The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-04-05

nus never distinguished nlnSell.
| While in the Assembly In 1880 he did
nothing that can be recalled as an act
for the benefit of Jersey City. he was
chosen a Police Justice in 1884 and served
six or seven years, but in all that time his
efforts never led to the bringing to justice
of any great criminal He has never done
| anything out of the ordinary, and as he
has never been great IN small things you
can't expect him to be anything else than
small in great things.
HERE is MAN.
"On the other hand the Democrats have
| nominated a man who is known through
out the State as leading man in what
ever he undertakes. he seeks employ
ment at your hands. What are his recon-
mendationsp AS the Republicans charge.
he has held Office. But in the whole OF
| his career can any one say he has not hlled
the offices he has held TO the satisfaction
and advantage of the peoplea 1t was he
| who in 1884 brought about the realization
| OF legislative provisions for the taxation
| of railroads, which have saved
the city 100000 annually;
of this city he placed the affairs of the
| city in better financial condition than
| they had been in for years. When Allan Il.
McDermott went into that Board the
affairs of Jersey City were in a deplorable
state. The city bonds were below par,
and no one knew where the money was
coming from to pay the interest on them.
When he left that Board there had been
a reduction of the city DEBT, and 1t was
once more possible to raise money on city
| bonds"
Mr.; Edwards then told of Mr.. McDer-
motifs manipulation Of the South Cove
| grant. The city under Republican rule
would not pay $1,000 for the grant The
Central Railroad saw the value OF it and
tried to buy it for 1926. 900. sIu 1884 Mr..
McDermott discovered a law by which
i To- la ~ H. ortu
On his advice che 81 900 was paid and q
suit was brought by which the
now worth, at least, $4,000
Mr.. Edwards concluded by saying:-"On
the 18th of April expect to see the people
| form and the taxpayers casting their
| votes for q man who, If elected Mayor
| and he will be--will look out for their
| interest first, last and all the time. Do
your best to roll up big majority for
Allan L. McDermott and the entire Demo-
cratic ticket"
| Mr.. Edwards remarks were listened to
| with great interest, and he took his seat
amid hearty cheers and applause.
M'DERNloTT's SPEECH.
Mr.. McDermott grasped the rail in front
of him and bowed his head thoughtfully
when he stood up to speak. Then he told
| his audience that he was there to explain
why he was candidate for Mayor. and to
tell what he proposed to do If elected.
He was willing to answer any question
fairly put to him. He was not looking
| for the salary nor the patronage at
tached to the office of Mayor. AS
| to salary, he could earn more by
| devoting all his time to his pro-
fession. II am a candidate" he said,
because am one Of your fellow citizens
| and taxpayer. Because, ! believe the
taxes can be so applied that we may have
cleaner and better streets, better school
| houses, better government and lower
| tax rate, and be able to offer better
\ guarantees for the investment of capital
| in our midst" Applause.l
! Mr.. McDermort said ne didn't know
what was the matter with Major Pang
born. Looking back to the days when
the great city debt was really created, he
| had failed to ind single word Of protest
in the columns of the Journal. 1t re-
minded him of the story of the man who
was accused, tried and acquitted of steal
| ing hog when the evidence was over
| whelmingly in favor of his conviction.
| The Judge was indignant. subsequently
out of curiosity he asked the acquitted
| man to what did he attribute his acquit-
| tai. The man answered. Every member
| of the jury had slice of the hog"
| That the audience believed as Mr.. Nc
| Dermott did was demonstrated by the
shouts Of applause that greeted this
sally.
| zone thing this canvass has DONE" said
Mr.. McDermott; 'it has interested the
people as never before in our municipal
affairs. The meetings / have attended
have exceeded those of even Presidential
contests" He then went on to demon
strate that the city debt was a mortgage
on every piece of property. The oldest
| citizen of Lafayette might think he
owned his house. but ne did not.
| There was mortgage of twenty per cent.
| resting upon it. He believed that mort
gage could be retired, and II elected he
| tire it. The speaker reviewed the history
| of the debt showing that the bulk or the
| burden had been placed upon the people
| by corrupt Republican gang. The only
reduction in eighteen years was that of
| three-Quarters of million while he was
President of the Finance Board. Mr..
| McDermott read from the minutes
OF the Finance Board of 1888
| a resolution offered by the late Augustus
A. Hardenberg (the mention of whose
| name provoked an outburst of applause),
| commencing the speakers course. thank
| ing him for special services in getting his
| retirement from the Board and inviting
| him to be present at the meetings as often
as possible. II am willing" said Mr..
| McDermott, "to stand on the record l
made at the head OF that Board and take
| the estimate of the value of my services
| For those services l did not receive u
cent"
REPUBLICAN TRICKERY.
| In the same connection Mr.. McDermott
repeated the story of how he was turned
| out of the Beard of Finance by the Boa rd
| of Aldermen because he refused to vote
| for certain members Of that Board for
| Assessors, and he said Judge Blair and
| one Rod" B. Seymour profited by the
deal. The first thing Blair did when ap-
| pointed Corporation Counsel was to raise
| his salary to 81, ZOO above what Leon Alb
| bett received for the same services; then
| he went to sleep. These men were at
| tacking him and he was obliged to strike
| back.
Mr.. McDermott reiterated all the
pledges he has thus far made during the
campaign. The debt should not increase
one cent; should be reduced if possible.
The people should have clean streets and
better school houses. His idea of clean
ing the streets was to remove the dirt,
and if elected Mayor no contractor would
get his money unless he removed the
dirt. He promised there should be q new
assessment of property from the Hudson
to the Hackensack. On the public school
question he admitted he was somewhat
Of a crank" And by the minutes of
the Finance Board he showed what he did
to better the condit ton OF the school
houses while at the head of that Board.