, 1903-08-26

from Trenton, under date of August
18th, while ii contains some slight
errors in names, is i'll the main a true
picture of the conditions in this county
to-day:
!" 1t has been some time since one OF
the smallest counties-if not the small
est-in the State has been regarded as
one of the most important in a Stale
election. The situation in Cape May is
the most constant topic in political
conversation among the Republican
State leaders. Their interest in it is
accentuated by the fact that most of
them have been, or are being, accused,
in n way or another, oftaking a hand
in it. In this respect no Republican
State leader has escaped this imputa-
ton of intended participation in what
some of the indignant supporters of
Captain Hand call "A strictly local
fight In addition, the fact that the
next State Senator from Cape May
County will be entitled to vote for a
United States Senate candidate helps
TO add to the interest of Senator Kean
as well as other prominent Republican
leaders.
MUCH BIIYrERN
80 charged with bitterness has be
come the contest between the partisans
OF Senator Hand and A~ssemblyman
Crosse hat a report where it originated
nobody knows, although it is attributed
TO last years course of action that
Governor Murphy was about to go into
Cape May county to call OIL } Captain
Hand caused great CONSERVATION
among the Republicans there. That
the Governor was taking a hand in the
trouble some of the Cape May people
asserted with great positiveness. Mr..
Murphy was not here to-day to speak
for himself, but one of his friends de-
scribed these statements and reports
rs being wholly and gratuitously false.
AND yet the rumor was so eagerly
swallowed by some of the partisans of
Senator Hand that Governor Murphy
and his administration were made the
subject of attack by a supporter of
Senator Hand. This attack was mace
by a Republican who formerly was
conspicuous in Camden county politics,
but who of late has been conducting a
newspaper in Cape May county. In
this attack Mr.. Hamilton charged
Governor Murphy with being the
official defender of trusts, and alleged
that he was therefore at war with the
policy of President Roosevelt on this
national question, and in opposition TO
the views of the National Republican
Committee Evidently the intention
of this attack on the Governor was to
warn him that if he came into Cape
May county with the intention of try
ing to influence Captain Hand to with
draw from his candidacy for State
Senator he would have a warm re-
ception. And apparently to emphasize
the hostility which the M that
Governor Murphy was going to call
Off Mr.. Hand had caused, a newspaper
owned by Captain Hand copied in one
column the attack made by Mr..
Hamilton, and sneeringly alluded to
the alleged proposed visit of the
Governor to Cape May in another.
INCREASING WARMTH ADDED
Ito add increasing warmth to the
already boiling political pot, somebody
asserted that the newspaper which at
tackled Governor Murphy belonged to
State Controller Willard +. Morgan.
the intention being, the Crosse partisans
say, to inflame the opposition to the
State administration and to make it
appear that the Governor and his
official family were not harmonious.
MIR. Morgan said to-day hat he had no
interest, financial or otherwise, in any
newspaper in Cape May County, and
never had had any such interest. He
knew Mr.. Hamilton, he said, and had
demonstrated with him for his attacks.
MIR. Hamilton Was, Mr.. Morgan con-
tinued, a partlson of Senator Hand en-
tirely of his own volition and account.
Certainly he had never urged Mr..
Hamilton TO advocate the renOmina-
ton of Senator Hand. Controller
Morgan regretted the present political
difficulties in Cape May, but he had
resolutely declined to interfere in differ
enees which belonged to the county to
settle for itself. He had never, he said,
breathed SO much as IA suggestion look
ing to an attack upon Governor Muir
ply. Mr.. Morgan said chat he had
declared all along, as he now declared
again, that he was i'll favor of the
nomination of ex-senator Stokes for
Governor against all corners. He de-
clined to say what political influences,
individual or otherwise, were support
ing Captain Hand in his persistent de-
termination to retain a seat Ill the State
Senate, but he had said TO Captain
Hand no longer ago than this morning
that he thought he Was making "A gIeat
mistake in keeping up the fight. lie
did not believe, he told Hand, that he
could be reelected as Senator in Cape
May county, and that the outcome of
his persistence might be the election by
the Democrats of the next State
Senator.
URGE CREssE's NOMINATION.
1T is known by the Republican State
leaders as we'll as by the local or county
leaders that DR.. Way, the County
Clerk, and E. Clinton Hewitt, the
Surrogate of Cape May county, are
earnestly and aggressively urging the
denomination of Assemblyman Crosse
against Captain Hand, although both
of these active Republicans were for six
years the champions of the present
Senator. County Judge Voorhees,, an
other earnest Republican of wide in
....aa =, Eo,,o Nav ,ntrOfu Nnliti1G Is