The Jersey City news., 1898-10-29

ALLAN l.. I
Board of Finance and Taxation, of which
he was former member, said
"At the time this case came to my
hands your Board desired to employ ex-
ira counsel, the Corporation Counsel
Geon Abbett1 being preeluded from ap-
pearing on behalf of the city by reason
of the fact that he had been counsel for
one OF the parties in the case. Conf
dent that my objection to the constitu-
tionality of the act was well taken, /
dissuaded the Board from its proposed ac-
ton and have since conducted the case.
When 1 resigned the office of Corporation
Attorney, in 1885, I retained the case II
my hands and have carried it on since
that date without compensation. I don't
intend to charge the city anything for
my services, as I feel fully repaid by the
victory on point whose virtue have
maintained six years.
Mr. McDermott was highly commended
for his excellent work in this case.
He was renominated for Clerk in Chan
Gerry. in 1881, by Governor Albeit. In 1892
Mr. McDermott was, because of dissasis-
faction with the existing local govern
ment, defeated in a canvass for the May
orally of Jersey City. In 1894 he was
nominated by Governor Werts as a mem
Der of the Commission appointed to re-
wise the State Constitution.
Mr. McDermott was Chairman of the
Democratic State Committee from 1886 to
1885, and so ably led the party that in
all those years the Democrats never lost
the State. He waged such successful war
on the enemy that counties like Burling-
ton, Salem, Cape May and others, sup
posed to be hopelessly Republican, were
again and again carrieu by the Demo
Gratis.
successful campaign of Albeit for the
Governorship in 1ss3 the State Committee
being practically inactive. This was only
the first of his successes. The situation
seemed very black in 1886, when Governor
Green was nominated, but by playing off
the Prohibition vote against the Republi-
can strength in several counties, and by
rallying the Democracy. to put forth its
full strength. Mr. McDermott carried the
day triumphantly. In 1889, he reached the
zenith of his success, when he brought
Leon Albeit, who was running for his
second term, to the Passaic River with
plurality of several thousand, feat
never performed before. In the years sue
South Jersey which gave the Democracy
such unboundd control in both Houses
of the Legislature for several years, cul-
minating in 1892, when the great Cleve-
land -Werts sweep carried everything be-
fore it all over the State. Unhappily the
men whom he had elected disregarded his
counsel and leadership, and the saddest
hour of his life, that in which he with
drew Leon Abbetts name as a candidate
for United States Senator, was the anti
climax to one of his most notable achieve
ments.
In recent times, Mr.. McDermott has
been connected with many great law
cases. and always on the popular side.
He was the leading counsel In the pro-
ceedings by which the so-called s'Wanser
Term Extender'' was declared unconstitu-
tional, and the Infamous scheme Of office
grabbing of Carl Lentz of Newark and
Col. Sam Dickinson of this city was thus
defeated He was also counsel on the
winning side in the famous certiorari pro-
ceedings against the Jersey City Water
Company contract, awarded by the late
Republican administration.
In March, 1896, Mr.. McDermott's $ term
as Clerk in Chancery expired, and he de-
voted himself exclusively to the practice
Of his profession in this city as mem-
ber of the firm Of McDermott & Fisk.
Last May Mayor Hoos appointed him
Corporation Counsel Of Jersey City. an
ONCE which he still holds, to the gem
eral satisfaction OF the taxpayers.