The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-28
THOMPSON VERY MAD
Wants the Republicans TO
Investigate His Election
to the Assembly.
AN EXCITING DEBATE
Time Wasted in Deciding on Legal
Representation-Sarcasm
for McEwan.
Spscial to tne Jerseu cttp Neus.

TRENTON, Feb. %, 1S94.-A most intensely
dramatic incident marked a hot debate III
the House of Assembly yesterday afternoon
over the resolution to investigate alleged
election frauds in William j. Thompson's
baliwick, the Third Assembly district OIL
Camden county. As stated in The NEWS OF
yesterday, the resolution empowers the
House Committee on Election and the two
members to be added, to employ counsel, a
stenographic clerk, a sergeant-at-arms, ana
to do various other things.
That the resolution would be presented
was known to many, and it was expected
that a lively time would follow its intro
duction.
Assemblyman Harrigan of Essex was the
first to take the floor, II his opening re-
MI Speaker, I suppose I'll be put on that
committee"
Il rise to a point of order, " came from
Assemblyman Austin. NJ Harrigan has
declared that he would vote for no measure
introduced"
ssHold on, young man, you'll grow older II
Won live l~onger.n remarked Harrigan, n
then he waited to hear from Speaker Holt.
1.-THE gentleman from Essex may proceed,
but he win please address his remarks to the
Chair said the Speaker.
81 want to speak to you, and j nope you
won't get mad, . was the reply made by the
Essex workers.
ssIt seems to me-" continued Mr.. Harri-
gan, ssthat my friend Storrs is over anxious
to get at Mr.. Thompson, and L suppose ne
has his reasons for it. Maybe he wants 10
get him off a certain committee. he knows
/ don't. Thompson has showed him up
more than once of late when he put his
foo into it and told him many things he
didn't know. May be Storrs wants to get
even; he knows 1 don't.
s.Mr. Storrs appears to be taking a great
MANY liberties with the business OF this
House, yet here an old codger like me takes
no liberties at all. have been in this coun-
try much longer than Storrs, and when L
came here l had a coat to my back. gave
no one trouble making clothes for me when
Icame here same as Storrs I'D. am sure
that Storrs has some great personal AMI
mostly towards Thompson. 1t Is cropping
out day oy day.
ssThat Thompson was honestly and fairly
elected no reasonable man will doubt. He
got 1900 plurality where some OF his critics
were 1,20O to one shots and barely pulled
through. But perhaps Thompson and Storrs
are in collision and are trying to make
positions for some friends. The resolution is
an indication of the wholesale extravaganza
of the majority"
Beekman, the Democratic leader, was
The next TO CaUCn bu6 SPEAKER eye. Lax
opposed the proposition to employ counsel
for the committee for the reason, he said,
hardly any one but a lawyer was on the
committee and they ought to know enough
to get along without the assistance OF another
LAWYER to tell them what they should know
themselves. Mr.. Beekman questioned the
right of the committee to take charge OF the
ballot boxes, as such action would resolve 1T
into q violation of the Ballot Reform law.
Replying to Mr.. Beekman, Mr.. Storrs said
that the resolution was exactly similar In Its
provisions to the resolutions adopted IN the
case of the Stuhr-McDonald Senatorial con-
test, and which gave the the
right to take possession and open the ballot
boxes.
IF | was the representative from the
Third Assembly district of Camden L would
gladly welcome the proposed investigation"
continued Mr.. Storrs, when he was abruptly
Interrupted by the Duke of Gloucester"
who sprung to his feet and exclaimed
"Hold on! Stop right where you are. L
don't want YOU or any other man to steal my
thunder or tell me what l should do
Mr.. StorTs took another tack. w pro
pose to be honest and Just all around, sald
he. .sIf we find that Mr.. Thompson is en-
titled to his seat, he shall retain it; if he is
not entitled to it, this House will unseat him,
and that you may depend on"
AN INVESTIGATION.
1t was at this point that the dramaticm incl
06nD look place.. luOiuPSou diOoo SloW1y IL
his seat, his dark, handsome face the picture
of anger. With hand uplifted, his whole
frame quivering with the intensity of his
feelings, but with voice hard and sharp, he
started in on what proved to be sensational
speech.
II ask for a full and thorough investiga-
ton of these charges; one of the most incis-
i've kind. l tell you l court a rigid investi-
cation; yea, l now demand it. l feel that
can say, and say truthfully, what no other
man here can say, and that is that / never
asked an individual for his suffrage to assist
me in reaching my position here. But | in
sist on fair treatment, and / will have it, no
matter what plan be adopted to persec cute
me. Has paftisanship run wild! You are
to give counsel to this committee and not TO
me. 1t looks very much as if you proposed
to put mel to Inconvenience and expense
if nothing else. l want to be treated fairly,
do you understand me? Here you are, seven
weeks after the protest IS entered, taking it