Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-10-28
NEXT TUESDAY.

We say 1t with pride and pleasure that
in the heart of every American voter there is
something higher than pariisanship, higher
than party platforms, higher than party
candidates, higher than party discipline,aud
that something is American citizenship
love of country, state. county and munich
pality. In Difference to this sentiment OF
pride,partisans lose their party identity and
come together on common ground and act
as unit for the general welfare. Before
an issue involving true Americanism, par
tisanship becomes a mean, grovelling
thing.
In this county this Fall, in the selection
of a County Clerk. we have an issue OF
county integrity, which affords an Oppor-
tunity to display our Americanism-lo
OF county, and the general stability of our
characters as American citizens, because the
selection Of County Clerk involves the
purity of the primaries of the majority
party (which are largely responsible for our
county government and the selection, by
the American method, of competent
person to administer responsible county
trust.
These two issues are tied together and
cannot be separated, because the issue OF
debauched primaries and the competency
and fitness of the County Clerk, centre in
Frank B, Ridgway.
1t cannot be necessary for us to recount
the charges of debauchery in the primaries
and by which Mr.. Ridgway became the
candidate of the Republican party for
County Clerk. They are specific, and were
soberly made before the tribunal of the Re-
publican party. Why they were cast aside
nobody has yet vouchsafed an answer;
neither has their truth been denied.
The fitness and competency of Mr.
Ridgway to administer the affairs of this
Office are not asserted by any member of his
party; indeed, his general and all round
Incompetence, lax methods, ETC., ETC., have
been repeated in every township these two
months, and stand uncontradicted YET, -four
days before election day.
The only avenue through which the
patriotic sentiment of this county can find
expression in this emergency, is the Demo
cratic County Cow ention. The only
avenue through which the debaucher OF
primaries-the incompetent, unfit official
can be rebuked, is through the nominee Of
the Democratic party for County Clerk
JOSEPH LODGE.
In this contingency Mr.. Lodges identity
is important The Lodge family is one OF
the Oldest and most reliable of Gloucester
county families. liability, thrift, con-
scientious action is family trait. Joseph
Lodge inherits all of these. He is straight
and his angles are square. He does not
face all ways, all things to all men; but he
is one thing to everybody. He has been
successful business man for ten years,
and is one now; he has successfully
and acceptably administered every trust
ever imposed upon him-and they
are not few. If he has any enemies,
they do not attack his character
or his ability to do well anything he under
takes, and he is just such man as every
American can vote for with the knowledge
that he is exercising his right of citizens
shi p loftily, as true American citizen.
What we have said of Mr.. Ridgway's
methods at the primaries, and as an official
we have simply repeated Though more
mildly as they haYe been told us by Re-
publicans of undoubted devotion to party
but who value their duty as American
citizens above craftsmanship, and are in
position to know whereof they speak
Personally we have not followed Mr.
Ridgway in his political movements, nor
put spies on his track. And in the entire
controversy of his candidacy, before and
since his nomination, nave simply perform
ed onr duty in laying before our readers
facts as they were presented to our atten-
tion. So far as we are concerned, beyond
the exercise of our own highest privilege
next Tuesday, we have aimed to do only
our duty.
1t is expected that every Democrat will do
likewise.