Camden Republican Club
The Camden Republican Club at 312 Cooper Street — 1914. For many years this building was also the home of the Camden County Red Cross.
Camden Notes
Philadelphia Inquirer —
The Camden Republican Club last night elected Gen. E. Burd Grubb and Senator Henry Nevins honorary members.
Testimonial Dinner to J. Willard Morgan
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Members of the Camden Republican Club last evening gave a testimonial dinner to former City Solicitor J. Willard Morgan. Covers were laid for nearly 150 persons.
Camden News Notes
Philadelphia Inquirer —
•• The Union Coal Company, capital $25,000, filed articles of incorporation in the County Clerk’s office yesterday.
•• The Camden Republican Club will give a subscription dinner on February 12, the anniversary of Lincoln’s birthday.
•• The choir of the North Baptist Church will render the cantata “Ruth” to-night, under the direction of Chorister James C. Warhurst.
•• Policeman George H. Purnell, of 738 Chestnut street, died yesterday from a combination of grip and asthma. He was a member of the colored Masons and other secret societies.
•• The blacksmith shop of Thomas Daly, Front street, above Kaighn avenue, Camden, was destroyed last night by fire. The loss is about $1500.
•• Joseph Leonard, colored, was committed in default of $500 bail, by Recorder Stackhouse, yesterday, on the charge of operating a game of policy at 1881 South Ninth street.
•• Mrs. Mary Dunfee, of Cedar Run, Ocean county, jointly charged with Charles De Freites with attempting to poison her husband, was arrested at the Terminal Friday, by Constable Cox, and taken to Manahawkin for a hearing.
•• During the year 1902 fines and costs aggregating $3439.72 were paid by Recorder Stackhouse to City Treasurer Miller. It cost $2400 to operate the court, leaving a balance of $1039.72.
•• Presiding Elder George L. Dobbins will preach in Kaighn Avenue M. E. Church this morning. Revival services will be held during the week in the First and Broadway M. E. Churches.
•• Eugene Lutz, of Glassboro, was committed to the county jail yesterday by Recorder Stackhouse, on the charge of robbing a slot meter of $9 in quarters, at 400 Pine street, Camden, where he was formerly employed as a bartender.
•• Thomas Lubinsky, aged 3 years, of 1007 Sycamore street, found a box containing poison and ate some of the contents. Members of the family found him unconscious a few minutes later. A physician saved the tot’s life.
•• Captain Stanley and a squad of policemen raided the barber shop of William W. Woomer, 264 Kaighn avenue, Camden, yesterday, on a warrant sworn out by Mrs. Edna M. Laird, of 230 Chestnut street, charging Woomer with keeping a disorderly house.
•• Joseph Smith, aged 35 years, of Philadelphia, while at work in the New York Shipbuilding Plant yesterday, was accidentally struck on the head by a piece of iron, sustaining severe lacerations of the scalp. He was taken to Cooper Hospital.
Philadelphia Inquirer — February 13, 1903
Boston Corbett, Who Killed Wilkes Booth, Remembered by Many Old Residents of the City
To the minds of many of Camden’s older residents the birthday of Abraham Lincoln recalled the day’s years ago when they had within their midst Boston Corbett, the man who bore the distinction of having laid low John Wilkes Booth, the murderer of the martyred President, when he was making a break for liberty from the burning barn in Virginia. Corbett was a familiar figure in the southern section of Camden, where he conducted a mission attended principally by children. He had the mission at Third and Pine streets, and he was much beloved by the juvenile attendants.
The birthday of Lincoln was observed in Camden yesterday by a general display of flags. Schools and banks were closed, and in some instances industrial plants shut down for half a day.
Last night the Camden Republican Club gave its annual Lincoln Day dinner. Many prominent men were present. Judge C. V. D. Joline was the orator of the occasion.
Boston Corbett — Charles V.D. Joline
Introduction
The old Camden Republican Club from 1914, at 312 Cooper Street.
The Republican Party, under the direction of William Joyce Sewell, David Baird Sr., and David Baird Jr. dominated politics in Camden from the 1870s through 1935.
In 1923 a building at 223–225 Broadway, the corner of Broadway & Stevens Street, was obtained which was to become the party’s full-time city and county headquarters.
The building on Broadway remained in use by the Republican Party until 1940. It was managed in the 1930s by William Lehman, a political ally of David Baird Jr. The 1930s were marked by a bitter struggle for power between Baird and Albert S. Woodruff. This struggle so divided the city Republican Party that Democrats led by George H. Brunner all but eliminated the Republicans from power within the city of Camden.
