Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-05-21
POLITICS OF
PAST WEEK.
Some Gossip About the Dryden
Shad Dinner and Other Things
Political in the State.

TRENTON, May 21.-While the
meeting of the Republican State COM
mittee, the challenge of Senator Col
ing of the first instalment of the
members of the county board of
equalization of taxes were all fea-
lures of the past week, the excursion
and dinner given by Colonel Anthony
r. Kuser, to about four hundred
guests on Saturday contributed to the
chief event. AS a host the colonel
cannot be excelled, and the trips on a
train of drawing room cars, the de-
lightful sail on the Delaware and the
planked shad dinner at Washington
Park were complete in every way.
From the social point of view the
whole things was perfect. Probably
the host did not wish politics to be
injected in any noticeable, spectac-
ular way. 1t was a social occasion,
with politics on the side, so to speak,
and in that respect it was as success
full as the shad, the steamer or the
imported settler. On train, on board
and at table the political situation
was discussed thoroughly, but with
out demonstration. There were no
outbursts of applause, except a slight
one in honor of Governor Stokes,
when he alighted from the boat at
Camden on the return trip. When the
big officials and their friends march
ed from their Washington a to the
boat at the railroad wharf, there was
no applause, except by some news
paper men for an old Jersey journal
list who is now doing fine work at the
national capital. Senators Dryden
and Kean and the bunch of congress-
men came on board the boat n
greeted the crowd withoutAthe least
manifestation of applause. Even DUR
ing the dinner, while there was
laughter and conversation a-plenty,
the only handclapping was FOR the
Gridiron Quartet, when it rendered
it's original topical song in New err
sey.
The absence of the reform element
was instantly noted and commented
on. While it is understood all the IN
dependent legislators were invited,
only three accepted. Assemblymen
Coyle, Arrowsmith and Berg of Hud-
son. When a reformer who was not
present was asked why most OF the
Colby adherents remained away he
said that they did not believe In ac-
cepting the hospitality of a man
whose candidate for United States
senator they proposed to attack IN
every possible way from now on.
Such a couse, they thought, would sa-
vor of hypocrisy. There is likely to
be a difference of opinion as to the
soundness of this move.
Many Democrats There.
There were a good many more
democrats on hand than there were
reformers (unless the democrats are
going to range under that banner)
and there were more Public Service
Corporation officials of assorted sizes
and varied Importance than there
were democrats. Thomas H. Nc.
Carter, the Public Service president
was conspicuous on Saturday, and h'
remarked that he was out OF politics
and he seemed to be perfectly sincere
in making the statement.
The democrats were quite chippe'
as they visited around on the trail
and after dinner. There was reall'
quite a goodly number, more ina
have been seen together in public TO
a long while. Senator Smith, Gener
al Plume, ex-senator Adrain, Genera
Heppenheimer, ex-senator Blackwell
and William j. Thompson were In
group most of the time, wondering ]
the limelight would ever focus o.
them again. One observer remarke
that these gentlemen forget tina
they are vintage democrats. They be
long to a political period that is gel
ting ~cobwebby. While they are stil
ii good trim to conduct 3 campaign
Il takes some young blood to keep
party going. and the red corpuscle
are hard 70 nnd just now - the Iel