Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-01-11
THE STATE DEMOCRACY.

fFrom Elizabeth Evening Times, Dec. 20, 1905.
The Eceniag Times is in receipt Of the
following communication, which will no
doubt interest all Of its readers who have
Noted, with more or less mystery, the
inability Of the State Democracy 80 make
ITS influence felt.
Editor Evealng Times:
The Democratic party OF New Jersey is
practically extinct, as far as State politics
is concerned. Only three counties land
those Of sparce population and minor i'm
portance] were carried by the Democratic
party at the last election, and the lower
house Of the legislature will contain but
three lonely Democrats. Most of the county
governments are also IN the hands of the
Republicans and out of all the cities and
large towns in the State, but one (Pater-
SOM has recently elected Democratic
mayor, and only one other (Elizabeth)
gave a majority for the Democratic city
and county tickets at the last election.
What are the causes Of this astonishing
condition of things Are they not precisely
those which were pointed out by the writer
IN these columns nearly two years ago !?
At that time the State Democracy was
wandering i'll the wilderness, as it were,
without leadership, without definite policies
and without purposes; it was following the
cowardly plan of waiting for something to
turn up, without any clearly defined
idea Of what action it would take if some-
thing did turn up. Since the gubernaterial
campaign Of 1901, when the Democratic
candidate was defeated through the bstrayal
Of the party by some OF its own leaders,
the State organization has been absolutely
worthless, and might just as well have not
existed as all In fact, the Democratic
party Of the State would be in better con-
ditiou to-day if it had had no State COM
mitbee during these four years. For it is a
fact that the committee did absolutely
nothing to help the party from the fall Of
1901 to she spring of 1904, but on the con-
trary individual members Of that committee
did many things to iniure the party. The
committee held no meetings for this period
OF nearly three years. In 1904 they had
but two meetings and since Parker's defeat
have done absolutely nothing officially. To
all intsnts aud purposes, therefore, no
Democratic State committee exists to-day.
But this non-existence of State organ
Ization is not all the story. The party has
mt been killed by mere neglect but through
the steady betrayal of its principles by
certain interested individuals who have
called themselves its leaders, bus who
haye, steadily and relentlessIy, worked to
discredit the sincere wishes and intentions
of the average Democratic voter, and have
for years regularly sold the party out to
the opposition in one way or another.
These men have for years disgraced the
idea and thought Of Democracy in all parts
of the State; they have corrup ed young
men and others who, with pure motives,
have attempted to come to the front, aud
assist in rejuyenating the party and aid IN
the work of re-establishing it on sane and
honest foundation. The corruption insin-
certify and graft in the monopoly faction OF
She Republican party look like sublime
virtue in comparison with the low cunning
and traitorous work of these so-called
Democratic leaders, whose chief political
business has been for years to receive graft
and pap from the interested corporations
and distribute what did not stick to their
own hands to their tools and barnacles in
&he different counties If the State.
In speaking of them I do not talk from
hearsay. / know all these leaders and
know their methods and aims so the last
degree. know whereof speak, because,
as my friends know, have myself been
offered, through them, money TO influence
Democratic legislation at Trenton to vote
ia favor Of certain railroad and corporation
legislation; I haYe actually had money
sent to me through the mails for the pur-
pose Of iniuring Democratic candidates; 1
haye had propositions put to me by Indlvld-
uals in this group OF leaders which II
accepted. would have involved my holding
1. fac fnfa