Camden Courier-Post, January 18, 1932View transcription
FROM AN OLD DIRECTORY
The Young Syndicate
'Coop' Carman and Willard Morgan Led Movement for New Blood in G.O.P. Culminating in Bitter Battles of Race Track Days
Second in a new series of articles on Camden affairs and personalities of yesteryear inspired by a 50-year-old directory.
By BEN COURTER
Allusion to officials of Camden half a century ago has brought a flood of memories to older residents and particularly those interested in the political game—the great American game. While the directory of 1882 speaks of Richard C. Thompson holding the office of city clerk, mention of whom was made last week, it also was stated that D. Cooper Carman had held the office from 1884 until his death in 1889, at the early age of 35 years. It is Carman's name which has revived in the minds of veteran political workers his activity and that of the "young syndicate," which had concluded, as is the case in all organizations, it was time for old stagers to step aside for those of more youthful years.
BEN COURTER
Carman had been elected to city council in the Spring election of 1882 from the Fourth Ward, his home then being at Broadway and Federal street, where the Munger & Long building now stands. But his election was contested by Frederick M. Bourquin and Carman did not serve. Two years later he was again elected, at the same time appointed city clerk, and this resulted in another contest in which the court laid down the dictum that a member of council could not vote for himself for public office. "Coop," as he was known to his familiars, promptly resigned from Council and was promptly elected city clerk.
The 'Young Syndicate'
With Carman, as former City Clerk William D. Brown recalls, was associated J. Willard Morgan and Henry M. Snyder, something of a balance between the two.
That combination carried things along pretty much as they pleased for a time and as one of the developments Maurice A. Rogers, down in the Fifth Ward and a councilman, was taken up as a Senatorial candidate against Colonel George Pfeiffer, Jr., a decade later to be the builder of Camden's artesian water plant. The colonel, long one of Camden's most popular men, had defeated the Republicans as a result of the factional fight between Henry L. Bonsall, editor of the Post, and Thomas Dudley, famed consul to Liverpool during Civil War days. But with the "young syndicate" back of him, Rogers won the Senate seat in 1890, taking his office January 1, 1891.
But in the meanwhile Carman suddenly died at his mother's home, at 11.10 on the night of September 11, 1889. At the time apoplexy was given as the cause. His sudden demise caused a profound shock and at his funeral four days later leaders in business and politics paid homage, with such men as Gen. William J. Sewell, Sinnickson Chew, Howard Carrow, Wilson Jenkins, E. A. Armstrong, B. M. Braker and many others attending. The bell in the old City Hall tower tolled as the cortege passed on the way to old Camden cemetery. And even yet, after these more than four decades, "Coop" Carman is quite vividly recalled by those who were then active on the political stage.
Carman's Death Big Loss
Carman's death was a big loss to the "young syndicate," but it did not halt its activity. Since Rogers had won so easily in the 1890 election it was concluded there would be nothing to it when he was renominated for another two-year term. Rogers was by no means friendly to "Billy" Thompson's race track, then in the heyday of its popularity with the sports of Gloucester City, a period when that community had all the earmarks of a wild and wooly western city, attractive to thousands of lovers of horseflesh, touts, gamblers and the usual hangers-on.
Thompson concluded it would be far better to have someone in the Senate from Camden county who would regard his interests with more favor than Rogers.
Thus he decided on Frederick A. Rex, his personal counsel, a very able young attorney, and a Republican. Since at that time the Democratic police commission was in control of the cops it was considered easy to get possession of the polls. As Brown recalls it, the rivals of Rogers planned a "zero hour" at which cops, at the crack of a pistol, were to descend on polls considered close at the primaries, frighten off the regular voters and corral enough to elect Rex.
Particular effort was to be made to sweep the Sixth Ward, where Thad Varney, elected city clerk to succeed Carman, was "boss," and thus give him a political black eye. In Varney's precinct in particular when the rumpus started "Brockie" Deno and "Al" Haydon, both widely known firemen now dead, grabbed the ballot box, lowered it down a chimney, fished it out when the racket was passed, went to Avis' livery stable, and later to Varney's home, where the votes were counted. In these sophisticated days such counting would unquestionably not be considered "according to Hoyle," but then anything went just so the particular faction had its bag of tricks in effective operation. Anyhow, Rogers won the primaries, but there still was the general election to hurdle and Thompson was by no means beaten. He had plenty of money and many followers, some sincere, many just sycophants.
Repeaters Foiled
It was charged a scheme was on foot to bring repeaters from Philadelphia, not an unusual procedure in the political game of Camden years ago in either party. One of the "young syndicate's" lieutenants learned the plot, told General Sewell, who sent the informant to Dave Martin, then Philadelphia's political boss, who heard the story. The upshot was General Sewell himself saw Martin later, who was quite willing to aid Jersey's G.O.P. leader, flooded Camden with sleuths from over the river and such close tabs were kept on the repeating army its efforts were halted from the very dawn of that very stirring election day. Rogers was elected, was made president of the Senate and for a time loomed so large on Jersey's political horizon he had gubernatorial aspirations, but they never were realized.
Thus out of the old yellowed book Frank Albright, city clerk of the present epoch, dug from the archives memories are revived of a very gallant young politician, "Coop" Carman, and some of the stirring incidents that make up Camden's political history. The "young syndicate" was just one of the episodes, as the first "reform" outbreak in 1882, or the Committee of 100 scrap of 1897, or the Non-Partisan upheaval of '23, but such never lose interest to those who have joined those movements with enthusiasm, even though they were often not altogether satisfied with what had been accomplished.
