Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-09-01
HOT FIGHT ON
IN METUCHEN
Looks as If Commission
Government Would Settle 1t.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

NFNNf' 49, ~ - 49, ~ 1H
Metuchen, Sept. lit is practi-
cally settled that S. H. Clarke, Dem
ocrat, and w. Wilson, Republican,
will be pitted against each other this
fall as candidates for mayor of the
brainy borough. The democrats
have been trying by all manner of
means to get Mr.. Clarke to head the
Democrat ticket this year. Mr..
Clarke Is one of Metuchen's fore
most citizens and has served as a
councilman. He has been unwilling
right along to enter the race and
the fact that there is a bad split in
the Republican ranks made little
difference with him. 1t was given
out last night by a very prominent
democratic leader of Metuchen that
Mr.. Clark had at last consented to
run and local Democrats are much
elated. The last time Mr.. Wilson
ran he was opposed by Mr.. Clark
and it was a very close fight. So
badly were the tickets cut that it
took the election board until s
o'clock the next morning to com
plete the count. 1t was remarked
by many at the time that Clark
obCubN Hof DSNh ~ VII III nv
publican ticket and Wilson on the
Democrat ticket so badly was each
man cut by his own party and so
great were the gains each received
from the opposite party.
For councilmen both parties seem
to be at sea hat is so far as agreeing
on any two men are concerned. The
Democrats are talking of f. c. Moss
and Frank Sanford. Former Coun-
Gilman John w. Breen has also been
mentioned. The Republicans from
present Indications may have five
men on the primary ticket for the
two offices to be filled. Whether or
not Wilson will be opposed at the
primaries is not definitely known,
but 1t is a we'll known fact that
there is much strife in the ranks of
the local G. o. P. The fact that
five men want to be councilmen is
a pretty good indication of this.
Then again G. c. Weber is to be op-
posed for member of the county
committee to represent poll one by
G. P. Hull.
Former Postmaster Pierson and
Mayor Wilson are at loggerheads
and this has resulted in the mayor
picking Councilman L. n. Boyer as
a candidate for the place of Mr..
Pierson on the county committee.
Mr.. Pierson says he had to hustle
to get on the county committee last
year and he is going to hustle again
this year to keep his berth. The
Republicans of Metuchen may be
said to be divided into three divi-
sions. Charles A. Prickett, former
chairman of the county committee
is the leader of one division. Mayor
Wilson leads another and County
Committeeman Pierson is the leader
of the other. The Democrats are
watching the three cornered scrap
with a great deal of interest and 1t
is freely predicted that unless the
advocates of Commission Govern
ment win out the Democracy will
capture all the local offices this
fall. The Republicans do not like
to admit this, but nearly all of
them are going about with long
faces.
For a time 1t was thought that
Former Mayor Alexander c. Litterst
would take a hand in the squabble
with an idea of promoting harmony.
This gentleman after looking into
matters came right out flat footed
with a statement that the job was
too big a ,one for him to tackle and
anyway he was out of politics. At
one time Mr.. Interest was a candi-
date Of the local Republicans for
surrogate, but he Is out of the race
now. 1t is not known whether his
friendship for A. S. March or his
dismay at the awful row in the
ranks of his party locally was re-
sponsible for his withdrawal from
the contest for surrogate. Mr.. Lit
terst beside having been the first
Republican Mayor of Metuchen, has
server as an assemblyman and town
ship committeeman. He is at pres
ent the cashier of the Metuchen Ma
tional Bank. The Commission Gov
eminent movement in Metuchen Is
we'll under way and Is proving so
popular with the folk of the brainv
borough that 1t looks very much as
II all political squabbles would be
buried before election day for in
stead of a mayor and councilmen
the borough may have to select
three commissioners. Metuchen
has been noted for her political.
school and other fights and many of
the people expect to get relief in
Commission Government,