The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-02-18

Davis furnished the spellbinders. He in
troduced Congressman McDermott as one
of the few men sent to Congress whose
constituents hear from him as those of
Mr.. McDermott had heard from him.
Mr.. McDermott made no oratorical eff
fort. He facetiously alluded to duties
| of Congressman in general, as usually
| looked upon-that of sending his constit-
uents packages of garden and farm seeds,
copies of Department Reports and Nag
ara flood of eloquence printed in the Con-
gressional Record with "leave to print"
| He then turned to his subject, Our
| Guest" He recalled reminincenses of his
boyhood days and of the leadership of
Albeit, Hardenberg, Winfield and Nc
Avoy and various men in various parts of
| the county.
Il can recall no leaoership," he said,
80 absolutely unified as that of Hudson
County Democracy of the present day.
Mr.. McDermott then went into a dissecta-
| tion on what constitutes leadership. He
declared that it was a most ungrateful
| position to hold. The leader was APP
| plauded one moment, he was criticized
| the next moment. Mr.. McDermoot said
he believed that the political leader cared
| more for advancing the general success
of his party than for emoluments. A de-
| sire to lead, he said was one of the
| mysteries of the human mind The
| leader was ever desirous of the concrete
advancement of his party, and here in
Hudson County the Democracy had an
example not parallel in any part of the
country. Six years ago it was disorgan-
lied. Now it was compact. Mr.. McDer-
mott alluded to the fact that s., 900 voters
had enlisted under the banner of Robert
Davis That kind of leadership, he
said, meant success. He wished Mr.. Davis
continued love of those who knew him
and his innermost thoughts and of all
continued prosperity and happiness.
AS Mr.. Davis was introduced the
orchestra struck up-:"For He's a Jolly
Good Fellow" and the assemblage
caught up the air and sang it with will
Mr. Davis in his reply to Mr.. McDer-
mott alluded to his audience as fellow
| spell binders.'' He alluded casually to re-
cent victories. He said he had tried TO
satisfy everybody. He told Mr.. Gourley
| that he had done everything in his power
to help carry the State. He also declared
! leadership, and prophesied that if the
! Democrats elected a Governor next time
| they's remain in power in the State for a
/ long time.
| Senator Hudspeth was the next speaker.
He made one of his characteristics ad-
! dresses, at the conclusion of which he de-
ciared that victory was not only withing
the Democratic power in the State but
was practically won.
Mayor Hoos expressed some surprise in
| finding so many distinguished men of the
party at the dinner and complimented the
local spell binders in rendering such able
service in the recent campaign. He al
luded lightly to differences of opinion re-
garding the Chicago and Kansas City
| platforms and declared all We're present
/ in the interest of united Democracy.
The Mayor said he believed that he ex-
| pressed the sentiments of the entire party
when he appointed Mr.. Davis City Collec
! tor, and he was glad to be present to pay
his tribute to the efficiency displayed by
Mr.. Davis in that office. He expressed the
| hope that Mr.. Davis would live long and
continue leader of Democracy.
| Among other things Alvah A. Clark
said
/ 1H6 pOnllcdl CAUCUS is Inc SOuTC0 Ol
political dogmas. 1t provides the best
method in ascertaining the will of the
majority of the political party represent
ed by it's members. 1t makes charts by
which the political ship must be directed,
it designates the havens of safety and
warns against the shoals and rocks,
which are dangerous. In republics, the
majority rules, and there being always
different notions for safety and wisdom
in guiding the affairs of the republic, so
there will always be different political
parties representing those opinions. The
political caucus is the resort to ascertain
the will of the majority in such different
political parties and here is where the
wisdom of a sage, the conservative pru-
dence, the knowledge of human nature in
determining the end from the beginning,
is in requisition. The determination is
binding upon all of its participants. Every
man who takes part is bound to stand by
his fellows and he who does not, once
having participated is false to himself,
false to his friends and false to his party.
.If one feels he cannot accept the all
tentative he is not bound to participate,
and he thus reserves the right to accept
or reject the result. The wisdom of many
however, generally exceeding that of the
few, it is therefore almost heresy to take
such a stand; indeed, it is heresy unless
his conscientious convictions clearly indl-
cate that the course marked out must of
necessity wreck the Ship and then he
should follow the light given him and re-
fuse to embark.
Cogent reasons, however, can alone ex-
cuse such a course. This suggests per
sonal experience; Patrick Henry said, II
have but one lamp by which my feet are
guided, and that is the lamp of expert
ence'
.'The life limit will not perfect our ex-
perience, and even if so it will not be
accepted by another, even as gift, and
yet, by its light must every reasonable
/ being be guided.
Born in the rock ribbed county of
Hunterdon, reared there until / was "a
years of age, early imbibed the tenets of
the Democratic party.
1.-THE atmosphere in which lived was
Democratic. My study and teachings
were at the feet of our patron saints of
Democracy These teachings became so
engrafted in me that / have no home ex-
cepting in the Democratic party, and
when I am driven from its shelter am