The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-29
Surrogate O'NeiI.

THE News today presents a sketch
of the life OF Surrogate O'Neil, who is
to be reelected next Tuesday by the
people OF Hudson county. James H.
O'Neil is the worthy son of a worthy
sire, and though the people OF the
present generation know very little
about the elder James O'Neil, there
are still those among rs who knew
him personally and well. They bear
unvaryinv testimony to his worth,
his ability, and his fidelity to the
trusts reposed in him-just such tes-
tlmony as their sons give in reference
to the son of the dead and gone Sur
rogate.
1t is no small thing, such a compli-
ment as this, showing, as it does, that
the mantle Of the father has fallen
upon the son, and the present Surro-
gate may be doubly proud of the pub
lie confidence bestowed upon him five
years ago, and now about to be re-
newed for a second term, as the only
proper public appreciation of his SER
vices.
THE News also presents in this
issue a sketch Of the life of August
M. Bruggemann, the Democratic can
didate for reelection as Director-at-
Large of the Board of Freeholders.
He will receive the full party vote
and will doubtless be reelected.
Republicanism and the Suffr age.
This is a good time to recall the mi
quitous Force bill.
The Republican party howled for its
enactment by Congress on the alleged
ground that some negroes down in
Alabama and Mississippi were modest
ed in their right of suffrage. The real
purpose was to secure the disfranchise
ment of Democratic majorities. This
is now a fixed element of the Repub-
lican systemic overturn election by
ballot.
For We see that the Republican
party thinks nothing of forming
an infamous conspiracy in the heart
of this Northern city to deprive hun
dreds OF voters of their rights as
citizens.
Under direction of the Republican
County Committee, one John F..
Murray, a Federal Office holder, a
clerk IN the Post Office, took up a
nominal residence in the First pre-
cinct of the Fifth Assembly district,
and proceeded to challenge the fran
chise of every Democratic voter in the
precinct. This was not done openly or
boldly. 1t was was done with sneak
ing secrecy. 1t was done in such a
n that the conspirators hoped
no legal steps would be taken to en-
force the rights Of the challenged
men. The nope evidently was
that their business pursuits or their
failure to comprehend the effect OF
notices served on them would prevent
the voters from putting in an appear
ance in court on the return day of the
challenges, and then in the absence of
any defence from them their names
would be stricken from the roll. If
this could be done successfully in
respect to two or three hundred votes,
the Republicans might have a hope
of carrying the Fifth district.
1t is useless to waste rhetoric con-
demning such criminalty as this. The
facts speak for themselves, and honest
minds can form only one judgment.
The facts show to what a depth OF
wickedness the Republican party has
fallen. This is no longer the party of
Lincoln and Seward, animated by
principle and patriotic purpose. 1t is
a corrupt and degenerate faction,
lusrful for power aud place, and
wholly regardless Of the means by
which it pursues its ends.
II the Republican party is to be OF
any further use to the country, it
must be punished for its own good; il
mnst be reformed by adversely, and
the people must do the work by ex-
Vote for Patrick III O'Neill. regular
Democratic ca did .te tor AsSemblumQn.