The Jersey City news., 1904-12-01
more MOUTHS
THAN PLUMS
G. @. P. Leaders Find 1t
Hard to Satisfy the De-
mands Of the Office
Seekers.
HOUSE CAUCusDE0EMBERl3 IS
Great Efforts Being Made to
Induce Stokes to Author
ize a Gorgeous Inau q
ration.
HOUSE CAUCUSDECEMDERI3 IS
Especial to .The Jersey city News.,.)

l.
Especial to THE Jersey City News.'C
TRENTON, Dec. 1, 1904.-As has
been predicted, the Republican leaders of
the State are having far more trouble
over the distribution of the legislative.
patronage than appears on the surface.
The problem which eonfronts them is
how TO make the comparatively limited
number of places go around among the
Overwhelming majority which their party
has in both houses without causing too
many heartburnings and disappointment
to beget dangerous defections within the
party ranks.
As the News pointed out the other
| day, there are only a small number Of
places in either branch Of the Legislature
which are really worth striving for, and
almost every county which gave Re
publican plurality has fled a claim for
one or more of those positions. The fact
that no one evinces any disposition to re-
cede from his demands and all are clam
oring as loudly as ever for the recogni-
ton which they declare is their county's
by right of conquest, has developed sit
uation which was not altogether foreseen
by the leaders. When almost at the very
beginning Of the weekly gatherings of.
the statesmen in the State House this
fall it became apparent that the question
of presiding officers and leaders was
practically settled, it was thought that
the trouble was all over and that all that
remained to be done was to hold the eau
| cuses and put the official stamp upon the
nominations. So next Tuesday, Decem-
Der 6, was fixed for the Assembly caucus
and the leaders thought that the trouble
was as good as over.
When the statesmen gathered here this
week, however, it was discovered that it
was anything but over. Every one was
standing by his claims and declaring his
intention of taking them into the caucus
with his and fighting them out there.
This state of affairs led the leaders to
see the necessity of further missionary
work among the Assemblymen, and so
tb. oo.,o,,e .,,o ,,.,sfy,o,,s.l a,otl,o,. x.,5l~
Although it had been generally under
stood that the caucus would be held next
Tuesday no official call was sent out,
and so after the fashion of the Chinese
Mandarin the leaders can save their
faces" by showing that the date of the
caucus had not been officially fixed until
yesterday.
The surprise of the day was the an
nouncement that Sheriff Herbert w.
johnson, of Camden, had resigned his
office on account Of i'll health, and there
was much speculation as to the effect his
action would have upon the political
situation. in that county
Notwithstanding the declarations of
Comptroller J. Willard Morgan and his
friends that there was nothing in the
| opposition to his reelection, there were
those in the corridors that were equally
positive that there was good deal in
it, but whether there was enough to
cause his rejection was another matter.
These persons proceeded 70 point out
how the resignation Of Mr.. johnson
strengthened the position Of Mr. Nor
gan. They said that not so many years
ago Mr.. Morgan had large following
in Camden, and was q sort Of thorn in
the side of the Republican machine in
Camden, but although he often opposed
it in conventions he never openly bolted
nee Of a regular Republican convention.
Still the thorn was so troublesome that
the leaders concluded to prune it by
placing Mr.. Morgan in the Comptroller's
Office. Now, if Mr.. David Baird should
assist in having any other man elected
in Mr.. Morgan's place next February,
the gossips went on, he would return To-
Camden County and take up his former
| troublesome career.
He would undoubtedly become candi-
date for the shrievalty nomination next
fall when the time came to fiji the I'M
! expired term Of Mr.. Johnson # the
machine should refuse 10 let him have
| the nomination there was reason 10 be-