The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1877-02-21
For THE
TO COMMODORE.
For THE RECORD.

~ &Om u OSVhAls
In last weeks RECORD you charge us with
making bitter, personal attack" on our
Mayor. We deny the charge--an old adage
says, 'Truth is mighty and must prevail"
but we never knew it was bitter''
We have always cherished the most kindly
feeling Cor cur Mayor as a private citizen,
and as such respect him, but If as a public
officer, his own acts proclaim him a miserable
failure we claim the right to criticse those
acts so long as we stick to facts.
You say our Charter makes the Office of
Mayor "a mere form without any power, and
without any definite duties" A hasty glance
at the Charter convinces us that this is a mis-
take. The first clause of see. 2 says that
" the Mayor shall be the chiefexccutive officer
of said town. Webster defines chief exc
cutive to be tone who takes the lead, one
who superintends the execution of the laws,
the person who administers the government"
office isn't it something more than ''mere
| form?,
| Sec. 90, defining the duties of the Mayor,
says that sit shall be his duty 10 cause the
laws and ordinances to be duly executed and
enforced" and to give him absolute power
Sec. 80, invests him with all the powers,
functions and authority Of Justice of the
Peace of the State. 1t also says he shall up
on witnessing any violation Of the law or or
dinances, arrest the offender and commit him
for a hearing, and il necessary he may call
out the militia to quell any disturbance.
If this leaves him "withont power and
without any definite duties,'' pray tell us
what the Charter should say. @
1t is our recollection that the Mayor is
soemnly sworn, in all things to the best of
his knowledge and understanding, to faith
fully and impartially execute the duties of the
Office, and faithfully execute the trnst reposed
him, and perform his duty without favor
or inpartialty. Can you then reconcile the
official course of His Honor during the past
year with such an oath ?
To say the least you Twill admit that he is
mildly " censurable, will you not
II you had taken q solemn oath of the
above nature, and then was found kob-nob-
cahb WIN thO kWiiAShpJ litip3Ia AcSiolifS ways
to saddle the curse Of tic rum traffic upon us
for another year, would you deem It .unkind
If your friends were to talk plainly about it,
and perhaps censure you mildly2I Or if
when drunken brawler and adistarber of
the quiet of the Sabbath is safely lodged in
Jail, you were found ready and anxious to
liberate him at once, because he would be
likely to feel uncomfortable, should your
friends be g lenient = with you, although you
were solemnly sworn to execute the trust re-
posed in you9 Or if when bound by such an
oath to enforce the laws, you should be in
duced to appear in defence of young rowdy
charged with disturbing religious worship In
one of our churches, would It be proper to
censure you, or blush with shame for you?
Which tsts
B We again say that we did not then, or do
not now intend to criticise the acts of any of
our public officers in any other than charita-
Bile and truthful manner. But if you win
wait few days you will probably learn of a
trick of this Chief Executive Of ours that
will convince you that he is fully qualified to
dive deeper, into muddier puddle, than he
has ever yet been charged with by
ADMIRAL.
STOCKHOLDERS MEErINe.-At the annual
meeting of the Stockholders of the Hunter
don County Agricultural Society, held at the
Court House, on Saturday last, George A.
Mathews was elected Chairman and Richard
H. Wilson, Secretary. The result of the cleo
ton for the ensuing year was as follows
President--Jehn q. Hopewell.
Vice PIesdents-Caleb f. Fisher and Col,
Andrew Van Syckel.
Seeretary-John l.. Jones.
Corresponding Secretary--H. A. FIuck.
Treasurer-Richard s. Kuhl
Directors-Chas. Wilson, Ferd. s. Hol-
combe, Jonathan Higgins, William L. Hop
pock. Hiram Moore, William II. Johnson,
Joseph Van Syckel Michael Shurts, John n !.
Clark, Joseph Haines, Robert Thatcher, Cor
nelus J. Garrabrant, John Quick and Asa p
Hoagland.
The excitement this election created was
not exceeded in the late Presidential contest
Unbt coming strife engenders sgust, and the
ali t..f<.