Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-11-22
A PAULSBORO LETTER

| 1.-THE best laid plans Of mice and men
gang aft aglae. 2 Some three years ago,
the idea struck half a dozen Of our polti-
clans that they might do, in a small way,
some Of the things that were doing on a
large scale in the big town over the river
So, without asking the people about it,
they proceeded with the help of the Pow
| ers Above TO incorporate the town. The
act was the Speakers pet bill and was
made party caucus measure. A paper
with long list of names, all signed by
the same hand, figured at Trenton as
petition. In spite of all opposition. the
scheme went through and we became a
borough. By means Of the eorkscrew line
iof our western boundary, number Of
voters. all Democrats, were left out, leav-
ing the proportion about five Republicans
to one Democrat, making the town solid
for Mulhooley. The great prize in this
deal was the Paulsboro water works. This
plant had been installed by company ci
citizens OF the town at cost of $40, 600,
and promised. in time, to be profitable,
and it was proposed to bond the town for
its purchase. Alter separating it from It's
owners, it could be demonstrated that it
would be Improbable for the town to keep
| it and it could be turned oyer to new
water company on long and advanta
geous lease with fire plug rental that in
time might pay all interest charges all
tins withont costing the new company a
cent Bonds of the town could be issued
to cover the terms of the lease-30 yea,s-
and after that the deluge new gas
plant, was, in the same way, also intend
ed. This scheme, involving as it did the
bonding of the town for 100000 for these
and other improvements has met with
opposition and has not as yet materialized; /;
the Supreme Court having twice interfered
and called for review Of the proceedings.
| In order that all things might be done
satisfactorily to the 'incorporators, all of
whom have received the seal Of regularity
and approval from the Powers Above, it
was necessary for them to control the
Borough Government. The first mayor
and council were elected for year by a
citizens over the incorporators' ticket. To
prevent any similar calamity in the future
voting machine was sent here which
worked like charm the first using and the
citizens ticket was defeated. The usual
speeches were made about the post of
honor being a private station, ETC., and
tie borough turned oyer to the new Off
cials.
The ex Mayor was reported to have re-
marked
knock
When the frost is on the pumpkin and the
fodder's in the shock
This fall, at the primary election, two
men, Messrs. Shines and DeBinder, were
asked permission. So after falling to
coax any two Democrats to run, (their
party having made no nominations for
council) two of the sincorporators'
friends were put up on an independent
ticket. One of these candidates had been
turned down for making motion in
council without asking leave, but as last
resort he was allowed to make the running.
So the sight was beheld on election day Of
the regular bosses running an inde-
pendent ticket on their voting machine
with stlckers have stood by great
engine and maryelled at the ease, regular
ity and power with which it worked. So,
apparently, did the incorporators' organi-
cation on election day. The dummy yot
ing machine had been removed from the
polling place to the Mayors office. In
that judgement Hall were assembled his
honor, the mayor; his chaplain, the arch
bishop; the adjutant general, his council,
the chief scribe, the to-he chief plumber,
several of the intended gas and water Off
cials, the keeper of she stickers, two
chamberlains to demonstrate the voting
machine and others Of his political family.
Numbers of workers were stationed outside
to lead prospective voters into The pres
ence. Nearly all who voted that day
passed through the Mayors Office and re-
ceived instruction and stickers. Those in
terested in the so-called regular ticket were
hardly in evidence all day; the returns
showed they must have been hard at work
somewhere The instructions to voters, as
near as I can remember were as follows;
RULES For MACHINE vorINe
Con entering the arena you will clothe
yourself in proper regalia by removing your
hat; you will then stand in front Of the
Machine and salute it BY placing the tip Of
the thumb to the end Of the nose, wriggling
the fingers thus. You will then pass in
side and null on the uDDer handle which