Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-10-31
Allan Benny's Speech in Green's Opera
House October 21 1901.

was held at Trenton, to make nomination
for Governor, the Republican press an
nounced that New Jersey would surely give
the Republican party $4,000 majority in
this election; that was before our Conven-
ton was held. The day after the Demo-
cratic Convention had made its nomination
this same press estimated that the
Republican majority would be $4,000
a cut of just one-half, because of the eX-
cellenee of our nomination; and now a
few nights ago, in addressing a meeting OF
his friends at East Orange, Mr.. Franklin
Murphy, the Republican nominee, said
81 know from unimpeachable authority
they the Democratic party] have an
abundance of money; they have in Hudson
county an efficient and as complete an
organization as we have in Essex, and you
all know what that is and in every county
of the State there is an active, earnest pur-
pose to win. We can win if you go out
with Just as much enthusiasm as you did
last fall. If you don't do this don't
know what will happen" So that the sit
uation tonight is that if the Republicans
of the little village of East Orange get out
and hustle Mr.. Murphy can win, and ii
this handful of voters don't do this Mr..
Murphy will be beaten. The whole cleo
ton, then, hinges upon whether the East
Orange Republicans hustle or not! Rather
slim margin for the party that only few
weeks ago was boasting of its ability to
win by 1000 majority
Why this great change? Why this drop
from SO, 600 to bare hundred or two in the
estimated majority of the Republican
party? I'll tell you.
When the Republican Convention met in
Trenton every one knew who the nominee
would be; that had been fixed in Camden a
year or more ago. The delegates met sim
ply to carry out the orders of the Republi-
can boss and did carry out these orders by
nominating man who, though very
pleasant man, gentleman against whom,
personally, would not say word, man
whose personal honesty is unquestioned,
yet man who has no qualifications or
experience to fit him for the high office
of Governor of this State, and who was
nominated for no other reason than that he
had served the Republican party well as
chairman of the Essex County Committee
and as such chairman had always raised for
his party large campaign funds. Franklin
Murphy was given the nomination solely as
a reward for partisan service and not be-
1
thing for the people of this State.
On the other hand, when the great con-
vention of the Democratic party was called
to order a few weeks ago, no man knew
who would be its nominee; when the con-
vention adjourned for recess at / O'Clock no
one could say who would be nominated
nor when the convention had begun to cast
the ballot for Governor could anyone say
who the fortunate person would be. 1t
was a convention of delegates direct from
the people, free to choose the best man in
the party for the party's standard-b bearer.
And well did those delegates do their work.
First one and then another seemed to have
the advantage, but all through that great
body of men could be heard continuous
rumble and roar of Seymour, Seymour,
| Seymour" until when the balloting was
completed there stood forth as our party's'
choice man of the people-plain, simple,
honest, courageous almost to the point OF
stubbornness, and withal man of vast
experience in executive work; a man who
had worked himself up from the machinist's
bench to be an employer himself, and who
understood the labor question from the
standpoint Of the employee as well as the
employer; man who as as employee al
ways stood for his rights, who then and
now believed in union labor, and who as an
employer treated his men in the same way
that he desired to be treated when he was
an employee himself; man who as Mayor
of the great Republican city of Newark
gave such entire satisfaction that the people
have elected him three times in succession,
and who now comes before the people
wholly unpledged to any man or set of men;
a man whom no one can control or direct,
or who could, under stress of any circum-
stances, be induced or compelled to do any
thing except what he considered right and
for the benefit of the people, and who, if
elected by the people, will be the real Gov
ernor-James NJ. Seymour
The mere comparison of the candidates
the day after the convention caused the
Republicans to cut their estimated majority
of $4,000 in half No wonder, then, that
few days later, after considering the rec
ords of the two parties, the balance of the
estimated majority should fade away and
the Republican nominee appeal to the East
Orange Republicans to hustle and save
him.
Six years ago John W. Griggs was elected
Governor of this commonwealth for the
term of three years. Since then we have
had the spectacle of six Governors instead
of two. Gov. Zulick, here, says l should
amend that by saying five Governors and
one GOverness. | accept the amendment
and | don't know but that the Governesl
was the best Governor of the lot. There
was Governor Griggs, acting Governor
Voorhees,, acting Governor Watkins, rea
Governor Voorhees,, acting Governor John
son and acting Governor, or Governess, Mis-:
Gill. They have, without warrant from thu
people, made Governors of the President O
the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly
and the Governors stenographer. They
have skipped two others just as deserving
the bootblack and the doorkeeper.
And now the party of six Governors il
six years comes before the people asking
to be continued in power for three year.
more and they advance three reasons why
they should be so retained. These reasons
have been put in writing in the shape o
their platform, or declaration of principles
for this campaign.
First-They say they should have thret
, years more of power because at the city O
Buffalo the President of the United State,
was assassinated by an anarchist and tina
it is necessary, in order to carry out th,
policies of President Mckinley, that Frank
lin Murphy should be Governor of New
Jersey. What the connection between tn,
national policy of the Republican party
and the Governorship of the State of New
Jersey is | am at loss to know. When thu
late president was shot down it wasn't tn,
: Republican party that was sorry; it wasn'
the Democratic party that was sorry; i
wasn't even the people of the United States
t Sorrow at the murder Of that kindly ani
. peaceful man, at the striking down IN colo
blood of our President, your President ani
mine, the President of Republican ani
: Democrat alike, was not confined to any
man or set of men. The members of oul
party felt it just as keenly as the Republic
cans. In fact, it was felt by every man
woman and child with heart everywhere
All Christendom mourned, and it does
seem to me that the memory of William
Mckinley is too sacred thing to bt
T dragged through the mire of a politica
campaign in this State for the purpose Of
assisting any man to the Governorship, and
the use of it in this campaign simply indi
} Gates the desperate situation of the Repub
lican party.
But the Republicans say to the people in
their platform, ''We ought to be retained
in power because we have been friends Of
the public school" Let us look at this
reason for a few minutes.
) The Republican party has not only
not been the friend of the public
schools, but has been the enemy of the
schools and the public school system. Op-