The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-02
The Pilgrimage to Trenton.

The Pilgrimage to Trenton.
The demonstration of citizens at
Trenton, yesterday, was n which
the Democratic leaders will do we'll TO
heed. Not even the much misunder-
stood coal combine bill awakened
such an outburst of indignation as
have the outrageous methods, pur-
sued by the present Legislature. The
coal bill, too, excited the wrath chief
ly of the humber classes of the COM
munity, who are tickle in their opin-
ions and easily moved from their
resolutions. The present outburst OF
Indignation prevails among people
who know their own minds, and who
cannot be shaken in their ideas or
diverted from their intentions by
sophistries or lodges Or receptions of
any kind.
1t is altogether idle to say that the
demonstration or the sentiment which
it represents was merely partisan.
For democrats to take up this notion
is simply, in the picturesque language
of the vulgar, to do the ostrich act.
It is quite true that the leaders of
yesterdays pilgrimage were for the
most part identified with the Repub-
lican party. 1t is probably true that
a large majority of those who took
part in the meeting were republicans;
but it is nonsense to assert that the
feeling among the better stamp of
Democrats is not equally strong and
bitter. Democrats may not be ready
to turn out and openly denounce the
representatives of their own party.
They may think that is the duty of
the common enemy; but they reserve
their right of free thinking and free
voting, and when the time comes
they may think it wise to punish their
party for their party's good, and we
are pretty we'll convinced thousands
of them mean to do so.
This Legislature is now fast reach
ing the close of it's career. We do not
really think there is the slightest
prospect of the race track bills being
repealed. Even if they were it would
do no good. The harm is done. In
itself it is irremediable. In its few
remaining sittings, the Legislature
has a chance to show that it is not all
bad. There are many utterly bad
proposals before it-there are others
likely to come before it. These it may
reject. In this way, though few of
the individuals who sit in the Cham
bers this year have any hope of a
political future, something of a rec
ord may be saved for the party, SO
that it can make a new fight with new
men.
Unfortunately, there came over it,
after the passage of the Parker bills,
a spirit of recklessness. 1t seemed to
have thrown aside all regard for rea-
son and public opinion. If this con-
tinues, we do not know where the
disasters of the session will reach.
THERE were two blots on the pro-
ceedings at Trenton yesterday. The
first was distinctly an ebullition of
partisan malice. This was the attack
on Governor Albeit, which, abortive
as it was, was a sad instance of popu-
lar ingratitude. Governor Albeit, by
his personal influence, was mainly in
strumental in preventing the passage
of a race track bill for the last three
years. Now his reward is a cruel
blow by the opponents of the C
tracks, whose wishes and opinions he
favored. This is surely very poor en-
couragement to other public men to
do what is right.
THE other blot on the day was the
man Comstock. Why he should have
been allowed to thrust himself for
ward at all, it is hard to imagine.
There were plenty Of respectable men
there to talk.
As it turned out, he did the cause
he spoke for infinite harm by his ex-
hibition of low, vulgar, brutal race
prejudice.
Comstock, of all men, should not
have a word to say against Irishmen,
for he must know that they are pc
culiarly and prominently exempt
from all the vices which he considers
it his mission in life to combat.
Anyway, the time has com when
any man who INDUCES in race pref
udice of any sort should be hooted
out of public life, and relegated to the
narrow companionship of cranks and
knownothings.
SPEAKER FLYNN INDUCED IN a
sheer, the other day, about the oppo-
sition of women to the ideas and
methods that he represents in political
matters. He may fnd out very soon
and very grievously that in this
country the women are an enormously
influential factor in politics, and the
blunderer who sets them at defiance
is pretty apt to come to grief.
n T1nFo.