The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-05-21

good prospect of regaining control of the
State government.
A week from next Thursday the
Democrats will hold their State ConYen-
tion to elect delegates to the National
Convention at Kansas City. It is re-
ported that Congressman Daily will be
chosen presiding officer. This conven-
tion will be manipulated by the friends
of Colonel William Jennings Bryan,
and it looks as if the delegation viii be
instructed to vote for his denomination
as candidate for President. The Popu-
listic element will be largely represented
in this convention and consequently an
imposing display of oratorical pyrotech-
mics is expected. In this gathering there
will be marked absence of old time
Democratic leaders. The men who stood
at the helm and piloted the old party to
victory for SO many years will not have
anything to do with this convention. Hen
ry C. Kelsey will be in Europe, Benjamin
f. Lee looking after his manufacturing
interests, Allan L. McDernott attending
to his law practice. former Senator James
Smith at Elberon or some other health
resort, Miles Ross invalided and Edward
business. Without the presence of these
eminent leaders the convention, indeed,
will present an odd sight.
,, The announcement yesterday that State
Chairman William B. Gourley had de-
| cided to step aside as a candidate for
delegate-at-large for New Jersey to the
Democratic National Convention greatly
pleases the South Jersey Democrats. The
| State leaders had planned a State which
did not include South Jerseyman as one
of the four delegates-at-large and they
! felt that they had been unduly and i'm
properly treated. They sent up such a
vigorous protest indeed that a party coun-
Gil was held, and it was decided that the
| lower tier of counties would have to be
recognized, and Chairman Gourleys Sc
lection as a district delegate leaves the
path clear without further fear of trouble.
Just who is likely to be South Jerseys
candidate for delegate-at-large is as yet
undecided. Some weeks ago it was un-
derstood that former Congressman Thos.
N. Ferrell, of Gloucester county, was to
be the man, and the district delegates
were likely to be Colonel George Pfeiffer,
Chairman of the Camden County Demo-
cratic Committee and Attorney Samuel
Iredell of Cumberland. Since then there
has been some talk of breaking the pro-
posed slate Four years ago a movement
was made in the State convention for the
election of Judge Howard Carrow of Cam
den as one of the national delegates, but
it failed by a few votes. Now the Judges
friends declare that he ought to be one
of the party's representatives to this
years convention, and as he has a large
following in the First district and is
member-at-large of the State Committee
he may loom up as a formidable candi-
date. The name of Clarence T. Atkinson,
one of the States sturdiest Bryan sup
porters in the campaign of 1896, is also un-
der consideration as a possible delegate
from the First district.
There is some talk, too, of placing
County Chairman Pfeiffer in nomination
for delegate-at-large instead of district
delegate. The adoption of that plan would,
/ of course. bowl out Carrew and Atkinson,
too. for it is not likely that Camden
county could get two places on the ticket.
In that case Mr.. Ferrell and Mr.. Iredell
could be named. The convention on May
81 promises to be lively enough to suit
anybody.
The Republicans of New Jersey are
making preparations for an aggressive
campaign, which will begin as soon as the
National Committee is over. The state
Committee will be reorganized and at once
open it's headquarters in Newark. Frank
lin Murphy will be selected as the chair
man. and William Rilzer may be again
selected as the treasurer, but report
hnf
Samuel Dickinson will endeavor to be
elected treasurer of the committee.
Colonel Samuel Dickinson is we'll known
all over the State as sagacious poll
+;cian with considerable pugnaciousness.
He has the notion that he is not being
fairly treated by the State leaders, and
that as the representative of the big
county of Hudson he is not getting suf-
feient recognition. He wants to have
place among the State leaders. He Is
also anxious to be active during the
c11hernatorial campaign and contribute
To the election of Franklin Murphy. Col
onel Dickinson banks a good deal on the
election of Mr.. Murphy to secure more
recognition for the Republican workers
of Hudson. He has been charging that
Governor voorhees, has not treated Hud-
son fairly, while the State leaders claim
that the Republicans in that county are
constantly quarreling among themselves
and have, by their pickering, destroyed
all the chances they had for carrying the
county for the Republican party.
The State League of Republican Clubs is
going to have a convention this year to
arrange for aggressive campaign work.
The convention will be held September Is
in Jersey City General Sewell and Chair
man Murphy have indorsed the idea of
the convention, and will assist the league
to strengthen the clubs throughout the
State
The Democrats throughout the State
will be busy during the week selecting
their delegates to the State convention,
which will be held next week at Trenton.