Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-05-18
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
"Argus" Diseourses Of Politics and
Politicians.
and OF sOAE LEGISLATIVE SHORTCOMINGS.
CONVENTION NECESSITIES AND SACRIFICES
REVIEWED - ATTENTION OF BUSINESS
MEN CALLED TO THE POLITICAL sTTU-
ALTON.

politics and politicians, but any one who
keeps in touch with this most industrious
class of our fellow citizens knows that
| they are on the move as never before.
| To those who have been following John
| Wanamaker in Pennsylvania and read
| ing his severe arraignment OF Quay and
Company and have felt like wiping
them out of existence and wondering
why it has not done by the boss-ridden
people of that state, it may be well to
ask them to look at home and see what
they find here in New Jersey. The late
reign of the Democrats is so well-known
that it is barely necessary to refer to the
fact that the whole party became 80
rotten that in disgust the decent men of
it kicked it out of the way and made
way for Republican rule, in the hope
that better and purer atmosphere
would follow.
Two Legislatures have set and ad-
journed sine die, under the new de-
parture, and what has history to say OF
these expected reformers Has one law
been added to the statistics that is
worth mentioning? The worst gobbled
and garbled up mess of legislation ever
before known seems to have been the
product of these mighty men. Our own
Senator, an experienced legislator, hav-
ing filled his full second term and MEM
Der of the Atlantic Bar-a lawyer of
long experience, undertook to get q law
passed to enable this city to pave the
streets. After the adjournment it is
found that to get anything
actually in the interest of the city
is among the impossibilities. From the
House of Assembly nothing was ex-
pected as it was well-known that the
member from this county was q new
man and had been selected, not for any
ability or fitness for the high place of
trust and responsibility, but the
emergency in which Congressman Gard
ner found himself made the nomination
necessary. Orders to that effect were
issued but reluctantly obeyed. One at
least-a delegate. declared he would not
be party to such deal, and he kept
hls word and another man took his
place and swallowed the medicine which
was rather too strong for the regular
| delegate. The Congressman himself had
been member of the Senate for many
years and knew what the county
| needed in the way of an AssembIyman.
He also knew that the people in this
county were looking forward to some
reforms that have become q business
| necessity in view of the large growth
| and prosperity in many sections of the
same. lie was not SO clear, however,
how his political interests would be
affected and what were the interests of
F. w. Hemsley, and Others who pay
| thousands of dollars taxes each year, in
comparison to some petty schemes of
| revenge concOcted by retainers whose
services in caucus or on election day
were too valuable to be overlooked at
such time
Sam Kelley who had been marked for
slaughter because he refused to "put on
the collar and submit to the mark" is q
phrase made famous by Senator Quay
on the floor of the United States Senate
when he placed it on the brow of one of
hir former benchmen who had refused to
obey the orders of one of his masters
hands. 1t was not Quay that Dave
Martin refused to take orders from, but
some of Quay's followers about an inch
high and minute old in comparison to
Dave Martin. His refusal brought the
ire of his former ally down ON him, as
did Kelley's refusal bring down the
determination of the bosses to destroy
him root and branch. My readers will
remember that l said, at the time, that
they made great man out OF Kelley by
their piece fool politics and events has
proven my words correct. Kelley, after
they succeeded in their treacherOus game
on BIN laughed at them, went on about
his business and stands to-day respected,
courted and feared by the poor tools
who, to beat Kelley, sacrificed George
Long. Another who had previously
asked for bread and was given a stone
and made a matyr of by these same
people, was fast forging ahead and in
short time would have been one of the
leading men of the county. He was
| finally and forever "done for at that
same convention. He stands to-day
away behind himself of years ago-and
can only hope to be an humble newer of
wood and carrier of water for the
balance of his days. Such are some of the
conditions that confront the taxpayers
of Atlantic County. What have these
men ever done for the real advantage of
Atlantic County ? An examination Of
their actions will bring about synopsis
something like this. In for spoils, great
or small. Always ready to "down" any
man who stands for the taxpayers, and
to "down" every man who is likely, in
their judgment to interfere with their
holding.
To this pen picture invite the atten-
| ton of men like Hemsley, Evans, Borton.
Leeds, Lippincott and in fact all the
taxpayers of Atlantic City. I am a
RepubIican-but my manhood has been
bartered, my loyalty SO strained, my
respect for myself SO marred by asso-
citation with the high contracting lords
of the Republican party-who have
sworn repeatedly to be decent, and each
time broken their words, that am wei
| nigh discouraged. Voters of the Repub-
lican party and voters of the Democratic
party, with you rests the responsibility.
Do as you please. Continue in power if
you wish gang of leeches who are
preying on you, the taxpayers, and,
mark my words, in short time you will
do as others have. ask to be saved from
the "Combine' OF scoundrels located in
your beloved State. They are more to
be feared, ten thousand times over, than
fho froa apharoun Snaniard