Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-15
ASSERTS
PARTY REFORMS
ARE NECESSARY
Declares to Seventh Warders
That Reorganization by DEM
ocrats Is Urgent.

Reorganization of the local Demo-
cratic party was urged by Board of
Works Commissioner Charles P. Gil
len IN an address last night. He
spoke at dinner in his honor ten
dered by the Seventh Ward Charles
P. Giiien Association, at S2l Warren
street. In the course of his talk Mr..
Gillen described his recent battle for
reelection. in which he was COM
PEELED to defeat both the Democratic
and Republican organizations. He
suggested that tho Democratic
county, committee should elect its
leader and not leave the matter to
any person who saw fit to usurp the
position.
Among the other speakers was
Naval Officer Fl. Otto Wittpenn,
former mayor of Jersey City, who
was introduced by the POSTMASTER as
the next governor of New Jersey"
The presence oil Mr.. Wittpenn was
considered by some persons present
as being a matter of more than aver
age political Significance.
Mr.. Gillen declared that although
four flfths of the Democratic execu-
tive committee were with him at the
re-primary caucus at Avon, he was
not given place on the regular
Democratic ticket because some one
had said that he did not belong there
and therefore the members of the
Democratic county committee had
been forced to refuse TO nominate
him He declared that the local
Democratic party, If they followed
the same leadership. would go from
one defeat to another. He called
upon the nlen present to work to-
ward reorganiza tion of the party.
Urges Progress.
Mr.. Giilen said: we have been
working under a mistaken leadership.
1 would like to see the party go ahead
under a better and wiser leadership,
and not struggling along from defeat
to defeat, until the Republican party
gathers such strength that it cannot
be overthrown.
II believe the regularly elected
members Of the Democratic commit
tee should elect their leader in a
manner. Newark, as
Democratic.
so far as I am concerned, I am
willing to join with the leaders in
helping to bring about movement
for the betterment and success of the
party, but no one man can do 1t.
You cannot win by taking one
faction and battling it against an
other. You must have harmony.
Have meeting of minds. Let the
men who have cared for the interests
of the party get togethe1s and stand
up for a movement to let the county
committee outline a program for the
betterment OF the party
Il thank. the voters of the Seventh
ward. who upselfisl1fy aided me IN the
recent election, You stood for fair
play and for honest transactions Of
public business and felt that stood
to an unlimited extent IN that direc-
tipn. 1 have been acquainted with
the voters of the Seventh ward for a
good many years
8 Asked the Powers.
sf''I asked the powers behind the
throne on numerous occasions why !
was refused the nomination for Board
of Works asked what had done
during my three years as commits
sioner that had turned the elements
against me-. The answer was that I
was not a regular Democrat.
"A leader in the Ninth ward, when
asked to support me, said, 'Gillen Is
q good fellow, but he is not a regular
Democrat and then this man turns
around and supports Monahan and
Haas for the Board of Works. He
was a. regular, supporting a Repub-
Ilican and a Democrat, but was told
I wasn't one"