The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-04
CROAKtRS CROAKED.
Complete Defeat of the Eff
fort to Disrupt the Local
Democracy.
THE VOTE WAS IS TO Z
But the Seven Were Loud Talk
ers and Made the Appear
anee Of a Row.
SOME OF THEIR MOTIVES
Why P. b. O'Neill and Dan Lewis
Are Making Trouble Scored
by Good DEM
Ocrats.
SOME OF THEIR MOTIVES

The Democratic County Committee met
in Roche's Hall last night and by a vote
of 75 to rejected the amendment to the
constitution, which was intended to en-
barge the committee by giving every ward
club having membership of fifty a rep
resentation of five members. The de-
feat of the amendment was foreshadowed
in THE Jersey City News" yesterday,
but no one anticipated, not even Robert
Davis, whose opposition to it caused it's
rejection, that the vote would be anything
like what it was.
The seven men who supported it were:
p. H. O'NeiIl, Daniel Y. Lewis, the ex-
Hon. Charles Birdsall, James D. Man
ming, Frank KeGlegher Herman Rohlfs,
and James Nolan A glance at these
names showes that to a man they were
all identified with the recent movement
TO depose Robert Davis as leader. They
have now for themselves the name of
1.-THE Croakers." This peculiar designa-
tion has been given them because they
they are believed to be seekers for office
who are on their last legs and who fear
that with the Democrats once again in
power they will be thrown upon the
tender mercies of the cold and unfeeling
sidewalk
Practically, the entire session was de-
voted to the discussion of the amend
ment. Free discussion was permitted on
beth sides and it was all friendly up to
the time Court House Christie Smith was
given the floor. P. H. O'Neill was the
object of his attack. 'sYou ought to be
the last man in the world shouted
Christie, ito oppose this or any other
hoo,, -rfxr
what you were entitled to-"
O'Neill went at Smith without gloves
He declared that he had not been given
wl1at was due him. Personalities were
sndulged in and the president checked
the debate, but not until Mr.. O'Neill
cited an instance where he considered
he was not fairly dealt with and that
was in 1898 when by custom he should
have been an Assembly candidate, having
carried his district, which was Repub-
lican one, at the preceding election by
greater majority than any Republican
candidate had
In arguing for the amendment, Mr..
O,Netfl declared that the increase of the
membership of the County Committee
would be beneficial to the party, mas
much as it would add to the number of
active workers.
Daniel Y. Lewis argued in the same
strain. During the discussion he showed
that he was very sore" man. His
opposition to Robert Davis is based on the
circumstance that when he was Treas
urer of the County Committee. he ad
vanced for campaign purposes some of his
own money When the last election was
held. it was supposed by Lewis that as
Treasurer he would handle the campaign
funds. A few weeks prior to election,
when no one seemed to be taking any
great interest in the campaign and par
tieularly in the collection of funds, Davis
called meeting of the County Committee
and secured the appointment Of a Cam
paign Committee This took the handling
of the funds out of Lewis hands, and
also raade the Executive Committee oc-
cupy a highly ornamental but not par
ticuiarly useful position. Davis, to show
he had no intention of snubbing the mem
bers of the Executive Committee. sug-
gested and. in fact. insisted that the Ex-
ecutive Committee. as far as possible, be
appointed on the Campaign Committee.
This DID not satisfy Lewis nor did it
please P H. O'Neill, who has not for
some time been member of the Execu-
tive Committee. Immediately after cleo
ton the revolt started.
While Messrs. Lewis and O'Neill were
discussing their amendment last night
they were handled pretty severely for
making their fight through the newspa-
pers attempting to create discord in the
party ranks and bringing odium upon
every man actively engaged in politics.
All seven of the men who favored the
amendment spoke in its favor.
John p Feeney was one of the oppon-
ents He eontended that too many fin
gers in the pie would be sure to bring
trouble. He insisted that the present
committee was large enough and sug-
gested that the members lose no time in
agreeing upon ap.an of campaign, and
sticking to it just as long as it brings
victory.
John Boyd, Counsellors Mulvaney and
Alex Young and NJ. J. Coyle maintained
that the admission of five members from
every ward club would make the COM
mittee cumbersome and difficult to handle.
They said 1t would give roomefor constant
friction. 1hd perhaps cause endless fac
tional fights.
WheNN all the others had finished dis
cussing the amendment. Robert Davis put
In the final wedge. He said the COM
rptttee would be too large. and that 1t
would be impossible to satisfy the menl-
bers in relation to campaign work He
opposed the chanHse on general principles,
and said he regal yded the movement as
one not intended for the party's interests.
P. H. O'Neill was given the pleasure of
announcing the vote. He was mad, and
It is probable that he. Lewis and few
others who have not come out in the
open yet will spring some new dodge on
the committee in a day or two. They
are after Davis scalp, and last night after
the meeting one Of ''The Croakers'' sad
he did not propose wearing any mans
collar.
When the amendment discussion was
nver a ti1nid little man in the back of
the room suggested that Counsellor
flames b. Manning be endorsed for the
/. ,,,laaa az counsel 4o the Board OF Free