The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-10
ROTTERDAM TALKS
ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR
GUARDIANSHIP.
In Statement He Arraigns Those in
Power who Tried to Disrupt Party
No Hudson Harmony Likely.

JERSEY CITY, Dec. 10.-County Clerk
John Rotterdam has announced his ae-
tive candidacy for chairman Of thu Repub-
lican County Committed In a statement
issued from his office. The announcement
Is conceded TO come as the result OF a
conference in which all of the machine
heads of the county participated, which
was held In the office of jail Warden
Thomas p. Connolly Saturday afternoon.
The statement in part is as follows:
During the past three years the Repub-
lican party has been engaged in a des-
perate struggle for the maintenance of
Its organization In Hudson County;
organized to oppose and disrupt the party.
These men had been high in the coun-
ellis OF the Republican party. They were
trusted and had placed at their disposals
enormous political p~ower-the control of
the municipal administratio ito of Jersey
City. In addition they had charge of the
affairs of the Republican party In the
Immediately on the discovery of their
plans the remaining members of the Re
publican organization In the county fear
lessly stood up to guard the party against
their o~nslaughts.
Our opponents organized the police de-
partment of Jersey City into an almost Inn
suit that Republican, Who had The tesmerity
to go to the polls on September primary day
had policemen's night sticks shaken over
their heads. Election boards were dragged
off to the station-house while hundreds
OF voters, unnble to cast their ballots dur
ing their absence, were disfranchised. In
that manner the Republican party was
robbed of Its candidates In Jersey City.
During all this time our organization
worked night and day to protect the
party. We finally succeeded, and came
out of the fray with our party intact"
He states tina he will do all he can to
restore the present city committee of Ho-
boken tn ifs former inheritance.
During recent campaigns the New Idea
speakers accused the Republican party of
being bossed," he continued. I'VE replied
in denial hat we did not and would not
stand for bossism. Now we are going TO
prove It,"
In addition TO this statement County
Clerk Rotterdam said that he intended ~
fight for the position regardless Of what
action, IL any, Sheriff Kaiser takes.
Harmony between the machine and New
Idea factions of the party is further OF.
II anything, than ever before. One of the
prominent leaders of the reform move
ment said today:
why should we bow to the yoke of the
machine? At the last Republican primary
for the election of members OF the county
committee there were about 500 votes
polled In Jersey City and not over a thou
sand in the entire county, and they mean
to tell us that this is representative Of the
Republican party? Why, when Mayor
Pagan and Judge Mccarthy ran " years
ago they received In Jersey City alone
2S,5O0 votes. and 1t must be believed that
these were all Republicans. We have long
advocated an open primary for the election
OF county committeeman, and when II
comes so that we can ecure fair represen.
tation then we will talk harmony, but moi
before.
''Rotherham's aspirations to the county
Craftsmanship are nothing more than. an
attempt upon the part of the colonel te
shift his leadership in Hudson County
from the shoulders of Kaiser, as his hrsi
lieutenant, to those of Rotterdam