The Jersey City news., 1902-11-12
STRUGGLE FOR
the SpOILS
Three Candidates for Presi-
dent Of the Senate and
Five for Speaker
Bob Up.
CROSS IN THE LEAD
John Kean Hustles for Him
Essex's Same Old Game
for the Lions Share.
Especial to .Drhe Jersey city News."l

Especial to THE Jersey City News"l
TRENTON, Nov. II, 1902.-Seyeral
booms for President of the Senate and
Speaker of the House were launched at
the State House yesterday, the first
Governors Day" since election. All
took the water in gallant style, but many
of them are frail craft at the best and
will never weather the storm of deals
and combinations or successfully pass
over the rocks and shoals of certain
interests" and safely glide into the eau
Gus harbor next January.
For President of the Senate there are
of Mercer, Cross of Union and Strong
of Middlesex. On the surface Mr..
Hutchinson's appeared the most formi-
dable, as he claimed to have pledged to
him already seven Senators. These with
his own vote would give him the eight
necessary to dominate the caucus. Mr..
Hutchinson claims that while the other
candidates have been waiting the proper
time to begin their eanvasses, like Asa
Francis did last year, he has seized time
by the forelock and has been at work
securing pledges. There is, however, as
far as is known at this time, lacking in
his campaign, an element which was
even more potent than pledges in
Francis's canvass, and that was the
support of the lobby. The Senators
whose pledges Mr. Hutchinson claims to
have are:-Lee of Atlantic, Hand of
Cape May, Minch of Cumberland.
Haines of Burlington, Brown, the Sena-
tor-elect from Monmouth, Shinn of
Ocean, and Welsh of Morris.
MR.. STOKES'S PREDICTION.
II am for the man who WINS" said
Clerk in Chancery Stokes, with his smile
that is childlike and bland, when asked
whom he supported for President. When
told of Mr.. Hutehinson's claim he looked
more serious and said if he had the
votes he declared he had that would
seem to settle it, "but," he added, Il
think it is a little too early yet to con-
slider the matter definitely settled"
Speaking of the other candidates, Mr.
Stokes said that if Governor Murphy
and United States Senators Kean and
Dryden were for Senator Cross, as they
were reported to be, he ought to be sue
cessful The significance of Mr.. Stokes
words lies in the fact that he is generally
supposed to be sort of successor to
General Sewell in matters legislative.
Senator Cross himself was on hand
and said that all he had done in the
matter was to send letters to the Senator
announcing his candidacy. Conspicuous
in the Governors room was Senator
Kean, whose actions plainly indicated
that he was for Senator Cross, although
his words were to the effect that he
had no more interest in the proceedings
than that of a spectator. Itwas noticed,
however, that he improved the opportun-
aty to have close and earnest conversation
net only with the Senators but with
these State officials and others who are
supposed to have any influence with
Senators.
That Senator Dryden is with Mr..
Cross no one doubts. 1t will be remem-
berd that it was Mr.. Cross's vote last
winter that made possible the election
of Mr. Dryden to the Senate, and when
that memorable contest was over he
and his lieutenants almost mobbed the
Union man in their eagernes to thank
him tor what he had done. The Gov
ernor's position is not so well defined
as he considers 1t hardly compatible with
the dignity of his Office to appear as an
active supporter of any candidate.
Nevertheless, it is well understood that
his sympathisers are with the man from
Unien.
Mr.. STRONG STAYS AWAY.
Senator Strong was not present yes
terday and very little notice was taken
of his boom after it was launched. Be
cause his brother is the local Middlesex
counsel for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, some jumped to the eonclu-
sion that he was the candidate of that
corporation, but none of those who look
after the interests Of the company at
Trenton were working for him and the
rumor gained little credence.
Five candidates, three of them from
Essex, appeared for the Speakership.
They are:--Messrs. Boyd, Lord and Will
liams of Essex, Stalter of Passaic and
Horner of Burlington. 1t is well under
stood that with three candidates Essex
is out of the race and her candidacy is
looked upon as her usual game to secure
good committees and fat share of the
patronage. This became evident when
later in the day it was announced that
Essex would relinquish any claim she
might have to the Speakership and
among many other things ask for the
sergeant-at-arms for George Powell, who
has been bill clerk for three years, and
the Office of supervisor of bills for
George B.. Grover, who held the same
position last year.
JERRY STALTER'S BOOM.
The only support which Edmund g..
Staner of Passaic seemed to have was
that portion of the lobby for various
reasons designated as the "Black Horse
Cavalry Major Tom" Palmer had
the boom in charge, which was under
stood to mean that Jerry" as Mr..
Stalter is famiIiarly known, was the