Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-10-05
"OUT OF THE SHOWER"

The Pleasantviile Press does not
seem to be happy with itself on the
Republican Convention. For person.
al reasons it raises objections to
Candidate Ashley. The place to
raise objections was in the conven-
ton. Assemblyman Ashley made
very creditable, honest and efficient
| representative of the county in the
lower branch OF the Legislature. and
under party custom was entitled to
denomination and also reelection.
Mr.. Ashley was renOminated with
out opposition and the unanimous
vote of the convention was an evil
dence of the sentiment of the voters
at large and an endorsement of his
legislative record. In view Of the
fact that the party is thoroughly
united, confident and well organized,
there is little fear but that the ticket
will be elected by a big majority, and
inasmuch as it is necessary to secure
control Of the Legislature, it would
seem that our Pleasantville cOntem-
porary would forget it's personal
feelings and turn to and do the good
Samaritan act, if only to have
itself in out of the shower on the day
after the election.-Aklantic City Daily
Press, Sept e9.
Our Atlantic City namesake, is all
wrong, as usual. Our dislike of Mr..
Ashley is not of q personal nature
because we have had no dealing with
him politically or otherwise. We
base our opposition to him upon
entirely different motives-the first
of which is that he is too weak
candidate to run in close political
campaign-as the present one seems
likely to be. In such q contest a
candidate should possess qualifica-
tions calculated to attract voters
rather than to repel them. Unfor-
tunately for the party Mr.. Ashley
has no such qualifications. On the
contrary it has taken but a few
months to transform some of his
ablest workers into active opponents
and he had none too many sup
porters year ago when he ran five
hundred votes behind his ticket.
The assertion that "the place to
raise objections was in the COnven-
ton" is not fair criticism-for that
meant a wrangle, and possibly the
nomination of an Independent candi-
date. Every one present at the Con-
ventiOn knows that there was a very
strong feeling against Mr.. Ashley's
denomination, and it took the
strongest efforts of the "ring" to
suppress it. Finally some of the
best men in the party agreed that
under the circumstances, it was wiser
to avoid an open outbreak-than to
| run the risk OF a row in convention.
But every man knew that the weak
| est possible candidate was to be put
| on the ticket, and more than one
good republican proclaimed his in
tention of working openly for Ash
| ley's defeat. These are facts, and
every intelligent observer at the con-
| vention knows they are facts, and
the talk of our neighbor across the
bay about "big majorities" is all rot.
The ticket will be mighty lucky if it
receives any majority at all.
The suggestion that this paper
| sho uld "turn to and do the good
Sam aritan act, if only to have itself
| in out Of the shower on the day after
| the election" is thoroughly charac-
| teristic. Nothing could be more SO.
| Nothing could better illustrate the
political methods pursued by the
"ring' managers in Atlantic County'
| "Come in out of the shower
| means, in plain English, that il a
| newspaper will "take orders and
| swallow it's principles and it's right.
eous convictions, and lie, and call
white black, and black white, why
| then it can be patted on the back,
and possibly have little patronage
in printing or advertising, dealt out
it. Our critic is always in "out OF
the shower" and dare not voice any
indepen dent utterance but it is not
in very good taste to invite Others
to be equally subservient who have
convictions of their own. This
paper has advocated, and will con-
tinue to advocate, what it believes to
be right 1t will also denounce whatit
believes to be wrong in politics and
| political methods, regardless of who
may get hit. Neither will it be afraid
to attack political managers who
have SO little sense and judgment as
to endanger party success by 'load-
ing the ticket with candidate who
is likely to defeat it. A truthful, fear
less, straightforward, independent
republican newspaper is what we
aim to make The Pleasant01lle Press
even If it is not taken in "out Of the
shower
i Paid in Twenty Minutes.
The rudential Insurance Company o
America, with it's ever increasing desir'
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