The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-31
John Moody In aPublic Cir
cular Declares 1t Is Not a
William R. Hearst Move
ment
ment
PLEADS FOR UNITED ACTION
ARTHUR w. apIUBURY A FRIEND
OF ALLAN BENNY AND SENA-'
TOR MINTURM AND NOT A
HEARST AGENT.

John Moody, President of the Demo-
cratic State body recently organized in
Newark, has issued a statementreplying
to some criticisms Of happenings at the
conference on March 20, that it was a
Hearst movement and that Hearst
would pay the bill" His statements are
made in an open letter and the communi-
cation is entitled, '"The Truth About the
Democratic Conference
Mr. Moody takes special pains to deny
that the conference was called for the
purpose of advancing the interests of
William r. Hearst, and he also goes into
detail regarding the connection of Ar
thur W. Milbury with the conference.
In part, his statement reads
after the doption of the chief planks
of the platform, Franklin II. Halliday,
Secretary of the Essex County Demo-
cratic League, got tine floor, and openly
made a charge of fraud, deception, and
hypocrisy against the men who had start
ed the movement He asserted, among
other things, that Arthur W. lMilbury
was the dominating power in the move
ment; that Mr.. Milbury was an agent
and promoter of VIM. R. Hearst, and
that the entire movement, instead of be-
ing what it purported to be, was a
Hearst movement under cover, with no
other purpose in view than to further the
political interests of the New York edi-
tor. When pinned down for proof, Mr..
Halliday appealed to Mr.. Northrup,
President Of the Essex County Demo-
cratic League. ar. Northrup then stat
lie. had been sn-informed by sJohn
Moody and others.
81 had never told Mr. Northrup any
thing of the kind, but had made it as
clear as / could to Mr.. Northrup what
the true purpose of the movement was
and the subject had been most thorough
II discussed by Mr. Northrup Mr.. H. w.
Goodrich and myself, in the frankest
manner possible a few evenings before,
and when we parted there was absolutely
no misunderstanding as to the objects or
purpose of the movement.
'-As for the Milbury story, Mr. Nil
bury did not come into the movement un-
til it was well under way; he was on no
committee at any time, and he no more
an agent of Mr.. Hearst than Chas. G..
Black is. He is a close personal friend
of Allan Benny. and a friend of Senator
Minturn. as well as being a friend Of
mine, and is a man of character, ability
and refinement. He entertained Mr..
Northrup and Mr.. Goodrich on the even
ing of Thursday, March Is, together with
myself and several others; and it was at
this dinner shat the general plans for the
conference were SO frankly discussed.
Near the close of the conference a
rumor was circulated that the organiza-
ton was to be new political party
It was apparently thought that this story
would cripple the movement and preju-
dice Democrats against it. Although
the writer Immediately responded and
definitely stated the scope and objects of
the new organization, certain men have
continued the attempt to misrcpresent
and discredit the movement both verbal
" and in newspaper interviews 2
Mr.. Moody expresses the hope that the
new organization may succeed in its pur-
poses, and says that II is intended, during
the coming six months. to complete the
organization throughout the various
counties in the State He makes plea
for concerted action and says that in
union is the only hope OF a successful
movement for true Democracy He
is willing to grant that men inside the
party who disagree with him on various
points are sincere in their beliefs, and
says that an admission of this sort is the