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

Jersey delegation was dispatched to the
! Chicago convention, they went pledged to
that convention which nominated them, TO
oppose the very element which dominated
that national gathering, and it being
demonstrated that they could not stem
the tide, as in duty bound, retired from
the caucus Cor convention) and came
\ home.
1T was bitter medicine for all true
Democrats.
1.-The man who for years had conscien-
tiously and honestly voted the Democratic
I ticket because he believed in its principles,
to be told that he must follow in the
wake of Popuiism. disregard the courts
which he had been taught to revere, ad-
yocate a system of currency which meant
ruin; ruin not only to our national credit
| but also to the great mass of the nation,
( looked with dismay and cried, God help
us. To whom can we appeal excepting an
| overruling providence The temple of
Democracy was seized by alien hands;
strange gods enshrined upon its altars;
strange doctrines preached from its plat
/ form, and strange creeds reeited by it's
/ devotees. Not only strange, but opposed
in almost every vital point to the religion
1 of our Democratic fathers, and in the
! eyes of some of US, bound to bring ruin
ans destruction to every Democratic hope.
/ What was to be done? The younger gen
Grafton in their zeal and enthusiasm said.
Fall in line. They knew not Joseph
/ they lacked the experience OF those who
had grown old in the service; they did
I NOT raaliza ha orauifv nf +rn cituatiap
"They could not and are not to pc
blamed. To those however, who saw
| the handwriting on the wall and knew
its true import, what were they to do?
Were they to fall in behind the Populis-
tic helmsmen, spread wide the sails and
aid in wrecking the grand old ship of
Democracy. Every man must answer
this quesuon for himself according to the
light given him.
For one 1 could not and did not. 1t is
no secret. Others had the right to do as
they chose, but as for me 1 preferred to
stand back, not board vessel doomed to
destruction. My hope was that something
might occur which the danger of wreck
would be averted; that the evil might be
seen in time to overcome it before final
destruction was pronounced as its doom
l did not vote for Mr.. Bryan and thou
sands upon thousands of just as strong
party did likewise. I have no excuse to
! offer for my course excepting that my
; reverence and love for the principles of
Democracy forbade it. If it was an error
it was not because of disloyalty to my
political faith but because I could not
then see nor have I Stree seen the error.
| tu hoy No
love. I could not be at home in it nor
| take part in its councils And now, my
friends, the hope of all good Democrats
| of New Jersey rests upon the Robert
Davis Association. You have it in your
power to bring back the good old Demo-
cratic ship of State to her original moor
! ings. This association is the invincible
clan which never knows defeat. 1t holds
the recognized CITADEL which alone re-
mains to us. Without you we are strand
ed, wrecked beyond redemption. No
nucleus to build upon, no foundation upon
which we can stand. Your wisdom, your
good judgment, your honest conduct must
be the guiding stars leading us on the
road to victory. If from your association
shall go forth the pronunciamento that
hereafter the Democracy of New Jersey
jackson, Tilden and Cleveland and every
1 true Democratic leader down the line,
then hosts of true Democrats will rise
and rejoice call you blessed and follow
the flag which you unfurl to the breeze.
In the exercise of your power, he eau
tious. Jealousy will arise; rivalaries will
grow up, but any Jealous rival will be
thwarted in his jealousy if he is
emanates from honesty, integrity and
moral worth. Organization will follow in
every county and district in the State;
hope will revive; the young will buckle
on the armor and rush to the fray; the
older, strong in their faith, vigorous in
their action, substantial in their worth
will build anew the fires in the Demo-
cratic camps and assist in leading the
party to victory. New Jersey can be
redeemed, a Democratic Governor on the
ides of November will be elected to take
charge of our grand little commonwealth.
Our party can be put in line and our
Republican friends thus overwhelmed.
They have forgotten their caution. Their
deals and trades are the common talk of
the press and people. The honest
yoemanry of New Jersey can be fooled
once in While but they cannot be fool
ed all the time, and the host of Demo-
cracy throughout this broad land will re-
joice at the stand taken by our party in
our gallant little State
! Chairman William Gourley, of the
Democratic State Committee responded to
the toast, New Jerseys Democracy" In
! a joculiar vein he said he knew what it
was for a Somerset man (Mr. Clark to
ttell Hudson about caucus, and on the
other hand he knew what it was for a
i man from Passaic to talk to the Robert
Davis Association about Democracy.
He said that during tn last campaign
he turned naturally to Robert Davis for
support and that it was given heartily
and cheerfully. The moral and financial
support thus received enabled the State
Committee tom AXE a greater fight than
it could otherwise have made, notwith-
standing what newspapers had said.
While asking nothing from Hudson's
Democratic leader Mr. Gourley wanted to
express admiration and love for him, and
was proud to participate in the graceful
tribute then being paid. Mr. Gourley said
that as a Democrat he was still in a
fighting humor and he never felt more
i like fighting than when suffering de-
/ feat. He believed that the citadel of Re-