Evening star., 1902-08-19
A REPUBLICAN BOSS
One is Wanted in New
Jersey.
FAC TION AL FIGH rs
THE GoVFRNORsHIP AND TWO
sENAToRsHIPs INVOLVED.
Representative Loudensla ger Won His
8 AZ TIONAL FIGH rs
Representative Loudenslager Won His
Nomination, but Fears knit
ing at the Polls.
special From a Staff Correspondent.

question is who shall be republican boss of
the state to succeed the late Senator Sew
ell. 1t is assumed, of course, that some
pody must be boss. All other states have
their bosses. The most shining example
is furnished by Pennsylvania, where Senator
quay continues to be the undisputed ruler
of the republican party. New York has
her Platt, Ohio has her Hanna and her
Foraker, Wisconsin her La Toilette. In
diana her Fairbanks, Illinois Eer Cullom
and so on.
When Senator Sewell died a number of
gentlemen stepped forward and. as mod
estly as they could, in the circumstances,
suggested themselves as his likely success
sor. That was some time ago. but I'D to
this time the successorship has not been de-
term1ned and fight is progressing which
causes great uneasiness to republican mol
ltclans 1t is subject of comment that
at thls time when all other conditions ap-
pear to be so favorable for he repubIi-
cans throughout the country, their pros
poets of success are menaced in several
states by the fights within their own partv.
senator Sewell was an ideal boss He
ruled with rod of iron. No one ever
dared question his judgment-for moment,
ana no one asserted his own Judgment ,,pon
material questions without consulting the
senator Some of the men who are con-
testing for his shoes today would hardly
nave nave dared to admit that they breathed
during his lifetime It is almost enough
TO make the old war horse turn over in
MS grave to see the scramble that is going
down. Az 0'''
Involved in the Fight.
One reason why so much interest at
taches to the boss-ship, aside from the in
ulnslc value of the position, is the fact
that the governorship and two United
Stat
the fight. The boss of New Jersey, if he es-
tablishes his position upon the old basis
and can WELD the power that Senator
Sewell welded, will have a great deal to
say about these Offices
The republicans of the state already are
dlV1dlng into two factions, with the possi-
bility that third faction may enter the
field. On the one hand are Governor Muir
ply, Representative Fowler, Z. c. Stokes
and David Baird. On the other hand are
Senator Kean and Mr.. Barber. lowering
In the offing is ex-Attorney General Griggs
who may rally a faction of his own and get
into the fight. Mr. Griggs is suspected of
entertaining sena atorial ambitions He finds
II safer for the present, it is said, to keep
out of the factional squa abble but he may
be compelled later to assert himself and
raise his own standard either in connection
with one of the other factions or against
them both. 1t is one of the most cold
blooded games of politics now being played
in America which these Jerseymen are
playing. 1t is a case absolutely of every
man for himself and the deuce take the
hindmost. Probably not one of them would
hesitate for moment to cut the throat,
politically, of his next neighbor, or, which
would be better from his view point, the
throats of all his neighbors.
Play With High Cards.
They play the game with high cards in
Jersey. All of these would-be bosses are
rich men and they are backed by interests
infinitely wealthier. In Jersey politics and
business are so closely connected that poll
ties is a business of itself. No man en-
cages in politics who cannot rally large
business interests to his support This is
especially true in state politics. Franchises
and commercial contracts are absolutely a
part of the establishment of the elective
franchise. 1t is no worse than in some
other states, and, on the contrary, is a lit
tie more open and above board. 1t is taken
a matter of course, and the newcomer
in politics gets his first training in the po-
litico-commercal combination.
In New Jersey the voter is a unit to be
used in making up q total which is to reg
lister the will of the in control Of the
machine. The voter may have all kinds of
high-fown ideas about the sacredness of
the ballot and the duty of the citizen. The
boss has his own peculiar ideas about the
use of the voter. The system applies to the
democracy as well as to the republican
party.
The congressional situation in New Jersey
is interesting. New Jersey received an in
crease of two representatives in Congress
under the national apportionment act. The
state was pretty thoroughly gerrymandered
by the republican legislature, but with the
best that could be done a couple of dis
tricts were left comparatively weakened.
These the two Jersey City districts.
The attention of the state managers is
being directed to these districts. On the
basis of the vote of 1900 the territory COM
prised in the new districts showed a good
H. iopff hrat rnfn
an abnormal vote, and the state managers
are figuring on the basis of 1885, That does
not make such q good showing. More than
that the machinery of these two districts
der existing customs and usages in Jersey
that fact is very important one, and one
to cause the republicans considerable con-
Germ.
Loudenslager's District
Another district which is causing the
state managers some solicitude is Harry
Loudenslager's district, which takes in
Camden. In 1898 he had a plurality of
1900, but the new apportionment took out
couple of republican counties, which
would reduce that plurality to approx
mately 5000. That would be considered
ample when compared with the average
congressional plurality throughout the
country.
But Mr.. I.oudenslager has on his hands
one of the most beautiful factional fights
| that this campaign presents= 1t began with
the contest for the nomination, and If
truth were told, probably had something
| to do with the big contest for the boss-ship
| of the state. After long and distinguish
| ed career in the House of Representatives,
| during which he had rendered his district
conspicuous service, Mr.. Loudenslager re-
ceived an intimation from some of the
woud-be leaders that probably he had bet
| ter retire. He replied that he would see
them further, and forthwith started in to
make his fight. 1t seemed almost hopeless
! for while, but he knew thing or two
about Jersey politics himself He had been
| a faithful worker in the great machine and
knew something of its operations
The contest was carried to such a point
| that they had riots at the nominating pri-
mary and killed few men. Loudensager
won out handsomely.
Fearful of Being Knitted
| The question that now confronts him II