The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-02-04
CLEVELAND DREW IT
The Unanimous Opinion
About That Mayor
atty Bill.
IT WILL NOT BECOME LAW
Allan L. MeDermott Covers 1t
With Ridieule-Newark
Papers Denounee 1t.
Plain Talk About the Bill and the
Man Ii Benefits.

( 'I am opposed to the bill and will do
all can to kill it. I am opposed to any
plan that will keep Orestes Cleveland any
longer Mayor Of this city," said ex-Judge
Allen L. McDermott to me this morn
ing.
Ex-Judge McDermott referred to bill
which Mayor Orestes Cleveland drew up
himself and caused to be presented to the
Legislature. The sole object of the bill
is to keep Orestes Cleveland in office.
The bill was published in The JERSEY
CITY NEWS yesterday, but it is so i'm
portant measure that it is reproduced
today. The bill ls as follows:-
Whereas, by reason of the vast detail
and complex form Of Municipal Govern
ment in the large cities of this State.
there is need of greater stability in order
that reforms may be worked out, and
methods of relief for grievances more
permanently established. and
Whereas, 1t requires a considerable
time to learn the methods and needs of so
many departments and the legal con-
dition necessary to enable the head OF any
such government to establish such re-
form, and bring about the best resuhs,
and
Whereas, The terms of service of the
mayors of such cities need to be longer
in order to enable them to serve the best
purposes of their office; therefore
.Be it enacted ETC.. That in cities of the
first class in this State, the terms of SER
vice of the Mayor theHeof shall be five
years; and the Mayor of such cities in
office at the time of the passage of this
act shall continue to serve for the term
of three years from the beginning of the
terms for which they were elected.
WHO DREW THE BILL
A gentleman who knows as much
about what transpires in the Legislature
as any other man In the State told me
that Orestes Cleveland drew the bill.
With that desire to deceive, which has
stamped his lifelong career. Cleveland
placed the bill in the hands of Assem- bly,
man Nieder of Newark, and caused him
to introduce it in the House. This gave
1t the appearance of being an Essex coun-
ty measure. The gentleman referred to
said that the bill would never become a
law.
''Its object is manifest" said he "The
leadersin in Jersey City are afraid to nomi-
nate Cleveland in the spring, for they be-
lieve he cannot be reelected. Cleveland
has insisted on remaining Mayor, and
the result is compromise in the form of
this BILL"
When / saw ex-Judge McDermott he
told me that he thought the bill was one
of the funniest things he had ever read.
That part of the preamble which rofers to
the necessity of being a Mayor q long
time before ''reforms" can be worked"
out, was particularly amusing to the ex-
Judge and, for that matter, to everyone
else who knows Mayor Cleveland, his six
consecutive years as Mayor. and the re-
forms he has worked out in that time.
These reforms have not taken place just
"a MQVns
land has not been in office long enough
to ascertain where reforms are needed.
but when he gets his new lease of office
he will have ample time to make the dis
coveries.
'Do you think this bill will became a
law?" 1 said to ex-Judge McDermout.
''No, do not. The only hope for the
bill is to have the solid Democratic vote
OF Essex and Hudson counties. This do
not believe the friends of the bill can OBJ
tain.''
who is behind this bill, Judge2"
"Oh, now you ask me too much"
1T HIT HIM HARD.
'How did 1t strike you when You read
itr'
''It struck me hard, said the Chairman
of the State Democratic Committee.
1.-THE preamble of the bill merely recog-
nizes the accepted principle in nature that
it takes long time to produce great re-
suits. Take the doctrine of evolution and
consider what world this would have
been if the great forces in nature which
are engaged in working out the ploblem
of perfect existence had been turned out
of office in the Sllurian period. Had
such Il determination been made shad and
canvas-back duck, bluefish and porter
house steak would have been unknown.
and the Jersey City Board of Trade would
have had to dine on invertebrates. l tell
tell you it takes time. Apply it to as
tronomy.
EVERY error in that science can properly
be credited to the fact that the astrono-
mer making 1t did not have time for a
thorough examination. II the gentleman
VINO calculated lunar eclipses III ancient
Babylon had had his term sufficiently eX-
tended, who can doubt that ne would
have discovered the secret which burdens
the Intervals of the Waterbury watch?
BIG BIG ''IF'.
"If Caesar had not been carved by
Brutus, who will say that those commen-
taries might not have been written in
English and saved countless generations
the labor of wrestling with the ablative
of the gerund? Apply it to the stage.
Thespis used to travel in Africa. giving
exhibitions in wagon; now 1t is no-ac-
count show that doesn't have three bal
lets or real steam engine with real
steam. Then we are about to build a
city hall What do you believe would
have been the fate of the pyramids if The
RalneSeS family nau DSeu Uuruou oub JuSb
alter they had selected or condemne ed
an available site Oh bank of the NileP
$50, as the bill recites. it takes con-
siderable time to learn the methods and
needs 1t does; it does. And as it is so
in the weakness of human foresight that
the first glance may not fully discover
the manumtted gentleman in the wood
pile, it would be the highest kind of legis-
fation to pass this bill. My only doubt is
whether five years will be long enough.
think, in legislative parlance. someone
should move to strike out five and insert
fifLy. Then, whatever the effect on New
ark. we of Jersey City would have town
rivalliug in grandeur those which We're
produced bv the genii of the Arabian
Nirhts.' II this amendment is made
am in favor Of the BILL"
| talked to a number of lesser lights in
the political world about Mayor Cleve-
lands bill, and all expressed the opinion
that it would not become law. The
men all hold positions under Cleveland
and requested me not to use their names.
A VERY BOLD SCHEME.