Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-02-03
FROM WASHINGTON
special correspondence Of Che Counrrn.
Washington. Feb. 2.

The state of New Jersey has
been looked upon and is one of the
pivotal states in the campaign of
this year. 1t is one of the states
that the democracy must carry in
order to win the election. The
leaders of the party here in the
national capitol have had their
eyes on that state for some time
and have been watching develop
ments over there. They realize,
as do every man who has any polit-
ical knowledge of the situation in
that state, that the democratic party
of the state of New Jersey has
been singularly unfortunate dur
ing the past six years from the
fact that it has had at its head as
executive an assistant republican
in the person of William b. Gour-
ley, of Paterson. Gourley wilful-
ly and deliberately misrepresented
the sentiment of his party at the
melting of the democratic national
committee at this city on January
II, by declaring himself and his
state for Cleveland for President,
when he knew that New Jersey
would have none of Cleveland. or
any man or plan in the least tine
tured with Clevelandism. And to
make his action more abhorrent to
the democrats of New Jersey,
Gourley was the only member of
the National Committee who pub
licly declared himself for Cleve-
lands candidacy. In an interview
published in the Newark News of
January -, Gourley not content
with betraying the party in his
own state, paid his respects in
characteristic style to the great de-
mocracy of the South, which al
ways has been loyal and true to
the principles of Jefferson and
Jackson, in the following terms:
The southern states will 90
democratic even if the national
ticket is headed by NANCY vel
low dog"
This malicious villification of his
own party in the south was due to
the fact that he was well aware
that that section of the country
deSpises democrats of his ilk so
thoroughly that if any are permit
ted to exist they are never heard
beyond the confines of their own
political tombs. He knows also
that Mr.. Cleveland is held at his
true value by the loyal and valiant
democracy of the South. Hence
his petty slander of that section.
William b. Gourley is the man
who has made a laughing stock. a
by-word and a reproach of the
New Jersey democracy since 1898
by turning over the machinery of
the state to the republicans and
their trust managers, of whom he
is said TO be, and believed to be,
the paid tool.
This is the same man who, in
1902, prevented the Democratic
Congressional Committee from as
sisting Mr.. William Hughes, the
democratic candidate, financially.
in order to carry his own district,
but despite the fact that Gourley
told Chairman Griggs of the Dem
ocratic Congressional Committee
not to give Hughes cent, and
who. on that account did not re-
ceive a cent, he nevertheless was
triumphantly elected on his own
merits. Gourley lives in Paterson.
in the same district as Congress-
man Hughes and the semblance of
a congressional committee in this
district which he assumes to con-
troll, hardly raised its hand to as
sist in the election of Mr.. Hughes;
but on the contrary, the committee
headquarters were closed practi-
calIy during the entire campaign.
GourIey is the same man who,
during the congressional campaign
of 1902, and while posing as chair
man of the democratic state central
committee, refused to permit. the
space in the street car of Paterson,
already paid for by regular adver-
tiser, to be used for Congressman
Hughes benefit when donated to
him by friend as campaign
contribution.
Gourley has never done anything
for the good of the party. The
democracy of New Jersey under
alleged leadership, has become sc
thoroughly derloralized as almost
to lose hope. He has no organiza.
ton among the party, and suci