The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-26
HARRISON
DEADLOCK.
Three Democrats Vote for
Colleague and Republi-
cans for Mugwump.
ALDERMEN WITHOUT PRESIDENT
Serious Results Attend the
Political Fight - Tax
Budget Untouched.


Common Council does not organize soon
and pass the annual tax ordinance. The
law requires that the ordinances shall be
finally acted upon at the first meeting in
August, but on account of the deadlock
IN the Council, the tax budget has not
even been made up yet The tax collec-
tions for last year will carry the town
through for the present but unless the
tax ordinance becomes law next month
the town cannot raise money by tax for
next year.
The serious condition of the town is due
solely to the action of the Democratic and
Republican Aldermen who will not or
ganize the Common Council for business
unless one side gets party advantage
over the other. The deadlock in Council,
which has existed since last spring, is
over the election of president of that
body. The rival candidates are Edward +.
Rice, straight-out Democrat, and
Joseph P. Riordan, who is called a Re
form Democrat. Three of the eight Alder
men are Republicans. and they support
Riordan, while the three Democrats vote
Tor Rice. Neither side will recede from
its position.
The result of this deadlock is that no
committees of the Common Council can
be appointed. Therefore, no improve
ments can be made in the town, and the
streets and sewer basins have not been
cleaned since last spring
NO licenses for saloons can be granted
and no new saloons opened until Council
| organizes and appoints license commit
| tee. Saloonkeepers whose licenses have
expired are doing business without a
license now
The Aldermen did sign paper author
izing the town treasurer to pay the sal
aries of the police and salaried town Off
GERS. But it is said that this action is not
legal, for the Council not being organized,
has no lawful power to authorize such
payments.
1t was reported in Harrison yesterday
that temporary chairman might be
elected next Monday night for the sole
purpose of acting on the tax budget, the
understanding being that no other action
would be taken. Alderman Rice said he
heard that Alderman Van Deren, one OF
the Republicans, was authority for this
report. At the office of Mr.. Van Deren it
| was said that he was out of town and will
not return until Monday next.
II am not responsible for the dead
| lock-" Alderman Rice said, though Mug
| wunlp Democrats, like Riordan, say l am.
I withdrew as candidate for chairman in
| favor of any of my three Democratic col
| leagues, but Riordan wouldn't vote for
any one of them, though he says he is a
Democrat.
I cd nr IN INV OF in
constituents would repudiate me sooner
| than if 1 voted for one of the Republicans
| for chairman"
| Mr.. Rice was asked how a temporary
| chairman could be elected next Monday
| night if he wouldn't vote for Riordan
or Republican. He said that Van
Deren was once a Democrat, and he
/ might flop back again.
| Mr.. Rice was asked if it was true that
| the Third and Fourth Wards, which the
| three Republicans and Riordan repre-
! sent, contain nearly three-fourths of the
| voters of the town and more than three
fourths of the taxpayers, while the First
and Second Wards, which he and his
| three regular Democratic colleagues rep
| resent, have a small minority of the
| voters and taxpayers.
We'll, l guess the other wards have
about two-thirds of the voters of the
town. Mr.. Rice said, ..but the well to do
| Republicans and Democrats in the Third
and Fourth wards, who were bowling
| about lack of improvements, stoutly op-
posed asphalt and other pavements when
| / proposed such improvements in Council
a couple of years ago"
do you think there is any chance of
| Council being organized this year?" Mr..
! Rice was asked.
| Not unless one of the other side votes
| for candidate from our side, and any of
| my colleagues is capable to fill the posi-
tion. All my Democratic friends tell me
not to vote for Riordan on any conditions
and as Democrat 1 will not vote for a
| Republican for chairman for this is a
| Democratic town"
| Alderman Riordan was seen at his
butcher shop in North Fourth street. He
is an intelligent and progressive young
man. He said he was a novice in politics,
and when he ran for Alderman of his
ward he did not dream of such trouble as
has arisen since.
'For a couple of years the taxpayers In
| the Fourth ward, which has large Dem
ocratic majority said Mr.. Riordan
''have been dissatisfied with the do-noth-
ing policy of the city government
| Though the tax rate was high. being
$3.50 last year, the Common Council has
made no street-or sewer improvements for
a long time. A few men, it was charged
ran the town for themselves and friends
The result of this feeling in the Fourth
ward was the election of Mr. Haller, a
Republican, dn the spring of dSs9 by a
majority of 40 votes. Last spring was
elected by a majority of 29S.
| 'T was nominated on the Democratic
ticket and elected as a Democrat. by the
Democratic voters of the ward. AT nc
| time since have voted with the Republi.
cans In Council. but the three Republi.
cans voted for me for chairman, because
| they said Rice had held office for about
twenty-five years. and a great many Dem.
ocrats said he had got enough.
II am in peculiar position. 1 never
| said was a reform Democrat, but the
! Democrats who elected me told me moi
| to vote for Rice for chairman, nor for any
| Of his colleagues, for they belonged to the
crowd that has opposed progress except
they had charge Of giving out contracts
Land running fhe town AFFAIRS. # voted