The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-19
TRENTON'S VIEW OF IT
It Looked Like a Close
Fight in That City
Last Night
Ispectal to ..rhe Iersex enrv New.-.......

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City New
TRENTON. July 19, 19OO~-- will be de-
cided at Atlantic City this afternoon
whether Congressman John ]. Gardner,
of Atlantic county, or Assembiyman Ira
w. Wood, of Mercer county, Is to be the
Republican nominee for Congress from the
Second Congressional district. Today's
convention will terminate one of the brief
est, but at the same time one of the
warmest and most interesting contests in
the history Of Republican politics in Mer
Ger county. The fight involves the four
and Ocean.
A merry war was waged yesterday be-
tween the rival factions, and last night in
this city the result was pretty hard to
guess out, even for those well versed in
matters political. In sizing up the situa-
ton so many elements had to be con-
sidered and there were so many ''ifs''
that it was almost impossible to reach
any conclusion that would be more than
mere guess.
Everything considered, it looked here
as if he fight in the convention would
be very close one, with the odds some
what in favor of the denomination of Mr..
Gardner
The influences at work became appar-
ent early yesterday morning. General
William ]. Sewell, who has been an al
most lifelong political friend of Congress
man Gardner, took a hand in the contest
in favor of Mr. Gardnre. The influence of
General Sewell and Mr.. Gardner's friends
was felt in Atlantic, Ocean and Burlington
counties, while in Mercer county, Mr..
Gardner's interests were looked after 10y
delegation headed by County Clerk Bar
ker Gummere and Postmaster Alex. c.
Yard.
Arrayed against these forces was
powerful aggregation of local politicians,
prominent among whom were City Clerk
c. Edward Murray, Tax Receiver Charles
H. Baker. General William H. Skirm,
William R. Mutt, Judge Macpherson, the
members of Common Council, almost to
man, and many others.
There are 1O4 delegates from the coun-
ty, of which n are from the city and 80
from the townships. OF the Il from the
city, Mr. Woods friends claim that so
will he for their candidate, and that they
will have in the neighborhood of half the
township delegates
There are 242 delegates to the conven-
ton, and by this reckoning Mr.. Wood
would require in the neighborhood of As
votes from the other counties to Sc
cure the 122 necessary to a choice.
Mr.. Woods friends calculated that
they could secure very large part of
this number, if not the entire As, from
Burlington county; but besides this they
expected to capture some of the Ocean
county delegates and a few from Atlantic.
although it is Mr.. Gardner's own county.
But the friends of Mr.. Gardner by no
means conceded the claims made by the
Wood contingent, and they counted upon
a rally to the Gardner standards when the
crucial moment arrived.
In the first place they asserted that At
lantic county will be solid for Mr.. Gard
ner; that he will have practically all the
Ocean delegation, and that he will lose
only a scattering few of the Burlington
delegation.
Besides this they asserted that Mr..
Gardner will show considerably more
| strength in Mercer county than his OPP
| ponents anticipate. While not over-con-
| fident, nor failing to realize the possibili-
| ty of surprise. they could not figure jusc
| how they were to be beaten with the re-
sources at hand.
| About fifty of the Mercer delegates start
ed for Atlantic City yesterday afternoon
! on the Nellie Bly,, leaving Clinton street at
APT. The Wood delegation went on a
| special car. on the sides of which were
long pennants with this inscription
Mercer Delegation Solid for Ira w.
| wood.''
Along with the party were many fol-
lowers, and the remainder of the dele
gates will leave this morning. Mr.. Wood
himself accompanied the party.