tions, said he did not believe that the
State organization will take notice of the
matter.
81 do not think that the selection of
candidate for a county offices in Essex,
or the question whether there is or is not
poular man at the head of the Re-
publican County Committees affairs here
will have any very decided effect upon
the Presidential campaign" said Mr..
Riker, snilingly. 81 do not think the
State Committee has done anything in
this matter, or is likely in any way to do
campaign. If here have been any offers
of compromise they haven't reached me,
as yet. AS I said, there is nothing to
compromise"
| Neither Mr. Riker nor Senator Edward
G. Stokes, the acting chairman of the
State Republican Committee, has any of
| fetal knowledgeeo of the reported big dem
onstration to be held at Asbury Park this
| week, at which Senator Mark Hanna, the
National Chairman, was said to be book
! ed to preside, and at which several speak
ers of national prominence were said to
| be on the schedule for addresses
Il tried to find out something about it,
but was unable to do So" was the state
ment of Senator Stokes. 1.-THE State Com
mittee has had nothing to do with the
arrangements for any such meeting
| 1t was admitted that the National Re-
| publican Committee might, in its wis
dom, assign some of its speakers to make
| addresses in New Jersey or any other
State, but it was added that such a
| course would be very unusual AS a rule
| the national committee only send its
| spellbinders into the several States at the
request of the State committees, and
there has been no call from the State
/ organization here for orators for meet
| ing at Asbury Park. Cornelius N. Bliss,
/ Frederick r. Gibbs and others were
among those mentioned as the speakers
| for the seaside gathering, but the acting
chairman of the tSate committee has
not been apprised of their coming.
! The chairmen of the County Republi-
can Committees of the State will confer
with the State Executive Committee to-
morrow at Trenton. The conference will
be for the purpose of receiving reports
from the chairmen as to the condition OF
affairs in their respective counties and
suggestions as to the farthering Oh the
work OF the campaign. The executive
committee will meet at the headquarters
/ in this city later in the week, when ae.
ton may be taken toward the selection
OF successor to Augustus s. Barber
late secretary of the State body. for which
| position half score or more of appli-
cants have already put in bids
The selection Of a speaker to address
/ the State convention at Trenton, septern-
1 Der s. has been definitely decided, and the
i announcement Is now made on the au-
l3horfty of Acting Chairman Stokes that
/ fhe orator of the day Will bs Un1tsd
States senatok Jsllllis Bar7 u ~