As a result of this dissatisfaction with the leadership of David Baird Jr. by suburban Republicans, a movement led by county committeeman Edward Marker led to the Republican Party Headquarters leaving the building in 1940. The building had been closely identified with the Baird faction of the party, and this influenced the decision of party leaders as much as the apparent shift in party fortunes from the city to the suburbs.
In July of 1942 the building at 223–225 Broadway was razed. Two new stores were built in its place.
William H. Lehman
William H. Lehman — Manager of the Camden County Republican Party Offices, 1930s
Camden Courier-Post — June 4, 1932
Raymond J. Jubanyik — Albert P. Norwitz
Camden Courier-Post — January 27, 1938
by Dan McConnell
Camden Courier-Post — January 27, 1938, by Dan McConnell
G.O.P. Asked Views on Closing County Headquarters
Camden Courier-Post —
Political Clubs and Leaders Get Questionnaire on Financial Support
Questionnaires have been sent to the Republican clubs of Camden city and county, together with requests for opinions from the county committeemen and committeewomen on whether Republican county headquarters, Broadway & Stevens Street, should be continued.
Replies are expected to be in the hands of the committee next Friday. A meeting of the committee, scheduled for last night, was postponed.
It was reported two months’ rent of the headquarters remains unpaid, employees have not received their salaries for the past month.
Seven questions were submitted to the clubs in this order:
Do you, or do you not favor a County Republican headquarters? Why?
Do you, or do you not believe the present location is desirable? Why?
How does a County Republican headquarters help your local club?
How can a County Republican headquarters help your local club?
Would your club be in a position to make a yearly contribution toward the maintenance of such headquarters?
Note: This question only can be answered by the various Republican clubs.
If your answer to question No. 5 is no, what would be your suggestion as to how a headquarters should be financed?
Remarks: Please give us your frank opinion freely.
Replies Confidential
The letter sent to the committee members declares all replies will be held “confidential.” It follows:
“This committee was appointed at the last Camden County Committee meeting for the purpose of finding ways and means of maintaining a County Headquarters,
“We are sending the enclosed questionnaire to all Republican Clubs in the City and County of Camden. It will, therefore, not be necessary for you to consult your respective clubs.”
“We desire your own personal opinion which will be kept strictly confidential.”
The committee comprises Edward D. Marker, of Haddon Township, chairman; George H. Walton, of Haddonfield; Louis Bantivoglio, of the Fifth Ward, Camden; Mary J. Smith, of Pine Hill; Dorothy MacIlvain, of the Twelfth Ward, Camden, and Elsie Geistert, Pennsauken Township.
Miss MacIlvaine confirmed the report that the letters and questionnaires had been mailed to county committee members. She said they would be sent to the clubs later this week.
“Our committee is not forcing the issue concerning the Republican headquarters,” she said. “We think it only fair to permit the committee members and the clubs to decide the matter. We shall be guided in our recommendations, by the action of the members and the clubs.”
No intimation was given as to the manner in which the polls are registering, although the hint was given by one of the county committee that the clubs were not yearning to accept any burden of maintaining county headquarters.
According to one of the coalition leaders the plight of the county committee is onerous. This leader declared the rent for the past two months remains unpaid. The leader also stated the employees had not received full salaries for at least a month.
The rent for the building is said to be $75 monthly.
William H. Lehman, regarded by many members of the committee as a political “Friday” for former U.S. Senator David Baird, Jr., is manager of headquarters at a reputed salary of $50 weekly.
Other expenses include the salary of a clerk, a janitor, fuel, electric, gas and incidentals.
G.O.P. Clubs’ Vote on Abolition of Headquarters Is Delayed
Camden Courier-Post —
Camden county Republican clubs, polled on whether they want to give up the present county committee headquarters at Broadway and Stevens Street, will not be ready to complete their answers before next week.
Delay in furnishing a list of the organizations was responsible for this hiatus, and also resulted in the postponement of the committee meeting last night.
Edward D. Marker, of Haddon Township, chairman of the committee of six appointed to poll the clubs and county committee members on the question of keeping or giving up the present headquarters said he expected the meeting to be held next week.
“I wasn’t able to get a complete list of the Republican clubs from the county headquarters until a day or so ago,” he said, “and consequently I wasn’t able to reach those organizations as I expected I would be able to do.
“However all the questionnaires have been mailed to the various clubs and should be in hand in time to ask the committee members to meet next week. We’ll complete the vote, then make a report to the county committee shortly afterward.”
