The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-03-31
IS. would not change one word


in that record. [Applausel.
subsequently as District Court Judge
l administered justice to the best Of my
ability. and looking back l say now l
would not change word in that record.
[Applause].
POLITICS ON THE HIGHEST PLANE.
Eyes, have figured some what in poll
tics-a sort OF Poo Bah. as it were.
Laughter. For fourteen months with
my friend Harrison here, and labored
with the State Board of Assessors to tix
a scheme of taxing railroad and canal
property that would stand the assaults
Of brilliant counsel that might be en-
ployed to fight against it. For two years
the fight was waged in the courts, but
not one figure was changed in the figures
of the assessment The city has profited
by nearly million and half; did it as
politician, and / wouldn't change
word in that record" Tremendous ap-
plause.
Mr. McDermott then discussed millions
OF debt piled upon the city bv the same
gang of Republicans who are now trying
for another chance at the public crib,
under whose manipulation $40 1000, 900 was
added to the debt. "There is only one
clear interval" said he, sin the fiscal his
tory of the city for the past eighteen
years and that was the reduction of
$250000 in the debt while | was at the
head of the Finance Board. When l re-
position my vote to appoint an Alderman
assessor, IL was politician in the highest
sense of the term. Immense applause
have been politically laboring for the
| city ever since-[applause]-e while
| in South Jersey bringing in Democratic
Senators. [Applause.] l Withdraw not
| one line of the record of any Office l ever
| held. Ir there is a blot on that record
| then am not fit to be elected Mayor"
| [Applause.]
THE CAMPAIG N PECKsNIFFS.
Referring to the assaults of Major
Pangborn (here d storm of Kisses at the
| Majors expense interrupted the speaker)
Mr.. McDermott remarked:-"He's be-
| coming about as vicious as tomcat in
| a well. He accuses me of numbering my
| grandmother and almost fntimates that
expect to murder my children. 1t is all
amusing enough until he reaches the
| libel point. Then OBJ ject How to crys-
| tallize the assaults is what bothers me.
| They are so intensely vague. | can't
| make heads or tails of them. Defending
| ballot box suffers? l did not defend
| them; yet in the same breath insist that
| the lawyer who would not stand ont be-
| fore the world and claim his client was
| not guilty until he was proven so, would
| be a disgrace to the Bar and should re-
| sign from it."
Alluding to Mr.. McGee's ambition to
| be a Judge. Mr.. McDermott said that
IQaU R6uIlemdu SIOOu dDOub dS III uCu
| chance of attaining that pinnacle of his
ambition as Behring Strait seal stood OF
| dying with typhus fever. AS to the Tom
Potter and the Farriers' checks as con-
! tributors to the Republican campaign
| fund.- the speaker said:-"Talk about raw
material to start reform in govern,
mentl You certainly have it nere."
| Laughter and much applausel.
THE BLAIR-WANSER LETTER.
Then Mr.. McDermott attacked Colonel
| Wanser's letter where he claimed the
| questions of government were SO difficult
as to battle the philosophers of the. ages,
and further down said the application OF
few ordinary business principles would
| bring about happy solution. "The truth
| is" said Mr.. McDermott, that educated
turtle, Judge Blair.fell lasleep.between the
lines, just as he did when the South Cove
| grant was first offered TO the city. don't
| believe that kind of guy will do any
good in bringing about reform in the
city.
THE PEOPLE MUST JUDGE.
81 have talked much about myself"
continued Mr.. McDermort, because my
record has been attacked. / am running
on that record. / want you to look at it,
ana determine my fitness for the position
of Mayor. II elected, and believe l will
be [applausel, | promise you honest gov
ernment and honest expenditure of the
taxes. or I'll resign Lapplause]. I am not
running for the salary the Office af-
fords or the contemplate patronage at
tached to it. l am in need of neither.
am running for Mayor because | have a
debt of gratitude to pay the people of this
city. My property is here. My home and
my children are here, and l expect to die
here.
II am running because am not satis-
fed with the record of my own party"
Deafening cheers, above the noise of
which voice ives heard, "You won't die
until you're Mayor"
whats that?"
Another voice-"Says if you die he
won't VOTE" [Laughter]
An old, grey headed gentleman in the
middle of the audience-"You'll be the
next Mayor" [Applause.1
Mr.. McDermoJt closed his great speech
by explaining why he drew the bill con-
cerning the extension of the Mayoralty to
five years. "a man in the executive
chair,' he said. SHOULD be absolutely in
dependent to carry out the plans he as
devised in the interest of the city. The
poorest kind Of a Mayor can be reelected
If his eye is con ntiuuallv on that one fea-
ture of the office. But a good Mayor
should not be hampered by looking for
reelection. That's why I drew that bill,
and it is sufficient apology" [Tremend-
Gus applause.
Assemblyman George A. Heane, Judge
John A. McGrath. James Manning and
Corporation Counsel William D. Ed
wards all made eloa uent speeches in sup
port of MIR. McDermott and candidates
for Aldermen, Henry Windeker and Paul
Sury.
nu VIVIAN WM.Sc,, MEETINr