Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-06-15
The Union League Platform.

The promotion Of the welfare of the Re-
publican party
The right OF every municipality to select
its Representatives in the County Execu-
tive Committee.
A man for the job, not a job for the man.
Down with Bosses, we recognize Leaders
only.
A square deal to all men.
Above we publish the declaration Of
principles Of the Union League the new
Republican organization Of this county.
We welcome the League to the political
life Of she county, and shall offer no OBJ
lection to the attainment Of its ideals even
on that remarkable declaration
But we confess to a certain amount of
astonishment that gentlemen SO skilled in
statescraft as the leaders Of this movement
profess to be should have builded a great
reform on 50 narrow a foundation.
We have read this declaration in the
several county papers OF the Leagues
ideas, hence there can be no mistake in the
accuracy Of the proclamation, and we are
forced to ask the question, Where do the
people come in?
Editor Leonard, of the PauIsboro Press
begins his editorial advocating the cause of
the League thus
In every section Of the country there
is spirit of unrest among the masses of
the people because of the political condi-
tons that prevail
We agree with Editor Leonard, that
there is widespread unrest among the
masses of the people because Of existing
political conditions, but we don't find a
word in the fine declaration Of this League
that offer a panacea for any public
i'll.
We submit that the Republican party is
big enough already 1t is in power almost
everywhere and the unrest because of
political conditions that prevail is tracable
directly to this organization.
While individuals are burdened with
taxation the great corporations are per-
mitted to escape with scant levy both in
value and rate. The right of local self
government has been abridged in this State
with no protest from any Union Lacquer
The constitutional right to cast ballot is
now denied one-half the people in New
Jersey, and the only benefciaries are the
manufactures of certain voting machine.
the cities of this State are denied the priv
llege of erecting their own lighting plants.
unless legislative sanction is procured, and
resolutions Of City Councils are not sniff
clent to secure such approval We have
reached the point where political parties
must conform to erudely devised statutes
in the conduct of primaries and party con-
yentions are nothing but machine affairs
and elicit no popular sentiment or enthu-
siasm, except as dollars Of millionaires.
who are escaping honest taxation, create it.
1t passes our comprehension that body
of intelligent men recognizing the public
ills, should build the foundation of even a
party faction on such narrow and purely
personal lines as the Union League has
promulgated
Only three men will reap any benefit
from the triumph Of the Leagues or the
Organizations candidates, the Senatorial,
Assembly and Shrieyalty candidates.
The Democratic party invites the people
to more satisfying feast, one that would
include Equal Taxation, give the people
home rule, abolish the nondescript pri-
mary election law, give the people the
ballot again. We would re-establish the
old Town Meeting in townships, separate
municipal from Fall elections, and give the
people a chance to govern themselves
as the Fathers intended we should.
We see no hope for the people in any
faction that builds on purely selfish lines,
nor the party that has so despoiled the peo-
pie of inherited rights