Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-02-05
Desperate Effort to Get Assembly
man Haines to Trenton Finally
Succeeded Colby a Factor. \
BRADLEY FORCES ARE STRONG.
Senator Colby While Willing to Vote For Briggs Prefers Stokes
Pney -Assemhyman Haines Of Middesex Confined to His
Home With the Grip Believed That Briggs Will Be the
Successful Man at the Caucus Will Be Bound
BY Its Action except Senator Colby

out selecting men to succeed Sena%
| tor John F. Dryden. The Briggs men
were afraid to force a vote. The
Stokes men Joined with others ii
| forcing an adjournment of the Cd
I ference. tI
The only thing decided upon
| that there should be formal eau {.
at Q o'clock this morning. All the I Il
publican members of the Legislature
with the exception, probably, Of COZ
by, will be bound by the action o.
this caucus. Colby was willing to al
tend, but insists that he will not feel
bound to vote for candidate who,
in his Judgment, is unfit to represent
the state in the upper branch Of con-
gress
1t was first intended to decide the
senatorship last night All the re-
publican members were in attendance
except Lee, of Atlantic, detained by
the illness Of his child; Haines, Of
Middlesex, who was confined to his
home by an attack of the grip, and
Gibbs, of Camden, who talegrapned
that he would agree to anything
done by the majority.
Early in the evening it was belicv-
ed that the Dryden men who are be-
hind Frank o. Briggs would be able
to control, but after counting noses
they agreed with David Baird. the
friends of Governor Stokes and Sena-
tor Colby that the caucus would het.-l
y be called off and conferences s1f2-
tituted.
The Briggs men were surprised 70
find a combination had been formed
nearly a dozen strong among South
Jersey members to force considera-
tion of David Bairds name. Then
they saw that at least nine men weie
holding out for Stokes Senator Hill
larry, recognizing the situation, sua-
gested that there be an open meeting
and this was agreed to when 1t was
seen that friends not only of Baird
but of Bradley might be able to con-
troll the caucus with votes OF tha
Stokes men.
Everything Unsettled.
After the conference had adjourn-
ed at midnight the leaders were far
apart. The Briggs men undoubtedly
had more votes than could be shoWn
for any other candidate, but the COM
bination of Baird, Bradley, Barber
and Colby would control the caucus.
Barber, as the leader of the assem-
bly,, was one of those who led in hav-
ing an adjournment of the confer-
ence. Colby was glad to join in this,
because, while he will vote for
Briggs he prefers Stokes or Judge
Pitney
The Briggs men have behind them
all the corporation influences and
seem to be confident that eventually
combination can be made with
Baird in respect of other political
matters that will cause his withdraw-
AL Baird, however, has shown as
boss of Camden, that he is an astute
politician and 1t is not believed he
would have gone into the fight az
least without knowledge that he
could defeat Briggs and settle the
senatorship to suit himself He sue
ceeded at least tonight In deadlock-
ing the conference.
DGndbOI ElCllA5uuSHCn NuAAStA -
members together and read to the
the letter of Dryden.
Reverts 90 Primaries.
This was Senator Dryden's letter:
Gentlemen of the Legislatures
You are charged with the important
duty of selecting republican sena-
tor of the United States. On a record
of five years service in that capacity
and actuated by what feel to be an
honorable ambition to continue II
that service l have had my name
submitted for your consideration. In
order that you might be fully in
formed as to the opinion of the re-
publican voters of the state on the
subject caused my candidacy to be
announced in June, 1906. In the
primaries which followed IN SeptAm-