The sun., 1905-09-10
SINGING CANVASS IN JERSEY.
BANKER EVERETT COLBY IN A
NOVEL SUMMER CAMPAIGN.

He Goes About with . Colored Quartet
and Sings Himself Not Infreauentiy
at the Close Of His speeches-To
Down the Machine in Essex County.
Assemblyman Everett Colby has been
making things lively for the politicians
of New Jersey all summer. He has been
conducting dog day campaign with q view
to securing enough delegates at the Repuo-
lican primaries next Tuesday night to win
the party nomination for State Senator
from Essex county. He is out against the
Essex Republican machine.
Mr.. Colby's methods Of campaigning are
both original and picturesque. He 10
rich man and money has been OF little
moment with him in comparison with the
organization Of red hot meetings and
enthusiastic anti-machine clubs in all
parts Of the county. He has addressed
nearly all the meetings himself, and his
auto mobile has been working overtime
since he started the fight.
One day he chooses the noon hour to
descend upon the employees OF some
factory and give them rafting ten minute
talk upon taxation public franchises and
the alleged su ubserviency Of the Essex county
Republican committee to corporation IN
fiuences. Then after dinner he will start
out with procession Of carryalls trans
porting himself and his brass band and his
speakers and his colosed quartet.
With these he will whisk at law breaking
speed from one township to another. making
music and stirring up trouble for Majer
Carl Ientz, the Republican leader-boss,
Mr.. Colby calls him-of Essex county.
This is the way Mr.. Colby conducts
meeting. One night about week ago
after the adjournment OF an enthusiastic
gathering in the Fifth ward OF Newark.
the procession started on for the lhlro
ward where meeting had been billed for
Elmwood avenue South.
When the candidate and his party arrived.
the speakers stand was deserted. Only
a few forms were visible on distant corners.
DR.. Thomas NJ. Gray who lives near by,
walked over and with hearty handshake,
remarked:
-Colby, I guess you've happened on
cold district for your cause.
well, we'll have a meeting anyway,
responded Colby. Come on. boys he
continued addressing his colored singers.
LET s have some music
proach we're by this time gathering around.
Mr. Colby stepped to the front OF the plat
form and in a deep. rich barytone voice
began:
Some pa ssons say dat pahson can't steal.
Then the quartet came in:
Way down yondah in de Gavin field
1t didn't take long to gather q couple OF
hundred voters in this way. and as soon as
he had them within the sound OF his voice
Mr.. Colby began his speech. He has three
planks In his platform. One OF these Ii
equal taxation, but that is worn SO thin IN
New Jersey that nobody pays much atten-
ton to it. Another advocates the election
of United States Senators by popular vote.
But the great mainstay is the limitation OF
franchises granted by municipalities to
public service corporations.
His meetings have been OF the hvehest
kind. At one Of them, in the Second ward
of Newark. when a rattling burst OF ap-
plause greeted some Of his remarks, an
enthusiastic dog in the back OF the hall
lifted up his voice in chorus with the rest
of the audience.
"Even the dog is for Colby, yelled
man al the corner OF the PLATFORM, ana then
there was more cheering.
Colby has many ways OF winning the
favor of his audiences. One OF his meet
ings was held at the Jefferson Oval, New
ark baseba II ground
This is the first time l ever went on the
dia mond to WELD the club at night, said
Mr. Colby, as he began his speech:
OF course there was howl al this and
then ne went on to tell of his college eN-
people allied him durer, he said but
one day young lady, when he had been
struck out, conplimented him enthusi-
astically upon his playing. He asked ner
wha made her think he had played we'll,
and she said she had overheard man near
ing as if he had vaseline on his fingers.
Not jnfreauently at the close OF his
speeches, when the meeting happens to be
indoors some one will ca for a song. Then
Mr.. Colby steps over to the piano ana turns
loose his lich barytone voice on the crowd:
His selections are usually sentimental, and
they win great applause
or course, these methods are held up to
scorn by the spokesmen Of the Essex Repub-
lican machine. .-u ANN
methods of Abraham Lincoln are good
enough for me- believe in going right
to the people"
Another favorite argument against; Mr..
Colby is that Sex hs fsHsh M Gsg yHpn em
ber of the Wall street banking house OF
Hcrrick, Hicks d Colby. An uncle OF his
was Republican candidate for Governor OF
New Jersey in 1885.
He is 30 years old. married, and has lived
for wears in West Orange.
The further charge is made that like
Cnsar. he is ambitious and regards the
to which he now aspires as only
the stepping stone to Congress, and perhaps
to the United States Senate. Mr.. Colby
only laughs when this charge is made, but
he worries the State leaders a good deal
by the vigor with which he presses his plank
for the election OF United States Senators
by popular vote.
Mr.. Colby's fight is simply against the
regular Republican organization He has
as an independent candidate. He is a Re-
publican through and through, he says.
and his object in going into the fight is not
to disrupt or iniure the party but TO save
il from ultimate ruin by rescuing 1t from
corrupt corporation control.