Gloucester County Democrat., 1893-03-09

your kindness and confidence is not unreeogniz-
ed or misplaced.
While this event will ever be one Of most pleas
ant rememberance to me. 1t should also. gentle
men, be one to claim from you a special recog-
milton. You haye paid me, one of your own body
q compliment suggested and prompted by feel
ings of kindness and association, but your
neighbors and fellow citizens have paid you a
higher, nobler. and more meaning tribute by an
emphatic public endorsement at the ballot box,
because they believed that you had served them
and their interests with honest purpose and prl-
dent judgement, subservient to no other object
but the public good and in this recognition and
acceptance of your official act, you must com
prehend, gentlemen, that the public have there
by indicated how they would have the affairs Of
this city conducted in the future. They do not
desire sudden outgrowth of extravagant ideas,
bent intently on legslating for imaginary or vast
improvements, nor do they want that kind of
torpid, sluggish action, which makes no advance,
but rather such as you haYe been governed by
in the pasta living up to and fulfilling the
wants Of the times as they arise. strict obedi-
ence to the public will, and a prompt, apprecia-
tive energy in carrying forward and executing
such improvements as it requires, are unmistak-
ably presented as conclusions resulting from the
lessons of the last election.
Heretofore our citizens have been divided into
corporation and anti-corporation parties, with
corporation on the one hand as the panacea TO
arouse our town from its old-fashioned pace, and
spread i out in improvement and population,
and anti corporation on the other, contending
that 1t was cumbrous and useless form of town
government. without utility or profit. For years
this division of sentiment and action had agitated
us often drawing the lines not wisely or friendly,
and so active that it was disturbing element in
almost every election preceding the last; and for
Its non-appearance then, gentlemen, we are
surely indebted to you, for the first City Coun
ell your management had so completely exer-
cised and oblterated this spirit of the past, and
so gained the confidence of tbe people, that cor
porationists and anti-corporationists, with har-
fore, united to uphold and endorse corporation
city government, because you had practically
shown them that such a government, properly
managed, would inure to their mutual, benefit.
And let us hope that we have heard these and all
such kindred distinctions for the last time, and
that now henceforth all will be ready and willing
to unite for the advancement of common in
terest.
Gentlemen, having now gained the confidence
of your fellow citizens, and having their power
and affairs SO Significantly re-committed to you,
see we'll 10 II that that trust receives no abuse
at your hands, and that you take no backward
step which will result in retarding their inter
eSts and prosperity, With the peoples power
thus reposed in you, and renewing your obliga-
ton of obedience to the duties incumbent upon
you let one resolve actuate you to use your high
est intelligence and most mature Judgment to
legislate alone to advance the moral as well as
the material interests of the community.
Gentlemen, now begin your second year of leg
islation under our new order of City government.
One year of its duties and requirements, with
and whatever OF good you have done endeavor
to improve upon and extend, and whatever OF
errors you may have committed keep in view as
guiding post and landmarks to assist you in
avoiding them in your future action.
The action of Council continued to re-
ceive the endorsement Of the people by the
re election of the members as their terms
expired, until the Spring of 1875, when
Messrs Bradway and Starr declined further
reelection. At that time your speaker
prepared the following paragraph for publ
cation in the Constitution, after having had
the official privilege of observing their
course in Office.
"A word of commendation is due to
Messrs. Bradway and Starr, the retiring
members of Council The former had Just
completed nine years of continuous service
as member of that body, under the
Borough and City governments and in all
that time has proven himself 10 be a wise
prudent and safe councillor and mana
ger of public affairs. Mr.. Starr went into
Council at the organization OF our new
City government, and has been an active,
attentive and valuable member of that
body. He has been real watch dog of the
public expenditures, and by his thorough
independence and unfinching integrity has
done very much to dissipate the fears of
those who regarded our new form of Gov
ernment as a costly experiment. Both
these gentlemen carry with them in their
retirement the sincere respect of their late
associates, who part with them with deep
regret. The public service also can lily
afford to spare such faithful public servants,
and an appreciative constituency will not
long allow them to remain in retirement,
but will do well to call them to higher and
more responsible stations and duties"
These words. of approval are as true to-
day as they were eighteen years ago, and
have been further fortified and strengthened
in the case of Mr.. Starr by long and hon
orable career as City Treasurer and another
term of service in City Council.
Many other Councilmen have served
since that time and the general welfare of
the city has been promoted by their action,
aud they have made honorable records for
themselves. Where all have done SO well,
know how difficult and dangerous it is to
specify certain members for praise, without
incurring criticism from those who may
think they are equally deserving Of the
thanks Of their fellow citizens and associ-
ates. At the risk of exciting this hostility,
will take the responsibility of naming two
members whose official course, in connec-
tion with two model public improvements.
stand out above their fellows in conspicuous
prominence, for the fidelity and energy
with which they prosecuted their labors to
promote hepublic welfare. l cannot now
better describe the first than by again quot
ing paragraph which l prepared for the
Consultation as follows:
n n Groar, fror, o,,r (s;t.- Co,,na;1
after nine years of continuous and faithful ser
vice in that body, with the respect and appre
citation of the people whom he has served so long
in that capacity. During that period he has wit
messed our City larg ely increase its population
multiply its industries. and augment its material
wealth, in the erection of large and substantial
business blocks, and handsome and attractive
residences, and all this very largely through his
own operations. He has also been very success
full in securing many public improyementsin lin the
way of.Opening new streets, and betteriue the
conditions Of others by drain age and erayeline,
His closing achievement in public affairs is the
establishment of the lighting of the streets Of the
City by the Thomson Houston system Of electric
lights. After period of rest which must now
prove very welcome toahim, we doubt not that
the people. irrespective of partizan affiliations,
will again gladly call him into their service as
Councilman, to grapple with other questions of
needed public Improvement -
The sec ond name is that of Councilman
Josiah G. Cloud, who gave his youthful
energy and perseverance, in promoting the
erection of our Water Works. For his un-
selfish labor in that direction he deserves
the warmest gratitude of our people, and
though no longer a resident among us, his
public service should not be lightly regard
ed or easily forgotten. There are many
others who are deserving of honorable men
tion whom should like to name, but 1
haye trespassed upon your patience already,
and must refrain. Suffice it to say how
eyer, in justice to some of the earlier Coun-
cilmen, in addition to those already named
Councilman Henderson deserves honorable
mention, and of the later ones Councilmen
Ladd, Livermore, and McGeorge have made
records for usefulness which deserve ac-
knowledgement at my hands.
On the first organization of the present
City government, and for several years
thereafter, strict party politics was not
made factor or issue in our local elections.
This righteous state of affairs prevailed un-
til the Spring of 1877, when in retaliation
for an unfortunate partisan act of an acci-
dental minority majority, the Republicans
organized the present system of making
strict party nominations and have adhered
10 it since. I haye never believed that
one could secure the best local results by
using such methods, and on February 16,
1881, published the following exposition of
my views on the subject:
MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN OUR Cry COUNCIL.
The time is appro aching for our ANIMAL city