Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-01-21
SALEM COUNTY POLITICS.
How Democrats Stole d March ON
Republicans.
The Story from Two Sources.

The Story from Two Sources.
There is an old saying that every
man in Salem county is politician,
and has his political war paint on
three hundred and sixty-five days in
the year. Last November the Re-
| publicans won the Board of Chosen
Freeholders along with everything
! else, and fully expected to enter upon
their own at noon on Jan. /. But they
didn't, and here is the Sunbeam's
| story of Why
| sBrer Fox he lay low and say
muffin
| Last November there was a gem
eral election at which the Democrats
of Salem county were whipped out of
their boots. That is history
One of the officials elected was Al
bert Batten to serve as Sheriff of the
county and one week after election
he was sworn into Office. His oppon-
ent for the nomination was ex-Sheriff
B. B. Westcott and he did very
| graceful act in appointing Mr. West
cott to the new position of Under
Sheriff and Mr. Westcott promptly
took the oath of office.
| One of the notable results of the
| election was the defeat of VIM J.
Freas for the office of Chosen Free
holder of the West Ward. Never in
the history of Salem county politics
| has so much money been spent in
| single ward or township as was spent
by the Republicans to insure the de-
| feat of Mr.. Freas, and in defeating
him they scured the control of the
Board of Freeholders and, conse-
quently, the right to select the County
Collector and other officials of the
Board-or thought they did.
"Brer Fox he lay low and say
| muffin
Thursday night, December 31st, a
| special meeting of the City Council of
the City of Salem was held to which
body it was reported that there was a
vacancy in the Office of Chosen Free
holder of the East Ward. Freeholder
Westcott had been appointed Under
Sheriff of the county and had qualified
for the Office, taken the oath and as
sumed the duties. The law explicitly
states that a Sheriff can occupy no
other civil Office while Sheriff and
qualifying for that Office vacates every
other civil Office he holds. Therefore,
Mr.. Westcott by his act in qualifying
as Under Sheriff had vacated the
Office of Chosen Freeholder from the
East Ward and it was the duty of the
City Council to fill the vacancy, which
it proceeded to do and Jackson w.
Briant was elected took the oath of
Office and on Friday morning took
his place in the Board of Freeholders.
Thus were the shouts of victory which
had been sent to the skys by the Re-
publicans ever since the night of cleo
tion day in November turned into bit
ter weepings and wailings, and thus
were some pretty ambitions frozen be-
fore they had cleyerly had a chance
to blossom
The Elmer Times, Ind. Rep, says
of the COUP
At the fall election, the Republicans
after strenuous political work, sue
ceeded in securing a majority of one
in the Board, and after considerable
wrangling they had completed their
slate for Director of the Board, county
collector, almshouse trustees, etc., and
everything gave promise of going
through without hitch
After the November election, one of
the Republican members of the Board
Benjamin B. Wstcott, Freeholder
from Salem City, accepted the Office of
Under Sheriff, it may be without con-
sidering as to whether or not his ac-
ton would have any bearing on his
right to continue member of the
Board of Freeholders
The Democratic leaders took legal
advice on the subject and came to the
conclusion that Mr.. Westcott vacated
his position as Freeholder when he
accepted the position of Under Sheriff
This information was made known to
Salem City Council, which is control
led by the Democrats, and they elcted
]. w. Briant, of Salem, Democrat,
in place of Westcott, Republican.
This changed the political complexion
of the Board of Freeholders from one
Republican majority, to a Democratic
majority of one.
The Clerk of the Board, c. c. Ford,
Jr., Democrat, whose term does not
expire until next year, calle d the new
Board to order in accordance with his
legal duty, and stated that he would
recognize Mr. Briant and not Mr.
Westcott as memeber. This was
done and the Democrats were awarded
the offices.
To say that there were some mad
Republicans in Salem county when
the news was sent out, is putting it
mildly. Some laid the blame at Mr.
Westcott's door. Others frankly ad-
mitted that the Democrats were a
little too sharp for their opponents
in the political game, while others
r,7.op pn.1pooJ tho xvbo1a tbipn