The Jersey City news., 1902-08-28
LIBRARY
WITH A STRING
Amazing Revelation AS to
Congressman FoWler's
Generosity"
THAT ELIZABETH OFFER
Strange Visit to Mayor Ryan
The City Asked to Re-
fuse the Alleged Gift.
THAT ELIZABETH OFFER
Especial to ..The Jersey City 'News."l

I6PcSidA " L uC oNAcSs NAeS ~NNf'Ss ,
ELIZABETH, Aug. %. 19O2.-A
movement is under way here to have
the city refuse to accept, after two years.
the library that Congressman Charles
n Fowler offered to it during the last
Congressional campaign.
There is considerable mystery about
the matter, and some of Congressman
Fowler's political opponents say that he
desires to withdraw his offer and has
started the movement himself, so as to
avoid the necessity of expending the
$4,000 that it was said the building
would be worth.
Whatever the motive, the Congress
man, accompanied by A. B. Carlton,
Comptroller of the city, called on Mayor
p ]. Ryan yesterday and asked him to
sign a paper to agree to a statement
that he believed the expense of maintain
ing the library would be so great that
the city should not accept. Mayor Ryan,
it is understood, refused to agree to any
such proposition. and is said to have
stated that the proper parties to decide
whether the city was able to support the
institution were the members of the Com
mon Council He is quoted as having
said that he would not anticipate any
action the governing municipal body
might take.
THE MAYORS IMPRESSION.
The meeting between the Mayor, Con-
gresham and Comptroller was previous
ly considered by Mr.. Ryan, according to
report, as one at which he was to see
and discuss the plans for the building.
The announcement that Congressman
Fowler was to donate the library TO the
city was made two years ago during
very hot campaign between him and
Frank Bergen for the nomination for
Congress. When Bergen announced
himself a candidate his selection by the
people of the district was urged by the
greater part of the press in the State.
Congressman Fowler, however, wanted
to hold on to the Office, and made de-
termined fight, carrying it even to WASH
ington. He exerted influence enough to
secure from President Mckinley the of
fer to Mr.. Bergen of the judgeship in
Porto Rico, in order to get him to with
draw. These overtures were made to
avoid a fight during the Presidential
campaign.
Bergen had become strong in Union
county by showing remarkable ability IN
his services to the city of Elizabeth when
it was suffering from harassing con-
ditions The Fowler people, realizing
Bergen's strength, decided to offset it,
and after some thinking, had Mr.. Fowler
make the offer of public library. The
material for the library was to come
from the Congressman's own Guarr1es
in Vermont the design was to be an
elaborate one, the building was soon to
be ready, and the site was selected at
Prince street and Westminster avenue.
THAT WAS THE LAST OF IT.
That was the last heard publicly OF
the library, except some occasional talk,
though the people of the city, among
themselves, discussed the lack of fulfill
ment of the Congressman's promises, es-
pecially as he owned the quarries and
could easily and quickly get the stone.
Mr.. Fowler has hot campaign at the
present time to make, and the warmth
has incubated gossip into open talk that
has been reacting on him, many of his
friends having been asked what was de-
laying the library that he was to build.
Sunday night the Congressman and
former Mayor Rankin had a conference.
Suddenly it became noised about in some
mysterious way that Mr.. Fowler had not
promised to endow the library, and that
the city was unable to bear the expense
Of maintaining such an institution.
At any rate, a conference was arrang-
ed with the Mayor and Comptroller. The
Mayor understood that it was to look
Mt plans for the library, the time since
the promise having been long enough to
develop them.
At the meeting it was suggested that
the Mayor might sign a paper saying
the city-in view of the additional ex-
pense on the city by reason Of paid fire
department and other liabilities would
not be able to support the library.
Mayor Ryan refused to do any such
thing. He said he thought the meeting
was one to consider suggestions to pro-
ceed with the work, instead of stopping
it and that it would be highly improper
either to accept or refuse the library
the Council was the body to decide.
1t is understood Comptroller Carlton
will prepare statement showing how
the finances of the city stand. He, how
ever, was out of the city to-day, having
gone to California.