FROM AN OLD DIRECTORY
'Coop' Carman and Willard Morgan Led Movement for New Blood in G.O.P. Culminating in Bitter Battles of Race Track Days
Second in a new series of articles on Camden affairs and personalities of yesteryear inspired by a 50-year-old directory.
By BEN COURTER
Allusion to officials of Camden half a century ago has brought a flood of memories to older residents and particularly those interested in the political game—the great American game. While the directory of 1882 speaks of Richard C. Thompson holding the office of city clerk, mention of whom was made last week, it also was stated that D. Cooper Carman had held the office from 1884 until his death in 1889, at the early age of 35 years. It is Carman's name which has revived in the minds of veteran political workers his activity and that of the "young syndicate," which had concluded, as is the case in all organizations, it was time for old stagers to step aside for those of more youthful years.
BEN COURTER
Carman had been elected to city council in the Spring election of 1882 from the Fourth Ward, his home then being at Broadway and Federal street, where the Munger & Long building now stands. But his election was contested by Frederick M. Bourquin and Carman did not serve. Two years later he was again elected, at the same time appointed city clerk, and this resulted in another contest in which the court laid down the dictum that a member of council could not vote for himself for public office. "Coop," as he was known to his familiars, promptly resigned from Council and was promptly elected city clerk.
The 'Young Syndicate'
With Carman, as former City Clerk William D. Brown recalls, was associated J. Willard Morgan and Henry M. Snyder, something of a balance between the two.
That combination carried things along pretty much as they pleased for a time and as one of the developments Maurice A. Rogers, down in the Fifth Ward and a councilman, was taken up as a Senatorial candidate against Colonel George Pfeiffer, Jr., a decade later to be the builder of Camden's artesian water plant. The colonel, long one of Camden's most popular men, had defeated the Republicans as a result of the factional fight between Henry L. Bonsall, editor of the Post, and Thomas Dudley, famed consul to Liverpool during Civil War days. But with the "young syndicate" back of him, Rogers won the Senate seat in 1890, taking his office January 1, 1891.
But in the meanwhile Carman suddenly died at his mother's home, at 11.10 on the night of September 11, 1889. At the time apoplexy was given as the cause. His sudden demise caused a profound shock and at his funeral four days later leaders in business and politics paid homage, with such men as Gen. William J. Sewell, Sinnickson Chew, Howard Carrow, Wilson Jenkins, E. A. Armstrong, B. M. Braker and many others attending. The bell in the old City Hall tower tolled as the cortege passed on the way to old Camden cemetery. And even yet, after these more than four decades, "Coop" Carman is quite vividly recalled by those who were then active on the political stage.
Carman's Death Big Loss
Carman's death was a big loss to the "young syndicate," but it did not halt its activity. Since Rogers had won so easily in the 1890 election it was concluded there would be nothing to it when he was renominated for another two-year term. Rogers was by no means friendly to "Billy" Thompson's race track, then in the heyday of its popularity with the sports of Gloucester City, a period when that community had all the earmarks of a wild and wooly western city, attractive to thousands of lovers of horseflesh, touts, gamblers and the usual hangers-on.
Thompson concluded it would be far better to have someone in the Senate from Camden county who would regard his interests with more favor than Rogers.
Thus he decided on Frederick A. Rex, his personal counsel, a very able young attorney, and a Republican. Since at that time the Democratic police commission was in control of the cops it was considered easy to get possession of the polls. As Brown recalls it, the rivals of Rogers planned a "zero hour" at which cops, at the crack of a pistol, were to descend on polls considered close at the primaries, frighten off the regular voters and corral enough to elect Rex.
Particular effort was to be made to sweep the Sixth Ward, where Thad Varney, elected city clerk to succeed Carman, was "boss," and thus give him a political black eye. In Varney's precinct in particular when the rumpus started "Brockie" Deno and "Al" Haydon, both widely known firemen now dead, grabbed the ballot box, lowered it down a chimney, fished it out when the racket was passed, went to Avis' livery stable, and later to Varney's home, where the votes were counted. In these sophisticated days such counting would unquestionably not be considered "according to Hoyle," but then anything went just so the particular faction had its bag of tricks in effective operation. Anyhow, Rogers won the primaries, but there still was the general election to hurdle and Thompson was by no means beaten. He had plenty of money and many followers, some sincere, many just sycophants.
Repeaters Foiled
It was charged a scheme was on foot to bring repeaters from Philadelphia, not an unusual procedure in the political game of Camden years ago in either party. One of the "young syndicate's" lieutenants learned the plot, told General Sewell, who sent the informant to Dave Martin, then Philadelphia's political boss, who heard the story. The upshot was General Sewell himself saw Martin later, who was quite willing to aid Jersey's G.O.P. leader, flooded Camden with sleuths from over the river and such close tabs were kept on the repeating army its efforts were halted from the very dawn of that very stirring election day. Rogers was elected, was made president of the Senate and for a time loomed so large on Jersey's political horizon he had gubernatorial aspirations, but they never were realized.
Thus out of the old yellowed book Frank Albright, city clerk of the present epoch, dug from the archives memories are revived of a very gallant young politician, "Coop" Carman, and some of the stirring incidents that make up Camden's political history. The "young syndicate" was just one of the episodes, as the first "reform" outbreak in 1882, or the Committee of 100 scrap of 1897, or the Non-Partisan upheaval of '23, but such never lose interest to those who have joined those movements with enthusiasm, even though they were often not altogether satisfied with what had been accomplished.
