The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-04-14
AFTER GAMBLERS.
Good Government League
Advocates Taking Pol
itics Into the
Pulpit.
TO EXTEND THE MOVEMENT
Talk of Nominating an Independent
Mayor = New officers
Elected.
TO EXTEND THE MOVEMENT

msttee appointed to see Judge Lippincott
TO ask his aid in procuring better troll
ley service. reported that nothing had
been done by the committee. because
just before the time they expected to
see the Judge. a presentnent was made
by him to the Grand Jury. which was
all the committee expected to ask him to
do. Mr.. Furst, in a short speech, said
that the presentment would aid them
very little in getting better trolley ser
vice. A presentment was little more
than a severe reprimand to the COM
pany, However, he said. nothing else
could be done because the offense COM
lnltted was not severe enough to war
rant more serious measures.
At every session of the court the Judge
in his charge to the Grand Jury said
that pool selling. policy playing, and
other things which are unlawful are
being carried on in the county. He in
structs them to wipe it out. What good
did that do? Mr.. Furst asked. The num-
Der of pool shops did not decrease. For
a short timezafter the charge, these shops
kept a little dark, but in a short time
they come up again as openly as ever.
The arrest of the pool seller on West
Newark avenue recently was made out
to be a great feat. One of the Sherif's
men had actually gotten into a pool
shop Ind had seen pools being bought.
The Rev. DR.. Scudeer, who was pres
ent by invitation. made a few remarks
on this subject.
He said:-"Whenever. / go before the
Grand Jury do so with absolute evil
dence in my hands. 1 find that it is
tha op1u x-o W = - brip or ax-il dnars - +;-no
At one time a gambling house started
near my church. l procured evidence
against the place and the proprietor was
gambling house sprang again into exist
enee. At another time l went to the
Chief of Police and told him of a num-
Der of gambling houses in different parts
of the city. He said he didn't know Of
any Here is the key to get in the back
door, l said, and / offered him the key.
Murphy said he would look it up and it
was only when I threatened to have a
prelude III against him in my next SER
mon that he came to time.
The question of filtration was then
taken up. Myron J. Furst made a few
remarks, in which he said that the same
pollution would be in the new river, if
we got our drinking water from one, in
twenty years as was in the Passaic
River at present. The question of equal
taxation was then taken up. Myron J..
Furst spoke of the large and enthusi-
astic meeting which the League had
held on February Is in the Aldermanic
Chamber. He moved that a vote of
thanks be given to Allan McDermott for
his scholarly address on that evening
and also to Congressman Thomas Nc
their able addresses. The motion was
carried.
Continuing, Mr.. Furst said that the re-
suit of that meeting was that a legis-
iative committee would be appointed to.
keep the question alive and it would be
a i've issue OF the next campaign. Plans
for the extension of the League were
then discussed. Mr. Furst said tina a
small committee should be appointed to
represent every portion of the county.
IT would be necessary for the committee,
clergymen in the city interested in the
movement and then to start a Good
Government Association in every As
'Scudder would take an active part in
starting a committee of volunteers there
would be more interest taken in the
work.
Mr. Taylor recommended that a com.
niittee be appointed to draft an address
ITO all the churches in Tfudson county.
He said that pastors of churches should
he as much in politics as an dayman:
The church, he sad. was not too good
to talk politics in. nor was it too good
to ncad primaries in. He upged that an
government Association in every church.
Parties should have no power in NUM-
cipal governments. The Mayor of a city
should not be a politician. The church
and the. city government should go to-
gether and in hand. In closing. he
said that the association should take
the churches, a circular should be drawn
up requesting the clergy to preach to
the people truth and right in carrying
out public affairs.
Among other things he saM:-"T admire
this association for its Independent spirit.
] believe in direct legislation whereby the
politicians who have SO much power now
will have very little to say indeed. The
time Will soon come when We will have
direct legislation such as Switzerland is
enjoying now, and then measures of i'm
portance will be voted on by the people. I
wouldn't care if Satan and his angels
had charge of the legislative chamber if
rect legislation partisanship will die out
apd-xA would enjoy ar era of prosperity.
Z Swiss citizens are patriots. American Cit
zens AREN'T. America is full of partisans.
the citizen, have no power outside of the
machine pswer. Good government clubs
should take hold.
a wo-d of encouragement viii state
that several young gentlemen asked me
Recently to have e branch of the Good
Government League started in lower Jer-
sey City | think that there is every hone
of starting a successful branch of this or
ganjzation. in that end of the city,
Myron j. Fl1rst urged that the Good
Government League nominate a maj for
mayor at the fall election. one who would
ibe respected by his fellow citizens and
who would not take the office to feather
hts own nest He said that it would be
sthenfnVith the Good Government T,ear11e