The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-01
A GOOD EXAMPLE.
Let the Ruinous Ring of To-
day Initiate 1t by Resign
ing in a Body.

The article in SUNDAY MORNING NEWS
last Sunday, which calls upon the leading
men of the Democratic party of the State
to consider the effect which the present
Hudson County Ring will have upon the
elections for members of the Legislature
next fall forcibly calls to mind the man
ner in which the better element of the
party dealt with a similar ring not over a
dozen years ago.
In the fall Of 1878 the Hudson County
General Committee forced upon the party
a ticket in many ways objectionable to
the great mass of Democrats. For some
time previous to that the Committee it
was alleged, had utterly disregarded the
wishes OF the majority of the party, and
by a system of packed primaries and
methods too well known at this time, had
kept itself in power, and foistered upon
the city set of officials against whom all
manner of charges were brought There
had been murmurs and futile protests
against this usurpation, but the ringsterS
growing insolent in the long possession
of their Ill gotten power, snapped their
fingers at the murmurs and ridiculed the
protests.
The ticket of 1873 however, was the
piece of insolence which broke the cam
els back OF the party patience. On Thurs
day evening, October "A, 1878, large
mass meeting was held in Keppler Hall.
where the Academy of Music now is, to
protest against the insolence and arrog
ance of the ring The vast hall was
packed to the doors with the better ele-
ment of the Democratic party and on the
platform were such men as ex-Mayors
Van Reipen and Roman, Charles II. Win
field, and William Brin kerhotf. The
meeting was called to order by Justice
Samuel M. Chambers and John S. SUIT
phen presided. Daniel Van Wrinkle, Jr.,
was secretary and read long list of vice
presidents which comprised the names of
all the more prominent Democrats in the
county.
A DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES.
Mr.. Winfield made an eloquent address
in which he read a declaration of princi-
pies which was hailed with enthusiastic
cheers by the large audience. 1t declared
that those present ''as members of the
Democratic party who have never been
doubtful of our fealty to the party. ar
raign at the bar of public opinion the
Hudson County General Democratic Com
mittee as the disturber OF our peace and
fomentOr of discord in our ranks"
1t then set forth the many evils which
the party had suffered at the hands of
the ring ana declared the Democratic
party of Hudson county free from its
authority A provisional committee was
appointed to prepare plan of reorgani-
zation for the party in the county. The
ring failed to see the handwriting on
the wall which this meeting foreshadowed
and did not alter its plans for the cam
paign Abuse was heaped upon those
| who took part in the KepDler Hall meet
ing, and they were characterized as
| traitors to their party. The election was
| held and resulted in a most disastrous
| defeat for the Ring and it's candidates.
| A Republican Congressman was elected
by i 1884, 66s44 majority, and Republican
| Sheriff by 1862. Six out of the eight As
| semblymen aud three Coroners were cap
| tured by the Republicans.
| THE REVOLT AGAINST THE RING GROWS.
| This overwhelming disaster convinced
| every one in the party, except the mem
bers of the General Committee, that the
people had repudiated the Ring and it's
methods, and the leading Democrats set
about to remedy the evil. On November
| Is large meeting was held in Parlor G
of Taylor's Hotel, at which ex-Congress-
man A. A. Hardenbergh presided.
| Among those present were Governor
| Leon Albeit, eX-Attorney General Rob-
erhof, Senator E. +. Mcdonald, Con-
| gresham William McAdoo, Surrogate
| McCague, Judge e. T. Paxton, Assem-
blyman Michael Mullone, Colonel J. #.
McAnerney, M. M. Drohan, Samuel A.
Besson, ex-Mayor Charles H. O'Neill and
l n.
ing of Governor Albeit, ex-Mayor
! O'Neill, John Hart, Perry I. Cumberson,
| ex-Judge Marcus Beach, ex-Attorney
\ General Gilchrist, Louis G. Hammer
stein, ex-senator Rudolph +. Rabe and
| the chairman of the meeting, ex-Con-
gresham Hardenbergh, was appointed
\ to effect reorganization of the party.
| On the same day the Provisional Com
mittee of the Keppler Hall meeting is
| sued call for convention which was
| addressed to the Democratic party OF
Hudson county, and which began by say
| ing
"The General Committee, to which you
| have heretofore intrusted the manage
ment of your interests has been weighed
| in the balance and found wanting. That
Committee instead OF being your servants
became your masters. BY insolent
usurpation, sustained by shameless
frauds, it has perpetuated itself and
| claimed your quiet submission. For
| years you have born this with unex-
amp1ed patience"
| The circular then sets out the result of
the election and goes on to say, lit is for
| you now in your wisdom and power to
appoint committee and so prescribe it's
duties and limit its powers that you will
not again be robbed of your rights by
| your own servants
| THE NEW ORGANIZATION.
| The convention under this call was held
1 III uutL AC1 Owl . 4Adli, On bAc f1clkntS, OA
the day before Thanksgiving Day, and a
| plan of reorganization was adopted. The
Parlor c. Committee, as Governor Albeit
| and his associates were called, held sew
| eral meetings and finally held a mass
meeting in the Catholic Institute, on
| Third street, which was addressed by
| United States Senator John II. McPher-
son, and at which a plan of reorganiza-
ton was also read.
By thisstime the members of the General
County Committee began to realize that
their existence was i'll danger, and they
| made overtures to the reformers. Sub
| committees from their organization and
the Parlor G committee held meeting,
! but the reformers were in no mood to be
trifled with, and the ringsters obtained
but little satisfaction. In the meantime
the opposition to the General Committee
became SO widespread that in the follow
ing January the committee yielded to the
| inevitable and resigned.
Will the lesson be needed nowt