The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-19
M'DBRMOTT TO DAILY.
Allan L. Answers the Attack of
the Senator--Amus
Mud Singing.

presumably Mr.. Robert Dayis-and you ny
to his assistance. My letter to Mr.. Fisk con-
tanned nothing calling for your commumca-
tion or the abuse which preceded it in an IN
r,oductory interview My own Judgment
is that nothing you say is worth answering;
but it has been suggested that silence would
give an appearance OF truth to your state
ments. Another objection to detailed an
swer is that your wanderings have nothing
to do with the point at issue This take 10
be, (which of the two bodies, each claiming
to be the General Committee of the Hudson
Democracy, is entitled to recognition?
ssIf your statements are true, have been
a yery Door sort of leader, and, as l haven't
a desire to change your opinion, L am qulte
positive that you would not have received
reply if you had omitted slur upon the
memory of one who was my friend. You
saw that the first step towards the troubles OF
the Democracy in Hudson, was the defeat OF
the brilliant and eloquent McAdoo,' and
that am responsible for that step. Let us
look at the figures. McAdoo ran for Con-
gress in this district four times. In 1852 ne
was elected by majority of 1851; In 1854
his majority was 5,201; in 1886 he received 10
less than majority of the votes cast In the
county: in 1888 he received 5,79l majority,
running over two thousand votes behind his
ticket. He was not retired at my request.
It is matter of indifference to me whether
he is in or out. l returned from Europe the
day before the holding of the convention
which rejected him. hope to be pardoned
if it gave me some pleasure to preside over
that convention and to find that, during my
absence, the democrats of Hudson had
learned what knew years before-the true
value of the brilliant and eloquent McAdoo.
| regret that cannot take the credit you
give me of accomplishing his defeat.
'.Mr. Mcdonald received majority or
). LA votes, running ahead of his ticket in
five of the ten districts in his county. You
are not entitled to insult the memory of
Edward f. Mcdonald. He was a credit to
his race and to his adopted country, for
whose flag he was ever ready to offer the
tribute of his life knew both men-their
thoughts and natures, their heads and
hearts. There was no braver man than
Mcdonald: he despised the ways of things
that crawl in this world. He won or fell in
omen fight. He came of that kind of stock
which furnishes this world with patriots; his
ancestors were on the right side of the
Boyne-the side where the color of the flag
was the color of the grass. l fought with
him and against him in the political battles
of this State, but / never lost for second
my love for the man. Compared with him,
McAioo was as the jackal compared with
the lion; as the meanest compared with the
grandsst.----
"You say that am responsible for
vicious legislation, and that was defeated
ments that are childish in their irrelevancy.
It has become quite the custom to blame
legislation upon the Democratic State Com
mittee. and on myself as Chairman. Our
political opponents have heretofore had this
field, and they have harped upon the tune
because in the hour of our political contest
replies could not well be given. If I said
that candidate was not entitled to charge
his sins to the State Committee, forthwith it
would be announced that he had been de-
serted by his party organization. But your
letter affords me an opportunity to reply to
these accusations once for all.
with the exception of the bill to re-
district the State on Congressional and As
sembly lines. the Democratic State Commit
have been its Chairman prepared or advo-
Gated any bill introduced in the Legislature,
nor has any legislator ever been asked, to
NV knowledge, to vote for any measure on
the ground that it was desired by the Demo-
cratic State Committee.
'sYou object to my Craftsmanship OF the
State Committee, and say that | have not
well performed the part assigned to me.
Let us examine the record. l was elected
Chairman of that committee in 1885. Dur
ing the twenty-five years Immediately pre-
ceding, the Democratic party had a majority
of both houses of the Legislature in but a
single year. In other words, there was but
D0nOcrablc LGU1SldUuF0 INcW JERSEY
from 1871 to 1885, From 1886 to 1894 there
was but one Republican Legislature, while
the Democratic Inajorities on joint ballot in
1891. 1892 and 1898 were each larger by 100
per cent. than any previously recorded in
favor of any party in the history OF the
State. Then came the Legislature of 1888,
graced with your presence. When you
Entered the Senate it was composed of six
teen democrats Eand five republicans. Up
to that sdate vicious legislation had not
handed the State over to the enemy, and
am quite sure that am entitled to be &C
quilted of having any influence with the
Legislature of 1898. l am not entitled to
credit for its virtues nor blame for its sins
But. for the sake of getting at the real point
| in issue. / will assume the blame of obtaining
all the legislation which has been passed by
the thirteen originala States during the past
thirteen years. I ask only one exception
| to this general accountability.
| 81 am in no wise responsible for the fact
that YOU were ever nominated for either
| branch of the Legislature. You will remem-
| ber that when you aspired to the House of
| Assembly requested you not to be candi-
date. And when your name was arranged
| for the Democratic nomination for State
Senator, you will remember tnat talked
| the matter over with YOU, and tried to con-
vince you that you had better stay on the
| District Court bench, where you had four
| years to serve at salary of $500. But you
were burning with a desire to serve the
| State; you were consuming with the ardor
1 of self sacrifice There was meeting in the
Grove street Committee rooms and you were
sent to Trenton as an illustration OF the pos
sibilities Of our system of government. This
was in 1892, and you say that the Grove
street committee conducted the campaign of
! that year without assistance. 1t is an unfor-
| tunate remark Do the books of the com
mittee show thatf If they do they do not
| agree with my memory Can it be that some
one was sand-bagged between Taylor's Hossl
| and Grove streets
II haven't time to pursue the personal as
pect of your letter any further. and turn te
| the few words therein which are relevant to
the point really in controversy. You say
| that the Grove street committee has held
mauy conventions and done many other
| things. and that I have acted with them
and recognized them, and add:-sThe rem
| edy lies with the Democratic voters at the
/ primaries, the same as it does with the peo
| Ile at the polls, who should select honest
| and competent members of the committee I
| WHY. Senator, asked only on the question
of the regularity of the organization.
| said not ing whatever about the honesty OF
| competency of any one. Surely things have
not gone to that pass on questions OF hon
esty and competency that remedy is
! called for. You should ask for leave tt
amend your plea. You say that the Grove
street committee must be recognized. This
| assertion involves a legal question, and We
can have an issue.