The Jersey City news., 1906-01-12
MERELY
MENTIONED

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men and capture the plums that are with
in the gift of the Board They talk of an
alleged understanding between Col. Dick
insin and Robert Davis for the control
of the patronage and declare that
part of the programme is the retirement
of City Clerk Michael j. O'Donnell. The
/ fact is, there has been no understanding
between the two party leaders and no
combination has been formed by the
Democratic and Dickinson Aldermen.
So far as Isl known there is no change
in the plans of fhe Democrats. They
viii continue to stand pat, voting for
/ O'Dennell and for the rest Of the Demo-
Gratis now holding places under the
Board.
If the Dickinson Republicans. or the
Pagan Republicans for that matter, want
| to vote with the ten Democratic Alder
men they are welcome to do So There is
no reason under existing conditions why
| the Democrats should go into combina-
| ton with either Of the Republican fac
tons and there are no indications that
they have any such intention. If the
Republicans cannot get together that is
no fault of the Democrats and the longer
they keep apart the better the Demo-
cratic Aldermen will like it.
ssPolitics is hell.'' remarked President
Potts. of the Board Of Police Commits
sioners, at the close of the exciting ses-
sion of of the Beard Wednesday night
and he meant it. President Potts, for
political reasons, had been obliged to do
things that his conscience rebelled
against He knew it was wrong to re-
duce Sergeant O'Connor and to allow to
remain in the department q policeman
whose conduct was such as to bring the
entire force into disrepute. He also knew
it was wrong to jump Roundsmen Cough
lin and Kelly over the heads of others
who had served longer and who were
more entitled to promotion because OF
| their records. Yet he was forced to help
do those things or find himself in dis
favor with Mayor Pagan, who is deter
mined, if possible, to make political
machine of the police force.
That the Mayor means to keep his
friends and punish his enemies in the
police department his most earnest sup
porters do not deny. They say he is
playing politics and that he is justified
in strengthening himself. The latest Fa-
gan move was TO transfer Detective John
Clos. who has done faithful service as
night desk man at Police Headquarters
for fifteen years. He was sent to the
Central avenue. station, Sergeant Cough
lin taking his place. Detective Clos is
one of the oldest members of the depart
ment, having done duty for forty years.
While the Mayor should be censured
for injecting politics into the Police De-
partment, no one will blame him for pro-
viding for Patrolman Frank Monahan.
! Without his aid the Mayor could not
have obtained the support Of the Patrol
mems Association which did so much to
elect him in each of his contests. Mon
ahan delivered the goods and his appoint
ment as Sergeant was a re-
ward for the services he rendered.
Whether the public will approve the
Mayors action in having Monahan as
signed to his Office is another matter.
| n The Mayor has other designs on the
| Police Department Rumor has it that
Capt. Cox, of the City Hall station, is to
be put at the head of the Detective Bu-
reau, and thar Sergean Hopkins is to be
made an Acting Captain and placed in
/ charge of the First Precinct. An of the
| Mayors plans are for the purpose of les
sening Chief Murphy's authority.
Egbert Seymour's friends in Bayonne
are booming him for the Democratic
nomination for Surrogate. Some people
i have queer ideas about politics. Mr..
Seymours friends seem to think that he
ought to be nominated for one Office or
| another until he conyinces the people
that he ought to be elected. The Bay
onne man had his chance when he ran
for Sheriff. Because he was defeated is
not a good reason why he should be Civ
en- another county nomination next fall.
| The candidate for Surrogate ought to
be Jersey City Democrat, and he
ought to be man who will strengthen
the ticket so that the candidates for the
Street and Water Board will not be en-
dangered.
1t is the concensus Of opinion that if
Mayor Fagan and his cabinet would de-
vote more time TO the solving Of the
| water problem and less to peanut poll
tics, they would be doing the city a great
service
| Mayor Fagan's followers have aban-
doned hope Of capturing the Republican
County Committee at to-night's meeting
/ Chairman Fry and the rest of the Pagan
officers. are doomed to defeat. Sheriff
Kaiser will be the new chairman and the
candidates named by Col. Dickinson for
! tte other offices will have no difficulty
defeating their Fagan opponents. Up to
a week ago the Faganites were shouting
from the house tops that they had
enough votes to re-elect Chairman Fry
That was because they were planning to
L seat men who had not been legally elect
ed. Either through fear of Grand