The Jersey City news., 1901-07-03
WESEMEN WINS
Lentz's Candidate Made
Custodian Of the State
House at Last.
Pill FOR RlKER FACTION
But Then the Major Had to
Be Placated in Franklin
Murphy's interests.
Ispecial TO ..rhe Jersey city News.''l

Especial to The Jersey Ciiy News
TRENTON, July 8, 190l.-The state
House Commission at its meeting yester-
day afternoon appointed former Assem-
blyman John w. Weseman OF NeWark
custodian of the State House to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of John H
Bonnell.
The nomination of Mr.. Wesemar1 was
made by State Treasurer George b.
Swain and confirmed by the Governor and
State Comptroller, the other members OF
the commission.
Mr.. Weseman's appointment dates from
yesterday, and he is expected to be at
the State House today to assume his
new duties. The position pays $1,000 a
year. and is held at the pleasure of the
State House Commission.
The naming Of Mr.. Weseman ends a
contest which at one time threatened a
quite serious rupture among the warning
Republican factions of Essex county, and
which, as 1t is, is likely to create some
feeling.
While appreeiating the courtesy of the
other members of the State House Com
mission in conceding to him the selection
of custodian, Mr.. Swain found himself
on the horns of a dilemma, and HIS every
turn seemed only to fix him there the
more securely. Mr.. Swain hesitated be-
tween naming man who would satisfy
Supreme Court Clerk William Riker, Jr.,
with whose wing of the party he him
self is affiliated, and one who would
please the opposing faction, headed by
Major Carl Lentz.
There is no love lost between Major
Lentz on the one hand and Mr. Riker and
Mr. Swain on the other, but Just now
Major I.entz is badly needed by the ma
chine to push along the cut and dried
boom OF Franklin Murphy for Governor.
The Major has shown a very strong in
clination to kick over the traces and run
his own candidate for Governor, and so
the bosses have been catering to his every
wish.
Mr.. Weseman is an original Lentz man
who was nominated by the Major for the
Assembly, despite he fact that he failed
to have the delegates from his own as
seinbly district The Major however,
called in the votes of the entire Republi-
can convention of Essex county, and
thus. party precedent being thrown to
tie winds, Mr.. Weseman was nominated.
Later Mr.. Weseman and Major Lenta
had falling out and Mr.. Swain
thought to please his friend, Mr.. Riker,
by naming Mr.. Weseman as an anti
Lentz man. Mr.. Rilxer, however, had
little faith in the antagonism of Mr..
Weseman to Major Lentz, believing that
should the latter secure the office there
would be an understanding between the
two and Mr.. Weseman would be come as
ardent a Lentz man as ever.
This was responsible for Mr. Wese-
mans not being named last week, bu,
since then potent influences have been at
work which Mr.. Swain could not well
withstand. The influence of the Lentz
faction turned out to be for Weseman,
proving Mr.. Riker's supposition to be cor
rect. The appointment is therefore re-
tion.
Mr.. weseman was born in German, his
father being citizen of the United States
at the time. For many years he has
conducted grocery business in Newark
He received his education In the New
ark public schools and at a business col
1ege
At the November election in 1896 he was
elected a member of the Essex coun-
ty board of freehofders.
He is member of the Free and Ac-
cepted Masofs nd several other organi-
cations.
He served two terms in the House Of
Assembly in 1899 and 1900