The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-12-27
FRANCIS WINS
With His Own He Has Eff
teen 0utof Seventeen in
Senatorial Caucus.
M'CARTER FOR LEADER
Corporate Combine Achieves
a Sweeping Victory
Minor Offices.
[specIal to nrhe Jersey city News. ri


Especial to s'rhe Jersey City News."1
TRENTON, Dec. 27, 1sol-Charles Asa
Francis, of Monmouth County. viii be the
next President of the New Jersey Senate.
The caucus of the Republican Senators
by a vote of IA to g. so decided last night,
and those interests which are represented
in the Legislature by the organized lobby
breathes freer this morning. The caucus
was held in the spacious rooms of the Re
publican Club. the swell political organiz-
alton of the eapftal on East Hanover
street All the seventeen Republican
Senators attended the caucus and in the
building at the time were United States
Senator John Kean, would-be United
States Senator "Davy'' Baird of Camden;
Congressman Loudenslager, Speaker
Bradley, County Clerk Frank Paterson
and Sheriff Sells Of Camden; Barker Gum
mere and a few lesser lights
| Before the caucus was called these
eminent statesmen were in deep and
earnest conversation with the various
Senators. What reason there was for such
| active and persistent missionary work
| especially since it was understood that
I Mr.. Francis had a large majority of the
votes was not apparent 1t was said that
| the candidacy of Judge Cross of Union,
| was worrying them, but canvass of the
! Senators failed to disclose more than two
! for the Union men and it was evident if
| this was really the cause, 1t was another
| case of false alarm. John Kean wanted
| it understood that he was working for
4 Judge Cross and when 1t was all over
with mock sadness he declared that it
was apparent that he was without in
f1uence among the Senators. The pre-
sence of "Davy" Baird and the strong
Camden delegation gave rise to the
! rumor, that notwithstanding the holy
horror which possesses "Davey" at the
thought that any one would consider him
so deficient in sense of propriety as to
! be candidate for United States Senator
4 under existing circumstances, he was
there to see If he could not secure vote
| or two for himself.
! The caucus was held behind closed
doors and was soon over. Senator Reed
called the Senators to order and Thomas
n. McCarter of Essex, was chosen chair
| man, which makes him leader of the
| majority on the floor of the Senate. This
/ was departure from the accepted slate.
Mr. McCarter was known to be Cross
man and Senator Reed had been slated
for the position. The selection of Mr..
McCarter was therefore taken to mean
1 that he had gone over to the Francis
forces. This was shown to be groundless
! when candidates for the nomination for
president were called for and Mr.. Nc
/ Carter named Judge Cross. He made a
| short but earnest speech in which he set
| forth the sterling worth and noble char
| acteristics of Judge Cross, declaring that
| he was eminently fitted for the position
and in honoring him the Senators would
honor themselves.
| Mr.. Reed followed by nominating Mr..
| Francis. and the sample copy statesman
! from Monmouth was eulogized by the
| s"Tall Poplar of the Raritan'' in man
ner which made him feel his shoulders
| to see if wings were not beginning to
sprout The vote was much of a surprise
4 to every one Mr. Cross received three
4 votes only and Mr.. Francis the other
! fourteen Judge Cross Immediately
moved to make Mr.. Francis's nomination
4 unanimous and his motion was carried.
There was some curiosity to know who
had voted for Judge Cross and it did not
take long to satisfy it. Mr.. McCarter and
/ Mr.. Francis of course, voted for him, and
it was known that young Mr.. Wakelee
of Bergen had declared just before the
caucus that he would vote for him. Thus
Mr. Francis made good his boast that ne
/. had all the votes but four.
The other offices were quickly filed
there being only one change from those
of last year. ]. Frank Lindsey of Nor
i ris was assistant reading clerk last year.
He was Senator Pitneys protege, and
went out with him. Ex-AssemblymaIl
! Jacob w. Welsh, the newly elected Sen
4 ator from Morris. tried hard to retain
possession of the plum but Bloomfield
Minch the energetic young Republican
/ who succeeds Edward G. Stokes as Ser
4 ator from Camden, also wanted it. Mr..
Minch named Howard Tyler, a Bridgetolt
i newspaper man, and Mr.. Welsh nominat-
ed Isaac r. Pearson of the "Morristown
Jerseyman. Mr.. Pearson received five
i votes and Tyler twelve. The other Off
/ GERS chosen were: Secretary, Walter G..
Edge Atlantic; Journal Clerk Robert A.
Waterbury, Union; Assistant Journal
Clerk, William H. Fisher, Ocean; Ser
geant-at-Arms, John T. Garwood Salem;
Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Arthur Be-
! dell. Camden; Supervisor of Bills. Jesse
4 r. Salmon, Essex: Assistant Supervisor
Ri,I Clerk, Louis T. Reed. Somerset; Cal,
erldar Clerk. Robert e. Bustard. Passaic.
A steering committee, consisting OF Seii-
/ ators Reed, Strong of Mid6lesex and
l distribute the second grade plums. They
will make their report the night before
the session opens. Mr.. Reed said that
there would be no change. that Morris
will get Cumberland's doorkeeper.