The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-12-09
As an Office Holder He Car
not Under the Essex Com
mittee Constitution Be It's
Chairman.
THIS EFFECTS OTHERS ALSO
ANTI LENTz MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE HAVE LONG HAD
THIS RoMBsHELL HIDDEN
AND READY FOR FIRE.
Especial to ''The Jersey city News. .

Especial to "The Jersey city News.'9
NEWARK, Dec. 8, 1906 Claims will
be made at the coming annual meeting
0 fthe Republican County Committee
that Major Carl Lentz, who has been
chairman of the committee for years, has
held the position illegally ever since he
became a member of the State Tax
Board.and that under the constitution of
the County Committee, he will not be
eligible at the coming annual election.
The clause Of the County Committee con-
stitueion under which. the plea will be
made is the latter part Of section three
of Article II, which reads
.sAll officials of the County Commit
tee must be Republican voters of the
county of Essex. While they hold office
they cannot be candidate or nomination
or election for any office, elective or APP
pointed, and upon assuming such re-
lation shall Immediately forfeit their
place as officials of the County Com
mittee'
| Besides the election of Mr.. Lentz, it
| is contended that the election of Mayor
Henry NJ. Doremus as treasurer of the
County Committee, John ]. McGrath as
secretary and George De Camp as vice
chairman were all illegal, and that none
of them can be available for reelection.
| Mr.. De Camp, according to the general
understanding, was to be again chosen
yice-chairman. MIR. McGrath secretary,
and either Mayor Dorernus or Winton G.
Garrison treasurer.
Mr.. Garrison, if the contention of the
anti-Lentz men be weN taken, will be
equally as ineligible sthe others, be-
cause he holds the place of chief of the
Bureau of Labor and Industry. John r.
! Flavell, according to this view, is the
only one of the higher officers who is not
illegally holding place at the present
time, though according to the same con-
tention, the constitution was violated
several years ago when he was sargeant-
alarms in the House of Assembly.
The anti-Lentz members OF the County
Committee have been keeping this card
up their sleeve ever since last June or
July. They did not want to have it made
known until such time as it became too
late for the Lentz men in the committee
to make any amendment to the constitu-
ton. the discovery had been made
known at any time prior to the Novem-
Der meeting of the committee last, the
Lentz men would have been able. by rea-
son ftheir big majority, to have passed
amendments which would make the
Major eligible.
This cannot he done now for the rea-
son that under the constitution notice of
any proposed change in that instrument
must be given at stsdhirty days prior
to regular meeting.
The December meeting, which is the
annual one, will be the next regular one,
and an amendment offered at that one
will have TO lie over until the January
meeting. The election, under the consti-
tuition, must also take place on the fourth
Friday in December, so that the anti
Lentz men do not fear any effortsto post
pone the election until the Lentz major
lSity can amend the constitution.
1 Major Lentz when spoken to about the
matter, says he does not fear the agita-
tion Of the subject because the clause OF
the constitution refers, he claims, to
candidates" for Office and he has never
been a candidate except when he ran
for Sheriff. Since that time the anti
Lentz men acknowledge the statute OF
limitation would apply
The anti-Lentz men cannot see the in.
terpretation of the prohibition in the
same light as does Major Lentz. The
question hinges on the construction thai
should be place on the words s'upon as
suming such relation" Major Lent7
claims that it means the relation of q
candidate" The anti-Ientz men claim
it means the relation OF assuming 'any
office. elective or appointiveu
In constituting the clause, the anti
Lentz men say the same methods should
be applied as are APPLIED in constituting q
statute, the words first, the context next
and then the spirit and reason. In their
view, the words themselves seem ex.
|
little import. But if the words are moi
plain enongh, then the judges will have
to fall back on the spirit and reason for
the enactment.
The antiJLentz men claim that the
clause was conceived in justice and was
intended to prevent an ofiice holder from
using his power to be elect; led as chair.
man or other Office of the County Com
mittee, or a chairman or other officer o1
(the County Committee from using his
power to secure nomina ton, election Of
appointment TO any political office.
4 was the intention to convey thit
meaning. IS the underlying principle
they claim, and the construction of ths
clause any other way would be an i'm.
position and an injustice.
n When the constitution was drawn ur
Major Lentz himself was one OF Tx
committee that did the work, another
member Of the committee being William
A. Crane, who was latter clerk of ths
County Board of Treeholders.