The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-11-02
GOOD NEWS FROM THE COUNTIES
The Majority for McGin an Assured
Fact-Freezing Out
Voters.

The following admirable address TO
voters has been issued by the Hudson
County Democratic General Committee
The Hudson County General Committee
of the Democratic party, recognizing the
fact that the people of this State are en-
gagged in one of the most momentous po-
liticaI contests in which they have been
involved for many years, feel that they
are justified in asserting that the contest
is a desperate struggle on the side OF the
Republican party for power and patronage
and the supremacy of corporate interests
IN the State, and their influence in State
affairs. and on the other, an honest re-
sistance on the part of the Democratic
party to prevent the consummation OF
this wicked design, and the rivettlng OF
the claim of such thraldom.
We charge that the avowed leaders of
the Republican party in this. State are
using it for their own selfish purposes
and ACKNOWLEDGMENT, and the estab-
nshment of a political oligarchy. in.'nieai
to the best interests of the State, and
menace to it's good government We fur
ther charge that the same forces are be-
hind this movement, and are pushing II
forward which dominated the Republican
marty when it was before in power in the
state. when the methods of legislation,
then prevailing, were by-word and a re-
proaeh; when the lobby, sustained and
controlled by certain well-known corpo-
rations in the State Influenced legislation
to such an extent that only such laws as
met their approval and were subservient
to their interests were permitted to pass.
We further charge that in 1898 there was
initiated by certain of these so-called
leaders of the Republican party con-
certed movement, by which might be rem
dered possible, the return to power, of
these persons and influences we have al
ready referred to.
The first step in this unholy alliance
was when Senator Hoffman, of Atlantic
City, cast his vote, the decisive vote, for
the Race Track, bills of 1893, legalizing bet
ting. on horse races and pool selling, by
such action continuing himself in his Of
fee as senator, SO that he might be en-
abled to vote for a Republican United
States Sena tor in 1895, which he did, re-
sulting in the election of the Hon. w. j..
Sewel, the present Junior United States
Senator elect from this State, notwith-
standing the emphatic protests and OBJ
dections of a large majority of the peo-
pie of the State.
Later on, the Republican Legislature of
1895, in furtherance of the scheme re-
ferred to, changed the election laws of
the State, a system of laws which has
attracted the attention and admiration of
our sister states, by requiring personal
registration of voters in all cities of 49,
600 inhabitants, where the population is
mainly composed of wage earners and
those so employed, as to render it impos-
sible for many of them, legal voters, to
personally register, and resulting in their
disfranchisement, the changes in the law,
however, assuring to the Republican
party the advantage of a registration of
voters in their favour, such voters having
the time and opportunity, because of
their position in life and business voca-
ton, to comply with the provisions of this
law, while in agricultural communities,
where the voters have time and opportu-
nifty to register, the law was left as it
was, further advantage to the Republi-
can party, providing for full registration
of voters, where it is the strongest.
A further step in this programme was
taken from the Court of Common Pleas,
a court possessing the confidence and
respect of the entire people of the State,
SUPERVISION OF IIl6- TeSlSlTy llSlS, anu
placing this power in the hands of po-
litica1 board, county election board,
which board, already in this county, has
agreed to disagree on the construction
of the powers granted to the board,
thereby practically disfranchising num-
bers of legal voters in these Cities who
otherwise would have been enabled,
where entitled, to have had their names
placed on the registry list, qualifying
them to vote.
We charge, that by the enactment OF
this legislation, upwards of twenty-five
thousand voters in the aggregate, in
these cities, have been disfranchised,
and deprived of their votes at the COM
ing election, which was the purpose and
intent of this iniquitous law.
Still another step in this scheme was
the enactment of the law, giving power
to boards of aldermen or councilmen, in
cities. to gerrymander and divide such
cities into wards, and thereby assure a
Republican majority in such boards of
aldermen or counci1men of these cities,
also to change the precinct lines, in
sch election district, as such majority
might determine, which has been done
in Jersey City, in such a shameful man
nor as to meet condemnation from the
people, the precinct lines adopted being
so puzzling and misleading as to
myEtifv -1e voter, regarding MS