New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-07

in Hudson County; for Grover Cleveland, for
President in 1888; for Governor Albeit in 1889,
and also for the marvellous success of his party
in the legislative campaigns of 1890 and 1891
What was that extraordinary majority, that
marvellous success
Glance backward at the struggles of the Jersey
City freebooters. They were jealous OF Dennis
Mclaughlin. They cmulatcd his example lhcS
aspred to higher place and u greater emolumcn''
William McAvoy secured the leadership ana
elected himself Surrogate. fat office with a hVe-
years term and fortune in IT, Prosperity ana
strong drink are dangerous. McAvoy died. and
James ONeill, Allan McDcrmotts brothcrnhw.
became Surrogate He holds the office still, ana
| is in his second five years. Dennis Mclaughlin
again became boss in Jersey City. Robert DAVIS
and p H. O'Ncil aspircd 10 the place
MCLAUGHLIN used one against the other, Dut thcS
finally compromised and united against Dchll>'
BY that time Mclaughlin had become Jhe leaH'I
in the Guttcnburg racc-track business. ana iookc'
upon his political influence as more NaIuape To
serve the racc-track than for his poiltlcaI am
btion He compromised with Davis ana O'NeiIl'
Davis became Sheriff and ONcill went to the
| Legislature
THE SCHEME tDNSUMMNIEo.
II was ot that time that the scheme for clptnr-
inc Jersey City was consummatcI. Orestcs ClcVc-
| land was Mayor 4 new charter was prepared
by him. and he formed an alliance with DAVIS
and ONcill Cleveland had lost his wealth
and was dependent his 5000 salary ~
Mayor lie had the salary increase
| 70 $4,000, and lie was empowered py I'c "'"
charter TO appoint new city government E''iS
| Jersey City member Of the Legislature eo' d"
| Office under that charter as a reward lor ''''7
| for IT, They are all shouting now f9r NcDcrh'''
The Mayor, under its provisions, became possess
Of great power. He used ii TO secure Ills ~
election and intended 70 DO 80 continuously
| By his place as Sheriff. Davis conlIoH'" '''
Grand Jurics He appointed whom lie PLEASED
By his place as chairman of the Aidcflnuiilo
Committee on Elections, O'Ncill controlled the
cIcction officers He appointed whom he pleased
John p. Fecncy, constable at the Guii'nbnis r"e'
track chief Of the State constabulary, detective
in tbe office Of the County Prosecutor, and mem
Der of Assembly, was appointed president oil the
Police Board. Davis. by his alliance wi'h O'cNe-
, land had control Of all appointments. IN Guy
was delivered to the gang by ClcyeiihI'
| The gang had previously occurred control OF thc
county Then scandals Of every Kind became III.
| Ii1uor-icalers had to buy special klhd ol
wE.key. and the men who controlled that brand
of whiskcy paid royalty 10 the gang. lheS
| had to buy bottled beer soda, etc, from another
firm which was favored ny uhe hlhs n ri,.r,
games sweatboards policy shops ana pooiscllrrs
! secured immunity, school teachers had miiillHE
store provided 10 receive their itlDuc, NcNd
| tious assessments were lald on all employ ; vi
city and county, and II was necessary 10 IH'1'
their salaries III order 10 p.acatc them. Clhclh'
supplied articles of all kinds purchased ny Ulc
| cify and audited their own bills. The number oi
EXPERTS al ballot-b0X stuilins grew rapidly AM
the city and county payrols reached enormous
| figures.
MORE THAN \ MILLION DOLLARS
The two payrolls city ard county, ran up to
1 ,toii. cir a.. "a
issue bonds to keep up with Tn, G.
msnds 4 glance at the Controllers IT.
port shows bonds issued for salaries. for
lighting and repairing streets, for cleaning streets
| for legal expenses in defending the Ring against
fhe people in the courts. for stationery, for nearly
| everything which Is included III the estimates
Tor which the ta\ levy was made. lo-laN thc
| aggregate bonded debt Of tie state j. S15,62o,-
1913 30. That includes tie state dcbi. me dtot
| of the tWenty-OLc counties, ana OF the "0O MI
nicEal Subdivisions OF the counties. 81 Hli,
amount Hudson County las bphocd t'Dt 81
50 236, 200, and its cities and other municipal
i subdivisions have total bonded debts Of 80
G7Ol22 So, making an aggregate Tor inc n',%
county which is about fourteen miles IN length
and four miles in width. Of S24,DD6,922 SO. Inc
work of the last Legislature viii probably bring
this total up 10 q figure nearly or quite cqHaI
| 10 half Of the aggregate debt Of the Stat. lhat
is the result Of Hudson County methods
The people in other parts OF The state are DC
coming alarmed mt the spread OF these HUDSON
| felt when Governor Albeit, after his defeat LOT
the Senate, resolved 10 become candidate Tor 4
second term as Governor. Tie condition ol thihps
in Jersey City can be imagined HE LEGISLATURE
had removed the safeguards from the ballp-b0\'
Allan h. McDcrmott had Ic .0vcd the headanar-
trrs Of the State Committee 80 laylors H9'cl ~
| Jcrscy CITY Then came the memorable election
- | Of November 1850 the election which WIS a
/ marvellous snccess"-thc election OF which II
is said the extraordinary majority was que IN
/ no small measure 10 the services OF Allan H.
i McDermott.
/ TIE RESULT WAS PATENT.
What those services were no one can say. Bnt
every one knows the result. registry showing
more than Al 900 names, and vote for Governor
| Abbctt showing over II 900 majority, were too
much for any one to accept as an honest clechoh
Everybody knew that fraud, had been com
lmitted at the elections Of 1856, 81 ana SS, whch
the extraordinary majoritics' spoken OF by Mr'
/ NcDcrmott were claimed by the gang The
limoront tools who stuffed the baotboXeS felt -
s1yc nj immunity that they boosted Of their acts
, in nnbic places The marvellous success oil 1882
was such transparent fraud thal no one c"UIl
ignore it, 4 legislative investigation was mi"r'
land morp than 5000 bogus ballots were iOInd IN
the boxes. These only indicated part oil the
; fraud. . Cha, ,to
Grand Jury was forced 10 take notice Hurried
consultations took place among inc hlhS eaueIs
10 devise some plan Tor eaNliG ae t"Sv' CON-
Isnltel at that time but he has made Il denial.
8 although an evasve one II was decided tha' ~,
; Indictment for conspiracy would he safe, ana
La Grand Jury drawn by Sheriff DAYS.
indicted siXty-scven of the election Officers Inc
ballot-box suffers were inclined at Irst TO 'lca.
the matter as joke, but the trial OF the iirst
S four showed them that il was serious a hunp'r
of Democratic lawyers were retained 70 DEFEND
. the rascals Every lawyer has since been pro-
C vidcd with an Office, with good IN
come and every one OF them IL talking at puDnc
meetings urging the people TO vote for Allan H.
lMcDermott.
| Out of the sixty-scven indicted balot-boX
p suffers twenty nine already held Office. showing
that they had been rewarded for work done IN
securing the extraordinary majorites" which
J, Mr. McDermott pridcs himself on. After the in
dictment and trial Of the ballot-box suffers each
| 81 tho,, was nrnyided with q place q reWArd.