The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-14
WOOLL[Y ROUTS A'[WAN.
Machine Captures the Re-
publican County Com
mittee With Ease.
GAMALIEL CHRISTIE'S ELoQUENcE
Regulars Secured an Open
Ballot and McEwanites
Feared to Show
Themselves.

| organized last night in Lincoln Hall, Pa
vonia avenue and Bacot street, and, as
| predicted, elected the entire machine
ticket. There were but two contests over
| the election of officers, one for the chair
manship and the other for sergeant-a at
arms. The McEwan faction was defeat
| ed in both, only polling a little over one
seventh of the total vote. The McEWan-
| ties made an effort to obtain the secret
| ballot. but We're defeated by the regu-
| lars. The scene around Republican mead
| quarters was similar to that of a year ago
| when the same candidates contested for
! the Craftsmanship of the County Com
/ mittee. Before the meeting began Repup-
| lican politicians from all sections OF the
| county gathered in little knots in the hall
| way and in the various ante-rooms on the
! first floor of the building and discussed
| the situation Congressman McEwan he'd
| a levee in the reception room, where ne
received the homage of his followers. 20
| licemen Murphy and Kelly, of the oak
| land avenue station, were on hand to pre-
serve order, but their services were not
required. Many members who had faiied
| to qualify by paying their s. initiation
| fee handed over that amount to Treas
| urer Shuts, thereby gaining the privilege
| of voting.
| When Congressman Thomas McEwan,
| Jr.. arrived he was loudly cheered by his
! followers and was Kissed by several COM
| mitteemen from the lower wards of the
| city He took his seat with the Twelfth
/ Ward delegation and was Immediately
| surrounded by host of admirers. AT 9lo
| o'clock Chairman E. w. Woolley of the
| Committee of 1898 ascended the platform
and called ule Committee to order. He
| was greeted with applause, which he
| acknowledged with an engaging smile. NO
one hissed him. All the seats in the hall
| were filled and a number of delegates and
| visitors were standing in the rear OF the
| hall when the gavel raped for order.
The Legislative Committee, through f.
| T. Higgins. reported the election of F'layel
MCGEE as chairman and Mr.. Higgins as
| secretary. Other routine business was
| transacted and then the Committee ad-
| iourned sine die.
Before doing so, however, Mr.. Woolley
felt called upon to deliver long type
written address He began by telling how
when the present officers were first elected
in January. 1898, the State and County Of
ficials were all Democratic Jersey City
had a Republican Mayor, elected in 1892,
but the principals boards of the city were
Democratic. and remained SO until 1894.
In November, 1898, a Republican Sheriff
and six Assemblymen were elected, Jersey
CITY. Hoboken and Bayonne all giving
majorities for the Republican candidates.
"In November, 1884," he went on "a
Republican Congressman and County
Clerk were electeu, and six Republican
| Assemblymen. In November, 1895, our
ticket was defeated in this county by $500
on the vote for Governor, but the Demo-
cratic majority in 1892 was 1900, and in
1889, much greater, the latter, however,
was partly fraudulent, as revealed by sub
sequent investigation. In November, 1886,
our ticket was again successful, Repub-
hcan majority being cast for President
of $500, for Congressman 4,400, and about
4, 900 for eleven members of Assembly. In
the fall elections of 1897 and 1898 our ticket
was defeated, though our candidate for
Governor in 1898 received 1,200 votes more
than Griggs was credited with in 1895.
The general result, then, so far as the
| county ticket is concerned. for the past
six years shows three defeats and three
victories.
s'The finances of the committee are in a
very satisfactory condition. The cash
balance on January l, 1S9S was $SS. n, and
on December 49, 1888, $2,031.75. On January
/, 1898. we had no real personal property,
except the s3S before mentioned. Today
you are the owners Of this splendid build
ing, It's furniture, and the land on which
! it stands worth at least $4,000, on which
the Indebtedness is about S45O0.
.This. committee is a popular body;
there is no Individual in it who does or
can arbitrarily dictate the policy, or DOM
ineer over the will of the majority of it's
members If successes are achieved the
whole committee is entitled to such credit
as a political committee may rightfully
claim if mistakes occur, we must all
cheerfulIy assume our part of the re-
sponsipility, and endeavor to profit in the
future by avoidance of a repetition there
Of.
'sThe word machine as usually applied
to political committees, is frequently used
to imply censure, and to express disap-
probation, though no goodN reason seems
to exist for this Interpretation of the
substitution of one word for another;
good machine may be constructed for use
in the mechanical arts, why may be the
word not be used, and be equally applica-
BILE, to the art Of politics? Does it not
convey the idea of proper construction, of
High character of organization; OF an
equitable and proper arrangement of
parts which when rightly adjusted form
a complete instrument for the execution of
certain duties?
"The functions of such a committee are
necessarily limited. they do not make
= A.,