The Jersey City news., 1889-09-25
REGULAR DEMOCRATIC NOMINATIONS.
Cant and False Pretence.

There is an amusing controversy go
ing on between Mr.. Henry A. Potter,
of Newark, and the editor of the San.
Mr.. Potter was the delegate to the
Republican convention who, on be-
half of the Essex county delegates,
rose in his place and repudiated the
local option idea as feature of the
party policy. He is just at present
virtuously indignant because the sun
has used some plain English about the
platform.
In the course of that remarkable
document the declaration occurs that
the Republican party Stands for
purity, for temperance, and for
home" The Ssn very justly re-
marked that the phrase was simple
can't and had no true meaning what
ever.
Thereupon Mr.. Potter protests, it
seems to be his speciality, -he says:
''If an honest plain statement on the
part of the Republicans of New Jer-
sey that they believe in temperance,
and pledge themselves TO enact such
laws as will help this cause, and also
an emphatic statement on the part of
the Republicans of Essex county thai
they believe that the cause OF temper
ance will be best served by the en-
actlnent of high license law, is hum
bug, then your editorial, Humbug
Across the North River is fair
criticism ON the action of the New
Jersey Republican Convention. Other
wise it is unjust. and a mistatement
of facts"
Mr.. Potter was not wise. 1t is fool
ish to play with trip hammer or
buzz saw. You always get the worst
OF it. The San proved to be both trip
hammer and buzz saw combined, and
there is nothing left of Mr.. Potter.
This is the way the Sun did it:--
We confess that we don't quite understand
what it is that Mr.. Potter complains of The
Trenton platform declared that the Republican,
party "stands for purity, for temperance and for
honle' This is pure cant, and it means nothing.
The platform further declared that the conven-
Zion heartily and unqualifiedly endorses the ac-
tion of the Republican minority in the Legisla-
ture of 1889 upon all questions Of morality and of
State and party policy" Thereupon Mr.. Potter
himself arose in behalf Of the Essex county dele
gates to protest against being committed to the
,oeal option programme.
We considered and still consider the protest &c
manly and creditable to the Essex delegates
although there is beyond question something
very comical in the idea of body OF intelligent
men voting to adopt platform and at the same
time distinctly repudiating its conclusions, and
refusing to be bound by them.
What fault, then, has Mr.. Potter to find with
the Sans remarks on this extraordinary pro-
ceedingy We have not applied the word hum
bug. directly or Indirectly, to the course of the
Essex county delegates Heaven forbid!
The only trouble about the SUMS
criticisms is that they did not go far
enough. 1t was not enough to say
that one portion of the platform was
cant and meant nothing. The charge
should have been that the whole plat
form was cant and meant nothing.
Even then enough would not have
been said. The truth is the platform
was intended to mean nothing. 1t
was cant because it was Intentionally
empty, vague, uncertain so that
every man might interpret it for him
self as he pleased, and for his
neighbor in the manner best
calculated to bamboozle that
worthy citizen. Mr.. Potter
and the Essex men come the nearest
to honesty in the whole transaction.
They made fair effort to give the
thing meaning. But the rest of the
party fell away from them in silence
and left them standing alone.
Today, through the enterprise OF
THE JERSEY CITY NEWS, new light
is thrown upon the situation. 1t has