The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-10-14
BATTLE IS ON.
Present Outlook Is Most
Encouraging for the
Democrats.
REPUBLICANS WORRIED
Apathy Of Their Leaders and
Enthusiasm for Seymour
Cause Them Alarm.

TRENTON, Oct. IA, l90l.-ssIf the pres
tnt conditions hold for a couple NOR
weeks said one of the Republican lead
ers in the city yesterday, "the party vii
have to find Paul Revere and send hin
dashing through the State calling thu
men to arms and warning the organiza
tien of its danger. 1t don't look to me a.
though the party was more than hal
awake, and the election is only threi
weeks from next Tuesday. I don't know
why so many of the party workers shoult
feel so confident of the success of tht
ticket when there is every indication tha
the Democrats are in better shape to hgh
than thay have been for years, and thai
no reliance can be placed in the hope ol
defections from their party over the nemi'
nation of Seymour against the wishes OF
former Senator Smith. The sooner we re-
alize the strength of the Democrats the
better it win be for us
That Republican seems to reflect the
general sentiment of the rank and file oi
the party, for, while there has been some
considerable show of activity on the part
of the Republicans. there is an undercur-
rent of confidence which Is likely to land
them high and dry on Disappointment Is
land on election night, unless they get out
and counteract it with some very lively
hustling or send riders to warn the party
of the threatened flood. The fact mat
former Senator Smith was appointed as
one of the members-at-large of the new
State Committee was sufficient indication
that the Democrats are together, that the
sores left by the State convention have
been healed, and that they are prepared
for vigorous effort all along the line.
The appointment of Mr.. Smith was APP
parently at his own request, and he has
indicated in letters Of thanks to all those
who stood by him SO sturdily in the strug-
gle against Seymour that he means to en-
ter heartily into the thick of the fight
and stand by those who are at the mead
of the present campaign. That there are
able leaders now laboring harmonfously
for Democratic success there is every evi-
dence. and that they are being well sup
piled with the needed funds for the Wig
orous prosecution of their work is likewise
true, SO that all the elements OF success
are present and the party is buoyed with
a hope such as it has not enjoyed in many
recent campaigns.
At the meeting of the Essex County
Democratic Committee the other night
there was love feast and such evidence
of harmonious action for the welfare OF
the ticket as to bode no good for the
Republican leaders. County Chairman
James E. Nugent and Colonel E. L. Price,
who had led the opposing forces In the
Bitter fight at the primary polls at which
the Seymour forces suffered such rout,
made up and promised to work shoulder
to shoulder. forgetting all differences,
for the success of the Mayor in the pres
ent campaign With the party wholly
united in Essex, where Mayor Seymour
is So popular. there will be one of the
hottest battles on record in November.
AS it is evident that Essex County is the
pivotal point of the battle, as it has been
in so many campaigns, the result there
will command more than the usual atten-
tion.
There seems to be marked disposition
on the part of the Republicans to place
the present prosperity of the country for
ward as the chief issue Of the campaign
but the Democratic takers are evidently
intent upon forcing State issues upon
them There are some things In the
Democratic platform, however, which will
not be made very prominent and the dis
cussion will be confined to such things
as will carry weight with the mass of
voters. In North Jersey they will make
the most of the pollution of the Passafc
River and utter failure of the Republican
Legislature to take any steps to bring
relief to the communities affected. The
fact that Governor Voorhees, declined to
call an extra session Of the Legislature to
bring the desired relief is pointed out as
one of the blunders of the last Legisia-
ture. but as this subject has no interest
III south Jersey it will not figure there in
the campaign
One of the issues of the fight in South
Jersey is the abolition Of spring cleo
tfons by the last Legislature, and that
is really one of the most vital and i'm
portant, since it affects all the large CEN
tres of population. Many people of both
parties hold that the combination Of all
elections deprives many voters Of the
privilege Of cutting loose from partisan
lines and voting and working for the best
interests of the municipality upon inde-
pendent and local issues This matter
will have much to do with the result
In Camden, where there was every evil
dence last spring of serious revolt
against the Republican organization and
where the desire to avoid this threatened
rupture actually led to the passage of
the act for the abolition of the spring
elections. The Republican managers de-
clare that they win not suffer upon this
3ssue. as the law was passed with the Coz
oneration of the Democrats, and that
Header Robert Davis. Of Hudson county
= AasheartiIy in accord with its provisions
s,st what figure It with cut In the cam
|paign il one Of the unsolyed problems.
/ The only certain thing about It is that It
win keep back the returns of the election
for nobody knows how long, and make
ii well-nigh Impossible to determine until
next day who is chosen Governor and
how the Legislature stands. Unless the
vote shall be overwhelmingly one way or
the other the actau result may not be
known even the.next day. From present
indications, however. that is not likely
Whoever wins is likely to have but 2
small majority unless something happens
to turn the present tide
The States Republican leaders are not
al all pleased with the condition Of
things in Atlantic county, where there
was ouch bitter fight for the nominal
tion for Senator last week, and the turns
Ing down Of Senator Lewis Evans u re-
garded az one Of he calamities Of the
campaign. Reports come here to the ef~