Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-10-06
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION.
4 Great Gathering Of the State Democracy.
ch.irmar courIey'. crsat ssereh.
THE PLATFoRAl

THE PLATFORM
In our last issue we made brief mention
of the work of the State Democratic Con-
ventiou at Trenton on the day previous to
our publication day, and this week we
give much space to three eadiDg features
of that great gathering-the speech of
Chairman Gourley; the platform and the
selection of the candidate.
The Convention assembled at IL 30
when State Chairman Price introduced as
temporary chairu an William B Gourley,
of Passaic county. In assuming the chair
Mr.. Gourley said -
MR.. GOURLEY'S SPEECH.
81 am profoundly thankful he said.
for this distinguished honor. shall be
ever mindful that 1 hold this post as
The servant Of the convention.
For the. first time in generation we
meet for consultation in this high coun-
Eli of the party under a chief executive
of the state who is not a Democrat.
This experiment in government has but
served to bring into clearer light the
long line of Democratic statesmen
which our party gave to the state, and
whose acts are part of its history. The
business depression of 1898 turned the
political tide against the Democracy
according to the well settled rule of
politics that the party in power in the
nation is held responsible by the people
for the maintenance of business at it's
normal standard. The Republican party
in this state in 1896 was the beneficiary
under this law and was swept into
power. A Republican was chosen gov
ernor. That party found every depart
ment of the state government challeng-
ing Investigations. 1t found the state
finances on a sound basis. Our credit
was of a high order. For years not
dollar was raised by direct taxation
for the support of the state. Clerks of
our highest courts. high financial of
ficers. through whose hands mill
ions of money had passed, stepped from
their offices, having rendered an ac-
count of the last penny. The reputa-
ton of the judges of New Jersey, Sc
lected by Democratic governors, had
maintained our ancient fame for an in
cerruptible bench and by their learning
had added luStre to the state.
This was the record made after an
uninterrupted lease of power of 81
years. With high swelling trumpet
blasts the Republican party promised
on its assumption of power new model
of state government. Where now is
that golden dream of glory? Where are
those promises of reform? Where is
that glorious Pigment of a non-partisan
judiciary? OF 80 judges of the interior
courts of this state the Democratic
party has been honored with one ap-
pointment. Our party maintained
through good report and evil report the
representatives of the Republican party
on the bench of our highest courts.
What Republican governor has ever
done what every Democratic governor
of this state has thus done? Magnanim-
ity seems to be lost on Republican poll
ticianS.
UNFULFILLED PLEDGES.
''The roseate pledges of the last gu
bernatoria1 campaign concerning legis-
lation are still unfulfilled. ask has the
state seen in all its history such abso-
lutte domination of legislation as has
been witnessed during the last three
years by the Republican state COM
mittee. 1t would seem as if the legis-
ture were created to record their de-
crees. How many times has the Iegis-
lature of this state adjourned owing to
meeting of the state committee and
how many times has it failed to re-
convene at the appointed hour, because
the state committee had not finished its
Iarri e,lo Nsxr< Is.l, It'll.
these sessions fruitful of reward and
has grown holder in it's activities Cor
porate power has fastened itself upon
the state. With the state committee it
dominates the legislature. It's oily path
glistens through the council chambers
of the state. It's shadow has fallen
across the gubernatorial chair Its in
f1uence under the fostering care of Re-
publican officials has grown to be a
menace. 1t has set aside every advance
made towards equal taxation. 1t will
not permit the burden of government
to be laid equitably on the property
values of the state. We record our voice
for equal taxation. This has ever been
the policy of the Democratic party.
THE Republican party has struck a
blow at home rule. 1t has endeayored
to crown the infamy of its work by
extending for partisan purposes the
term of the mayor of Jersey City. This
act received the signature of Governor
Griggs. 1t carried on it's face the stamp
of unconstitutionality so plain that the
dullest lawyer could see it, The su-
preme court promptly set it aside. /
wonder how scorpion like must have
been the stings of conscience of the
governor of New Jersey if he remem-
bered his ante-election speeches as he
set his hand to this measure. High
sounding and lofty praises are but light
winged arguments to be blown into air
before the fierce struggle for public
spoil. In the ringing cry for reform
have we noticed any attempt to reduce
the salary of the governor? The out
cry of righteous indignation from the
Republican party was painful when his
salary was increased. / said to myself
that surely the first thing the new Re-
publican governor will do will be the
Spartan act of reducing this salary and
putting his Office on an economical
basis His predecessor would gladly have
signed such an act at his request We
are still YEARLY waiting for this con-
summation of reform.
REPUBLICAN APPOINTMENTS.
Have you ever had such an example
of appointments as we have witnessed
during the last three years? The Re-
publican orators in the last guberna-
torial campaign criticized some of the
appointments of Democratic gov
ernor Yet the state has recently had
an illustration of personal appoint
ments never before seen. Only close
personal friends of the governor could
hope to serve the state. Such was the
condition of things that one-half of
the Republican party in the state was
in open revolt and denounced in I'M
measured terms the scandal of these
appointments. We have seen obnox-
ious candidates for high public office
who were condemned by the unanimous
voice of the public press buried among
a number of respectable appointments
when sent to the senate in order more
effectively to screen them from the
public gaze and to borrow something
from the mantle of responsibility of the
other nominees. The legislature has
had to be called together in extra ses-
sion at great expense to the state in
order to correct the errors of type
writer. Bills have been signed that
were never passed. A legislative COM
mittee that burned with great zeal to
investigate the affairs of the county of
Hudson had its life snuffed out by the
simple remark of a Democratic lawyer
that it was without power to carry on
its investigation. incompetence in