The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-30
This paper IS Democratic m principles
end is independent IN ats piews oa q" local
questions.
John 3. scott nnd E. w. wooiiey.

4UeSttoASS
John e. scott and E. w. Wooiley.
For nearly thirty years the late John
z. Scott occupied the position OF City
Clerk of this municipality, and, in all
that time, the voice of censure or com
plant was never once raised against
him. He held his office by annual tenure,
but he was elected by Democratic Boards
of Aldermen and by Republican ones.
For years, towards the close of his life,
he was invariably elected by a unani-
NOUS vote of the Board.
No man ever thought of questioning
John e. SCOTS honesty. No man even
dreamt of accusing him of ~partisanship.
He was the City Clerk in the interest
of the city and it's people, and he in
variably exercised the s~trietest impartial
ity between factions and parties. In the
troublous days of the Charter fight, in
the most excited contests that the city
has seen, neither before nor after the
election did he attempt to give the
slightest advantage to either of the con-
tending parties. a'
The people recognized his steadfast
sense of fair play. Nobody thought of
taking precautions where he was con-
cerned, and nobody thought of question
ing or critieizing his action. He had
the confidence of the public, and he de-
served it. His name remains to us a
monument of fidelity and honor.
E. W. Woolley has been City Clerk for
about one year. His first opportunity for
partisan abuse, of his office presents itself
in connection with the present election
for Governor of the State. He has
awaited himself of this opportunity to
: betray the people, TO prostitute his pow
ers for party purposes, to engage in a
monstrous scheme to d~isfranchise thou
sands of voters in this city, and per-
haps to inva1idate the entire vote of
the city with its prospective Democratic
majority.
The original offense was in the selec.
ton by the Board of Aldermen of a
vicious and tricky politician, occupying
a conspicuous position in the machinery
of a party, to fill a ministerial position
in which impartiality and fair play were
primary essentials. Those who know
Mr.. Woolley are not surprised at his
despicable course. 1t is just what might
have been expected of him. 1t is char
aeteristic alike of the methods of his
party and of the nature of the man
himself.
Indeed, there is some reason to think
that the whole proceeding is part of a
conspiracy started. last winter. The Les
islature did its part in requiring a per-
sonal registration. The Board of Alder
men did its part in gerrymandering the
city. Now Mr.. Woolley does his, in
personal registration.
1t is a villainous crime against the
suffrage, and it should deprive the Griggs
ticket of thousands of independent and
right-minded Republican votes.
w II pFlUI III dflOE0GF COluHln IOQay the
full text of John W. Griggs' speech adj
vocating the Law of 1883, designed to
make New Jersey a prohibition State.
We have no Comment to make on it
except that 1t effectually bellies any at
tempt to save Mr.. Griggs from personal
responsibility on the ground that he
only obeyed a party mandate.
Either he enthusiastically favored the
law, or his speech is a tissue of dishonesty
which should deprive him of all public
confidence.
MR.. GRIGGS attempts to defend him.
self from the charge of being a cor
poration tool on the ground that he was
simply pursuing his professionals a law-
yer. He tried in his Bergen Hall speech
to draw a parallel between himself ana
Mr.. Kalisch of Newark, who is justly
famed as a criminal lawyer"
There is no parallelism in the eases.
Mr.. Griggs is set down as an advocate
of monopoly and an enemy OF the people
because a large part of his practice has
consisted in appearances before commit
tees of the Legislature at Trenton, where
he has advanced principles and theories
hostile to the interests Of the people at
large and calculated to give railroad and
other corporations advantages to which
they were not in justice or reason en-
titled. 10 accomplish his ends, Mr..
Griggs has stated facts SO enormously
and advanced falIacies SO transparent
that it is impossible not to think that he
knew their weakness himself and used
them wilfully to mislead legislators.
PERSONAL REGISTRATION
Board of Registry meets tomorrow.
NEt !. - - $50 nr1rf