The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-12-22
WOOLLEY'S NIGHT
New Republican County
Committee Comes
Out for Him.
WATCH, CHAIN and STATUE
Gifts and Praise Showered
on the Chairman-Lincoln
Hall Mortgage
Burned.

Last night was great one for the Re-
publicans of Hudson county and Chair
man Edward W. Woolley of the County
Committee. Lincoln Hall, the home of the
county organization, on Pavonia avenue,
was declared to be the absolute property
OF the County Committee and the mort
/ gage was burned Then Mr.. Woolley was
presented with a gold watch. chain and
charm and beautiful bronze statuette
representing Progress and Science" This
piece of work stood almost three feet
high 1t rests on a handsomely carved
marble pedestal. The recipient, for the
first time within recollection, lost his
power of articulation and had to nod his
thanks until his voice returned.
/ Little of a political nature was discuss
ed. After the stag there was some but
ton-holing of Colonel Dickinson, and lit
| tie groups of committeeman discussed the
/ coming organization meeting and the
chances of the respective candidates
| That Mr.. Wooley will be candidate for
reelection as chairman was conceded by
all who witnessed the enthusiastic greet
ing he received from the committeeman.
The hall was packed to the doors with
Republicans when Mr.. Frank Higgins, the
general master of ceremonies, announced
the programme for the evening. A very
good list of specialties was introduced
and the stag performed was thoroughly
enjoyed.
The surprise came when Chairman
Woolley, with a few remarks, touched a
match to the mortgage. The crowd
cheered as they saw the bit of paper go
up in smoke. Mr. Woolley said that the
organization was owner in fee simple and
that s11 900 had been paid for the home Of
the party.
Mr.. woolley then read the following
| address,
Members and Members-elect of the Hud-
son County Republican Committees
/ Conference.-The ceremonious destruction
| OF an evidence of debt is usually conduct
| ed in the presence of as many interested
/ spectators as the circumstances permit,
and so it is on the present occasion, when
we propose to burn the mortgage cover
ing these premises.
! The members of the Hudson County Re-
publican Committee are the chosen rep
resentatives of the 10000 Republican voters
in this county, as such you are charged
! with the execution of various details
! preparatory to o-and on the day of an-c1ec-
ton, the instructions and policies declar-
| ed and adopted in the county conventions
of your party, and to do and say every
thing in your power to advance the prin-
| ciples of the party and the interests of its
candidates.
I'm the execution of its work the Coun-
| ty Committee for many years labored un-
der the disadvantage of having no per-
l. =.
preserve records or the paraphernalia in
cident to campaign. But in 1895 our
membership had grown to such propor-
tions that the income from annual dues
seemed to justify the attempt to provide a
permanent home for the committee, and
with this object i'll view the plot of ground
where we are now so comfortably housed
was purchased. The selection was made
after a most careful and vigorous search
for a location which should be as nearly
central as possible and conveniently
reached from all parts of the county.
At the time this purchase was made in
1895, this street was neither paved nor cut
through to the Boulevard, this property
was part of an old orchard attached to the
old stone mansion in the rear. known as
the Sip homestead. But one house was
then built between here and the Boule-
ward, and the place was not very attrac-
i tive as to surroundings
The project of new building, how
ever, even after the purchase of the land.
did not have the undivided support of the
committee, the enthusiasm necessary to
! all great undertakings was lacking. in
fact, some time after the purchase of the
land the Executive Committee passed a
resolution directing me to dispose of the
property and the fond hopes of a very
small number of your committee seemed
doomed to disappointment
/ After the lection of 1896, however. the
scheme was revived and new energy in
i fused into the undertaking, SO that in the
summer of 1897 plans were ldrawn and ac-
cepted for this building. Work was begun
in October of that year and carried on
i through the fall and winter months, with
the result that in March, 1898, the building
was completed.
"To assist in paying for the building
1 a mortgage was made to- cover the
premises, on which loan of $4,000 was
! secured, payable in quarterly installments,
and covering a period of ten years. the
intention being to apply the annual dues
of the members has been so large during
the last three years that we had paid
up to the first of December, this, year all
but $500 of the principal. AT this time
Colonel S. D. Dickinson contributed to the
committee $500 to help pay off the mort
gage, and we proceeded to discharge the
same, SO that now the principal and in
terest are both paid in full no liens or
claims of any description are against the
| property, and it is free and clear of all
! encumbrances.
"Includihg the furniture and fixtures
4 the plant represents an expenditure of
about $11,ooo but probably it could not
be OBLIGATED today for $15,0OO
This property is owned by the Hudson
County Republican Committee, corpora
| ton, they being the chosen representa-
tives of the Republican party in this
county. 1t is really held by the commit
tee in perpetuity for the benefit Of the
Republican party.
i "A wise provision of our constitution
/ makes it impossible to dispose Of this
/ property without a three-fourths affirma-
! tive vote of all the qualified members Of
the committee on an Individual roll call
so that no hasty or unWise action con-
cerning its sale IS likely to occur.
IT is perhops pardonable for me as
! chairman of your COMMITTEES from the In