Perth Amboy evening news., 1909-02-03
MAYOR HO T
FTER T He
ALDERMEN
fhey Decide Not to Appro-
pirate Money for Lincoln
Celebration Feb. IL.
HAS ARRANGED FOR
BANQUET OF CITIZENS

So incensed is Mayor Bollschweiler
over the action of the Board of AL
dermen, last night, in deciding not
to observe Lincoln's birthday in ac-
cordance with the special message
which he submitted to them Monday
night, that he has taken the matter
in hand and arrangements are under
way for a patriotic demonstration at
the Packer House on February 12.
The mayor, last night, on learning
of the action of the councils com
mittee of the whole, at once called a
meeting of number of prominent
citizens and discussed plans for cele
brating the occasion at least in a
small way. Mr.. Bollschweiler ap-
pointed the following committee to
assist him in securing prominent
speakers, and to make arrangements
for patriotic banquet at the Packer
House: Joseph e. Stricken, DR.. Will
liam e. Ramsay, William H. Pfeiffer
and Harry Consrd.
The committee, which is headed by
the mayor, is known as the Lincoln
Committee" and today tickets are
being printed for the affair. There
will be patriotic addresses, music
and lastly dinner.
The dinner will cost 50 a plate
and the mayor says that the commit
tee expects that there will be at
least 100 citizens who are patriotic
enough to buy tickets. Another
meeting of the committee is sched-
uled to be held at the Packer House
this afternoon, when further plans
for the celebration will be made.
Everyone is welcome and may attend
by contributing 81.
Mayor Bollschweiler, when seen
this morning, said that he was thor
oughly disgusted with Alderman at
Large Voorhees,. HE Is the most
unpatriotic citizen / have ever
known" he said. "Mr. Voorhees," /"
continued the mayor, says he would
rather give the money to the poor.
When / organized the Citizens' Re-
lief Committee and we asked the city
for donation he did not make such
an assertion then, and would not
give US penny. The com mittee
alone raised over 5000.
81 am so disgusted that am at a
loss as to how to express myself and
/ feel that Perth Amboy, as city, is
very unpatriotfc. The city could
have appropriated few hundred
dollars or at least decorated the city
hall. Efforts have been made in the
past to advertise Perth Amboy and
make it one of the foremost cities in
the state, but, by not observing the
. birthday of one of the greatest and
ihustrious men the country has ever
known, / think we are decidedly un-
patriotic and behind the times.
when l came to this country /
made up my mind to think, act and
speak like an American and l have
done SO. l have a patriotic feeling
and, although I am a German, II
Kaiser Wilhelm came to America
and fought against us, / would take
up my gun and fight against him.
am an American and never fail to
take off my hat when I hear THE
Star Spangled Banner" played.
Il was notified by the governor of
the act of the legislature relative to
the Lincoln centennial and l COM
piled by sending special message to
the council, which has ignored 1t.
Where are our patriotic citizens?
isn't there any patriotism in Perth
Amboy? If there Is let us show 1t
by properly celebrating February 12
by at least decorating our houses"
At a meeting of the committee
this afternoon it was decided to hold
the banquet at $3.50 o'clock in the
evening on February 12. Tickets
were also placed on sale at the
Packer House.
The Councils Action.
of +ha oap,u,itfoo Of ho
whole of the Board of Aldermen last
night it was decided not to appropriate
any money for a celebration of the one
hundredth anniversary of the birth Of
Abraham Lincoln, on February IL. All
of the aldermen except George 7. Lar
son and L. G. Dalton were present and,
for about an hour the matter, which
] d been referred to the committee of
the whole at the council meeting Mon
day night, was discussed.
Prior to the meeting the aldermen
had seen fifty or seventy-fve people in
the recorders court room seeking aid
from Overseer of the Poor Cornelius
Lyons and the pitiful sight, it is be-
lieved, did much toward forming the
decision on the Lincoln matter.
Aloerman-at-Large Voorhees, said
this morning that he had been against
appropriating any money from the start,
for various reasons, and last night that
opinion was unanimous among the en-
tire committee.
Mr.. Voorhees, said that, to celebrate
the event properly, about ST. 900 would
be necessary, although some thought it
oculd be done more cheaply. Further
more, Mr.. Voorhees, says, this is poor
time Of year for city celebration, rs
1t would in all probability have to be
held indoors and there is no place in
town that would hold all the people
desirous of attending. He also said
that, even if the committee had decided
to appropriate money and have a cele-
bfation, there was only week to ar
range it and the time was too short.
Another reason given by Mr.. Voorhees,
vas that the city could not afford to
appropriate any large sum at present
with an increased county and state tax
in view.
The main reason Of the committee,
however, with all due respect to the
memory of Lincoln, was that it would
be pre- beneficial, providing the city
could afford an appropriation, to give
it to the poor of the city ,as the crowd
seeking assistance from Mr.. Lyons, in
dicated.
At the council meeting Monday night
Mayor Bollschweiler sent a special mes