Greater Republican Club of Gloucester was one of those which received the questionnaire. The organization went on record in favor of keeping the present headquarters.
At the same time, William Ward, of the Second Ward, Gloucester, announced that he was a candidate for the Camden county board of elections to succeed William A. E. King. This position is appointive by the Governor.
Frank Pine, also of the Second Ward, announced he was a candidate for re-election to the county committee. He said he would advocate a larger gymnasium for the high school.
6th Ward Group Backs Leadership of Kobus
Camden Courier-Post —
Support of City Commissioner Mary W. Kobus as “leader of the Republican Party in Camden County” is pledged in a resolution adopted by the Sixth Ward Republican Association, meeting in headquarters of the Camden County Republican Association, 506 Broadway.
Text of the resolution, signed by Elwood A. Fritz, president, and Edgar Brittingham, secretary, follows:
“Whereas Commissioner Mary W. Kobus as a public official and as a Republican has always demanded and upheld the most important and political proclamation, to wit: ‘Only those means and measures shall be adopted which shall presently and ultimately prove and provoke the greatest good to the greatest number,’ and
“Whereas the Sixth Ward Republican Association is desirous of rehabilitating the Republican Party and restoring confidence of the public in the Republican Party;
“Therefore be it resolved that the Sixth Ward Republican Association of the City and County of Camden does hereby pledge its support to the leadership of Mary W. Kobus as leader of the Republican Party of Camden County.”
Officers installed at the meeting were Fritz, Brittingham, Charles Cifriano, first vice-president; John Gritton, second vice president, and Edgar Holmes, treasurer.
Old GOP Headquarters Being Razed For Stores at Broadway and Stevens
Camden Courier-Post —
Old GOP Headquarters Being Razed For Stores at Broadway and Stevens
Wreckers Now Busy Where Party Bigwigs Once Made Historic Decisions; First Used in 1923 for Political Purposes
By OSCAR MAGNUSON
The building which housed the headquarters of the old Republican Organization at Broadway and Stevens’ street is being torn down to make way for two stores.
By the end of next week the building will have been razed and carried off by the wreckers. About the middle of September, it is explained, a shoe store and a hosiery shop will be opened on the site.
Much political history of Camden county was written in this building, which came into being as a headquarters for the Camden County Republican Executive Committee after the first election in 1923 for city commissioners.
Change Came In 1923
After Camden citizens, in 1923, decided to change the form of city government from councilmanic to city commission, thereby handing the Republican Organization a defeat at the polls, leaders of the party decided in the revamp of the Organization to have a headquarters that would be open the year round for party activity.
Planned As Permanent
Decision to have a permanent home, open the year round and which would be used as campaign headquarters, came as the party was being built up after the first city commission election. Prior to that it was the practice to open headquarters a couple of months before a campaign. Either the old Goff building on Broadway or the old Frost building, Federal street at Hudson street, were utilized for such purposes.
In 1925 the building was obtained and from then on to 1940 it was the headquarters of the party organization. There the county committee met for regular sessions, there the leaders of the party met to decide upon candidates and other matters political.
There was a second floor conference room, a room on the third floor where the speakers’ bureau gathered at the beginning and during campaigns and where the county committee members met. The basement was outfitted for luncheons and dinners. The first floor was outfitted as an office where election records were kept and as a reception room.
From this headquarters was conducted the successful campaign in 1927 when the organization elected its ticket of five city commissioners, the first of many successes that were to be attained there. On the winning ticket were Gen. Winfield S. Price, later named mayor; T. Yorke Smith, now deceased; Dr. David S. Rhone, at present a city commissioner; William D. Sayrs, now deputy city clerk, and Clay W. Reesman, now city clerk.
Replaced Old Group
They replaced the members of the first nonpartisan city commission of Victor King, mayor; M. F. Middleton, Jr., director of revenue and finance; H. Raymond Staley, director of parks and public property, now deceased; Carroll P. Sherwood, director of public works, and Frank G. Hitchner, director of public safety.
Many political personages were in the old headquarters from time to time. There were the late Dwight W. Morrow, later U. S. Senator and Ambassador to Mexico; Walter E. Edge, governor and later ambassador to France; U. S. Sen. Hamilton F. Kean, Gov. Morgan F. Larson, Congressman Charles A. Wolverton, to mention but a few.
While the headquarters itself is gone, yet the political history that was made there will ever remain with the people of Camden city and county.
Though the building is disappearing, there are no longer year round headquarters, yet Republican party leaders are going on with their work of maintaining the two party system in politics, the American way of democracy.