The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-19
SpOILS FIGHT.
Republicans Having Trouble
Over the Legislative
Offices.
NOT ENOUGH TO co ROUND
Yet Newark Wants Two of
the Best Places in the
Senate.
[specia1 10 .arhe jersey citx News, p

| [Specia1 to 'aThe Jersey City News."1
TRENTON, Nov. 10, 19eO.-The organi-
cation of the next Legislature will be ef-3
fected without much trouble to the Re-
publican leaders In fact, the filing of
the principal offices is almost agreed upon.
1t is generally believed that Mr.. Pitney
| of Morris will be the President of the
/ Senate, and unless serious objection
comes from Senator McCarter and other
local leaders in Essex, John S. Gibson will
be given the secretaryship. The office of
Supervisor of Bills of the Senate was filled
last year by Jesse r. Salmon OF Essex.
That was the only office of consequence
in the Senate given to that county Mr..
Salmon is the choice of Senator McCarter
for a second term of Office, and the latter
would not care to see his friends pros
poets jeopardized by the candidacy of an
other Essex man for a Senate berth.
Should there be no objection on the part
of Senators from other counties to the
giving of two of the principal offices to
Essex, then both Mr. Salmon and Mr.
| Gibson may be chosen for the offices men
toned. Last year the offices were divided
among fourteen Republican Senator'S In
the next Senate the majority will be COM
! PosCQ VI SSFGllGtH OGUdLUTS-dH increase
of three-so that there will be a greater
clamor for patronage and the number of
offices is not large enough to go around
among them all. This is the danger which
confronts the candidacy of Mr.. Gibson for
the secretaryship. However, it is believed
that the leaders of the party in power will
be able to settle this difficulty without
leaving any sore spots behind. The ma
jority leader in the Senate will probably
be Mr.. Reed of Somerset.
/ Although Mr.. Lewis of Passaic is an
active candidate for Speaker and would
like very much to be elected to the office,
yet it is believed that Mr. Bradley of
Camden is more likely to get it. The lat
ter can muster the most influential sup
port and should he persist in his candidacy
there would scarcely be a doubt of his
! success. The arguments used in favor of
Mr.. Bradley are that he will be in his
fourth term of service as member of the
House, that he relinquished his candidacy
| last year to give way to Mr.. Jones of
| Essex, and that as the presidency of the
! Senate will go to the eastern part of the
| State 1t is no more than fair that South
Jersey should be accorded the Speaker
| ship. But this question, like the contest
in the Senate, will be settled by the lead
| ers long in advance of the meeting of the
| Legislature, if an understanding has not
| already been arrived at. Should Mr. Brad
| ley be elected Speaker there is scarcely
| doubt of the selection of Captain James
Parker of Passaie for the clerkship. In
| the event of the success of Mr.. Lewis,
! then, of course, the clerkship would be
| given to another county outside of Pas
| sale, probably to one in the southern tier
of the State. Charles FolwelI of Burling-
ton will be given second term as Super
visor of Bills in the House. All the other
Offices from Reading Clerk down in both
branches will be filled by the same incum-
bents as in the last Legislature, because
by courtesy they are entitled to a re-
| election.
| There is much discussion carried on as
to how the Legislature will perform the
task of reapportioning the members of the
House under the new census, and also as
/ to the reforming of the lines of the Con-
| gressional districts, as an additional mem
Der of Congress no doubt will be given to
| this State. 1t is generally admitted that
Hunterdon and Warren will each lose an
| Assembyman, and that Hudson and Pas
saic will each gain one. The Republican
leaders will hesitate a long time before
agreeing to give Democratic Hudson an
additional member without also giving
| Republican Essex one too. Hudson has
an excess of population of 27,000 over Es-
sex, and thereforeshas a prior claim for
an increase in membership. Not to over
look Essex, then, perhaps a member may
be taken from Middlesex so that the
premier Republican county of the State
shall have an equal representation with
the Democratic Gibraltar. On basis Of a
population of $1,000 for each Assembly
man in the State, Hudson could be given
twelve members with 1900 to spare, while
Essex with the same number would lack
1900 of the required basis 1t is doubtful
if Middlesex will consent without an earn
I est remonstrance to the loss of a member
i for the purpose of benefiting Essex, and
also in view of the fact that Cumberland
would then have as large a representation,
with population of only 51,193, as Mid
dlesex would have with a population of
| 1852 The Republican majority may find
some hard nuts to crack before this new
/ apportionment matter is adjusted
4 The work of creating new Congressional
districts will also meet with some Difficult
i ties. The Republicans will see to it, of
course, that as many districts as possible
| will be carved out in favor of their party.
i Perhaps the result will evolve six Re-
] publican districts, two Democratic and
| one doubtful. According to the new CEN
| sus the population of each Of the eight
districts as now existing is as follows:-
First-Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cum
| berland and Cape May, 229,472; Second
1 Atlantic, Burlington Mercer and Ocean.