The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-01
THE PEOPLE.
Tremendous Demonstration
of Independent Opinion
at Trenton Today.
VOTERS RIGHTS ASSERTED
Vicious and Hasty Legislation
and Corrupt and Despotic
Methods Denounced.
A HUGE GATHERING.
UNEXAMPLED VIG0R
AND VERY PLAIN TALK.
fhe Race Track Bills the Text
of General Assault on
Ring and Boss Rule.

TRENTON, March l, 1898. The demon
stration this morning was enc OF the
largest of any kind Trenton ever saw.
All the railroads ran special trains, and
by eleven O'Clock they began to pour
their throngs into the capital. The first
TO arrive was the delegation from Cam
den. There were over hundred
of the protestors from Billy
Thompson's home, aud they wore
immaculate. white badges. They
came early, with grim determination to
take possession of the Assembly Cham
Der and hold it at all odds against all
comers until it was occupied by the cit
liens. They formed in solid phalanx
and marched TO the State House. AS they
approached they closed ranks. and with
determination to die for the right il
necessary, marched into the main corri-
dor and threw themselves upon the doors
of the Assembly Chamber. The doors
yielded to them. and when they entered
they found the Chamber in the sole
possession of two small pages. who trem-
bic for the first time in their career at the
martial array of citizens. The delegation
Looked little disappointed at having SO
easy victory. They Immediately held
meeting. Luther S. Kellum was chos en-
chairman. He was asked to take the
Speakers chair. but with righteous
horror be exclaimed. sNo, sir; no, sir;
= this chair is good enough for me-" All
the meeting did WAS to elect four dele
gates to the State Leaguesof Citizens.
STATE HOUSE AND OPERA HOUSE.
The Rev. DR.. Dixon of Trenton an
nounced at half past eleven O'Clock, that
inasmuch as the Assembly, through the
Speaker, had denied the people The right
to meet in the Chamber. they should SET
example, and 60 to the Opera House,
which had been engaged for she meeting.
Several deleg ates were for remaining at
the Assembly Chamber, as it belonged
t, the people. and The people
had the right to use ftg own
property. The Rev. DR.. Dufield
thou0ht If the delegates marched in a
body from the State House to the Opera
House it would emphasize more the re-
fusal of the Assembly to let them meet
there DIR. Scudder of Jersey City advo-
clted staying in the Chamber until tn ey
were fut out. The Chamber belong ed
10 the people, and he, for one, thought
tney should occupy it. DR.. Hanlon of
Pennington Seminary agreed with DR.,
Scudder, amt said he would like to
see ny one attempt to put them out He
moved that they stay and hold the meet
ing. DR.. Studdiford, OF Trenton, ad
vocated obeying the order of the House.
Mayor Pangborn said that the Assembly
did not refuse permission and that the
refusal was only the mandate of the
Speaker against the Gear majority OF the
House. A sort of babel broke out then.
Several men began speaking at once and
it took sometime to secure order DIR.
Dixon. who was Chairman, gave the neor
to q Camden delegate. who said DR..
Landon of Berdentown said there was
crowd at the Opera House not know
ing where to go. He produced
a sign reading, go to the State House."
and sain if authorized he would put it up
In the Opera House. Cries of "put 1t up,"
''put it up" came from all directions
DR.. Dixon pleaded that they go to the
Opera House, and organize there, and
then If agreed to, come TO the Capitol,
do SO! A comm mittee was then sent to the
Opera House TO send those there to the
State House. As soon as they had Ron..s
Anthony Comstock broke out. He moved
that as they had asserted their right to
meet at the State House, they adjourn to
the Opera House, as the Assembly Cham
Der was entirely too small to accomo-
modate the hundreds who were there.
He was promptly sat upon.
JERSEY CITY's DELEGATION.
Jersey CITY was represented by the
Rev. Drs. Seudder, Brett, Grant, Nc
MINI. Herr, Heisig, Hathaway; Major
Pangborn. Mrs. S. NJ Clerhew, Mrs. DR..
scudder, Mr.. Dr.. Forman and j. w.
Beach, The committee sent to the Opera
House returned and sad they had sue
ceeded in bringing DR.. Kempshall and
about 500 people with them. DR.. Kemp
shall was received with waving nandker-
chiefs and chorus OF shouts as he en-
tered, The chamber aud galleries were
filing rapidly. The ladies were out in
full force and crowded: the gallery to its
utmost capacity.
THE MEETING OPENED
AT 1915 o'clock DR.. Kempshall, as
President of the Citizens League, called
the meeting TO order, and was uuani-
mously elected chairman. He took the
speakers chair amid great cheering and
waving of bandKerchiefs. He began
,sFeliow citizens of the, as yet, free and
sovereign State of New jersey" aud said
that they were there to take part in the
conflict Of the people of New Jersey with
the gamblers of the country. He spoke
of what New Jersey had done in the rev.
olutiou, and OF Caldwell. the fighting
Jersey parson. He cougrAtulatea them on
meeting in the Chamber, which was
built by the people fer the people, and
not by the permission of the gentleman
W whose chair he then SO uuworthiiy fllled.
The Hessians and Red Coats whom DER
seymen fought in the Revolution were no
worse than the Hessians whom thsy have
to light today. New Jersey WAS dis
rraced in the ssterhood of States.
The flag that waved over her was
not the Stars and Stripes nor did it bear