The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-04-14
EVERYBODY TALKS
POLITICS TODAY
Passage Of the Bishops Bill
and Proposal to Lexow
Police Force Sets Tongues
Wagging
RED HOT CAMPAIGN ON

WLU HUI VHtHaa HtON SN
TAGAN, AND DICKINSON SPLIT
BEING IRRECoNCILABLE. THE
DEMOCRATS ARE ON THE
ALERT TO REAP THE HARVEST
OF THE SEEDS OF DISSENsION.
The passage of the so-called Bishops
bill wiping out Mayor Fa>an's Excise
Board. the proposed "Lexowing" OF the
Police Department. and the announced
wedding cut Of alleged incapacitated ire
men in the Fire Department. has set
tongues a-wagging. Not even during the
hottest local political campaign waged IN
wears has one heard so much political
talk in the cafes, restaurants and other
public places as is at present gong on
throughout the city. In fact. red-hot
political campaign is already on, even pc
fore the new primary law has been thor
oughly tested to say nothing of the mer-
its of candidates yet to be nominated.
The line of cleavage between the Fagan
and Dickinson factions of the Republican
party in this city and county was marked
months ago, and Democrats who follow
politics for what it Is worth financially
and those who are Interested in preserv
ing the principles of the party. naturally
hope to reap an advantage by the Re
publican quarrel 1t is absolutely con-
ceded now that the Faganites and the
Dickinsonites cannot be brought together
and the question uppermost in the minds
of all who are interested in politics is
as to whether Mayor Fagan. with George
L. Record as his Corporation Counsel,
and confidential advisor in lS-Rl matters,
IS master of the local political situation.
In the public places alluded to aboTe
there are men who are seIfshly interested
in their living off politics, and those who
Sre intensely interested in seeing the
principles Of their national party presery-
ed, pounding the tables OF bar, gesticu-
lating. in order to emphasize their re
marks. These gestieulators do most of
the talking. The audience is of the think
ing class whose members have nothing
to say. but vote according to their own
ideas. For whom will they vote?
If one is to judge from what he hears
in the public cafes the local saloon men
are incensed at the passage of the Bish-
pps' bill, which even the Bishops decline
70 Nather on account of it's emasculation
.-by a Republican Legislature-an it is
predicted that the entire liquor interest
e vote to be reckoned with in political
campaigns-wiu politically retaliate.
Locally much adverse comment is
heard on the effort of the Fagan admin
istFation to retire number of old and
experienced fire fighters, who yet glory
in their prowess, in order ''to make room
for some of Mayor Fagan's young sup
porters." The men slated for dismissal
or retirement don't take kindly to the ap-
;pointmsslt of a civil service commission,
snost of them are old-time adherents of
one or the other of the political so-called
s'bcsses," and they feel that the raid on
them is mere political move IN order to
strengthen the Pagan Record party. At
ssast ffty Of them are slated to walk the
blank. They talk with pride about the
pension fund which they themselves built
hp, and which they claim will be wiped
cut by the retirement of so many mem
Aers of the department
! The proposed 'Lexowing" Of the Po-
alce Department has occasaoned as much
unrest I'm the Police Department Many
saen who have for years borne an enviable
record as guardians of the law feel that
they have been merely marked to walk
the plank because they espoused certain
political principles and stuck to the so
called political bosses" who helped
khem to secure positions on the force.
The political friends of these men are
Indignant and some of them are not slow
IN showing it.
On the other hand the adherents Of
Mayor Pagan are claiming loudly that
the Mayor is acting for the best interests
Of the city, and that the Legislature
work Of clipping his wings will he resent
ed at the polls in the next election.
The intensely exciting debate win not
he decided until the results of the next
election is announced.
@A aRmRR