The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-10
SAVAGHS ARE SAINTS f"
When Compared With the
Election Fraud
RaSCa1S.
REV. Mr.. SCUDDER'S SERMON
The Time Is Ripe, He Thinks, for an
Independent Movement That
Will Give Jersey City
Reputable Govern
ment.


The Rev. Mr.. Scudder's announcement
that he would preach last night at the
Tabernacle upon the subject of ballot re-
form brought ont large congregation.
The auditorium of the church was well
filled and the gallery seats were nearly
ali occupied. The big choir, which sang
with harmony and spirit, was assisted by
the string orchestra in addition to organ
music. Mr.. Scudder's brave and patriotic
words were emphasized oratorically. His
remarks upon the subject were a mere
preface to his usual Sunday evening dis
course. II want you to understand" he
said. as he laid aside his notes. these
words come from the bottom of a
patriotic heart and were not penn ed in
connection with newspaper job. as was
intimated yesterday by one of the local
journals
Mr.. Scudder's remarks. so far as per-
tains to the subject of ballot reform and
his rebuke to those who have made re-
form an imperative necessity, are given
below in full.
INFAMOUS NoToRIETY.
During the past few weeks Hudson
county has achieved y most infamous
notoriety, recent exposures at Trenton
proclalming the depths of political corrup-
tion to which we have ignominionsly de-
scended. We are under the control of
despicable and despotic gang OF thieves
and traitors. They are thieves because,
by fraudulent manipulation OF the ballot
boxes, they steal away our lawful repre-
sentatlon in the administration OF govern
ment; they are traitors because they are
breaking down our republican institu-
tions and ruthlessly multiplying the soyer
eign will Of the people.
ssUnder their ubiquitous rule the right
of suffrage has degenerated into a con-
temptible farce. AS thieves and traitors
their proper place is behind the bars. For
their conspicuous services to the State
each one deserves striped suit and ball
and chain.
sAvAGEs ARE SAINTS.
II know | express the sentiments OF
every patriotic citizen when / say that
am disgusted and humiliated beyond
measure as / consider the outrageous
frauds that have been perpetraJed In
Hudson county during the recent cleo
tion. The stencil of this wholesale ballot
box stuffing and illegal counting has ex-
tended across the entire continent; nay,
1t has entered every hamlet in these
United States through our ubiquitous
press | was born and bred in heather
lands, and have witnessed all manner OF
human depravity but I must confess that
never saw such ia ian K as has
the past few years.
'sSayages are saints in comparison with
these political rsscals who infest our city
and are Systematically destroying It's
good name. This audacious tampering
with the ballot box during the last cleo
tion is enough to make every self-respect-
ing citizen blush all over and hide his
head for shame. We must acknowledge
with reluctance that we are no longer
freemen, but only the dupes fand slaves
Of usurping minority OF political bum
mers.
THEY'D BE SHOT.
"If these men were foreigners and took
up arms against our government, how
quickly we should riddle them with shot
and shell; but because they happen to be
within the pale of citizenship We suffer
them to plot against our liberties and de-
liberately destroy our political rights.
An open foe we can all admire, but what
is more deteStaDle than traitor in the
campY rejoice to see chat popular in
dignation against these villains is reach
ing the boiling point, and that into the
fiery crater of our wrath these ballot box
suffers and corrupt officials are now to
be hurled without mercy. Let the crimi-
nails be punished with severest penalties,
and if the officers OF justice fail to do
their duty. If they dare to defy the public
will in this matter and continue to cringe
before the traitorous ring that rules this
city, believe the time will speedily come
when respectable citizens will organize
themselves into vigilance committees and
take the law into their own hands.
II sincerely hope no such extra-judicial
measures will be resorted to. but / be-
lieye the temper of an outraged public
demands and will have justice. Pulpit;
press and popular indignation all pro-
claim that this evil has gone far enough.
The kind Of physic this city needs is a
strong allopathic dose OF Jersey justice.
"But, fellow citizens we must do more
than protest against this particular out
burst of corruption and demand the
prompt conviction and punishment of
these criminals. Pricking boil is not
purifying the blood These disgraceful
proceedings will occur again unless we
make proper diagnosis of the disease
aud apply q suitable remedy The remedy
is two-told
First We need above all else at this
time genuine ballot reform law. whose
provisions shall be SO sweeping and
be ali impossibility. Without such q law
all our rcformatory efforts will terminate
in failure. Such law we may have i'm
meuiately if the people in New Jersey
will rise to the occasion and speak out
their minds to their representatives at
Trenton. Our Legislature is now strain
ing itself over this subject Of Ballot Re-
form, but who can tell what kind of q
political egg this New Jersey Legislature
will lay? Let our citizens make every
effort to compel these Lawmakers to give
us a genuine reform bill.
A FIGHT FOR LIBERTY.
II would remind you, fellow ciJizens.
that the present agitation is nothing less
than a fight for liberty A quarter of a
century ago we emancipateu the slaves;
is it not high time we should emancipate
ourseIvesg While we are about it let us
thrust the lance OF ballot reform into the
very bottom Of this evil, for it manifestly
requires heroic treatment
ssSecondly-After the enactment of
suitable laws to prevent corruption at
the polls and ensure an honest count, the
respectable citizens must lay aside their
political prejudicAs in municipal affairs
and combine to elect good men 60 Office.
irrespective of party affiliations In Hud-
son county the decent people are certainly
in ii majority. Why, then, in the name
Of common sense, do not the better tele-
ments Of all parties combine and secure
the style of government they desire?
SINDEFENDENCEi
s'Ffave we not made fools OF ourselves
long enoughS Havs we not confounded
our political bigotries with patriotisms
We can have pure government in Jersey
City, If all tue law-abiding citizens are
willing to join hands; but we never can
eet IL Tinless we pool our issues and act in