The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-28
This paper as Democratic III principles
end is independent a. ats rte0s ca "' l0e9S
questions.
Allan L. McDermott.

Ia
In the retirement of Allan L. McDer-
mott from the Craftsmanship of the Dem
ocratic State Committee, the party SUI
fers a loss second only to that which
befell it in the death of Leon Albeit
Some years ago, when it was the fashlon
to speak of Albeit as the Napoleon OF
the New Jersey Democracy, Allan Nc
Dermott used to be spoken of as its Mar
shall Ney. There was no small justice
in the comparison. If Albeit was our
greatest political strategist,- assuredIy
McDermott was our most dashing field
officer. When he led the attack, the
enemy went down before us, and many
a glorious battlefield in South Jersey
in Burlington, in Salem, in Gloucester
ard other black Republican counties at
tests the magic of his leadership.
It has been Mr.. McDermott's hard
fortune to be picked out as the particular
object of Republican malice. Perhaps
this is not surprising. They met defeat
so often at his hands, he was SO in
yariably uncompronising in his exposure
of their f~alsehood, fraud, hypocrisy and
pretense, that it is not strange that they
bestowed on him their special hate. But
in their assaults upon him. they never
paused at the limits of truth and fair
play. From the hour when he received
+ha Democratic nomination for Mayor of
Jersey City, no falsehood has been too
monstrous, no distortion of facts too
d~espicable to be used as a weapon fol
his inaiury. The emoluments Of the office
he has so admirably filled, though they
have grown without any promotion on
his part through the natural progress
of the State, have been spoken of as
if they were dishonest gains. This in
nuendo has been persisted in, despite the
fact that the Republican Legislature of
this year deliberately p~erpetuated the
system in the expectation that the next
Clerk in Chancery would be a Repub-
lican, despite the fact that the promise
of these e~moluments to the present Re-
publican Sheriff of Hudson county was a
part of the deal by which Mr.. Griggs
secured the Republican nomination for
Governor. Mr.. McDermott has been re-
morselessly pursued for the mere pursuit
of his profession because his duty to his
clients compelled him to defend causes
which were the subjects of popular
clamor. This persecution has been car
ried on despite the fact that Mr.. Griggs,
that sublimated quintessence of Republic
can morality, was practically his col
league in these cases.
We AVE not always agreed with Mr..
McDermott. leaders of s"TheE News
will remember occasions on which we
have deplored political acts and ideas
which were generally understood to
have his approval. 1.-THE News has
never followed his leadership subser-
vicinity. It has always maintained its
own freedom of criticism. This is the
reason why we feel all the more free
today to bear witness to- Mr.. McDer-
nEf-a. - F+JH
motifs services toIqthe party and the
state. Fearless in facing the issues of
a campaign. unhesitatings in the pur-
suit of what he believed to be right,
shrewd in defence md energetic in at
tack, fertile in expedienus and untirfng in
his attention to details, he was a model
commander. Withal, his methods AID
measures were always honorable. s He
has always shown himself far more in
capable of STOPPING to the vulgar de-
vices of political trickery and corruption
than the best of those who have shout
ed themselves hoarse in-.defaming him.
A fine element in Mr.. qMcDermott'
career has been his devotion to the
fortunes of Leon Albeit, under whom
he studied the exciting game of politics
This devotion he still maintains toward
the memory of the dead.
There was a touch of pathos in Mr.
McDermott's valedictory. as there al
ways is when a true man lays down {
trust which he has manfully upheld fol
years. But above all things his courag,
and manhood shone out when in tina
somewhat darkened climax of a brillian
story he offered his heart to those h
loved, faced his enemies with
-ra:la