Palisadian., 1915-09-18
Bergen Political Pot Sizzling Hot
And Ready To Boil Over At That
With Brackets, Talk And Things
NonParisan Crowd Characterized Scheme of Senate,
Hennessy--Candidates Bolt at James Moore's Oues-
tons, and Cry Against the Nonsense of Them
AN UNPRECEDENTED FIGHT IS ON

The deuce is to pay with the Non
Partisan Citizens Committee, and
there is a scramble for the seven
before seen or known. The charge
now comes along that even the nom
partisans are political job in them
selves, fathered, fostered and put
into existence. The whole thing is a
scramble that beats eggs to pieces.
First, the non-partisans were to get
only men who were unfettered and
absolute. They had to be pure gold.
Next, they must have men who would
agree to turn the rascals out"
Charges were published in general
way that the present county officers
were incompetent, and unless those
running for Freeholder (they are to
be Seven Saints, you know would
agree to make a clean sweep and
throw all county officers out, no non
partisan support for theirs.
The Democrats were not so rabid.
They wanted to clean house, yes, but
not so thoroughly as the non-parti-
sans, who Candidate Pratt now says
are merely a creation of Senator
Hennessy.
The old wing Republicans backed
by Joe Brohel, former chairman of
the County Committee, wanted to
clean house, but the regulars said Joe
was bughouse. They wouldn't stand
for phoney business like that. They
wanted honest men, of course, but
party principles must be first and
foremost.
Then the bracket muddle fused
things up so badly that one day a
candidate would be in the brackets,
next day he would be nowhere and
out. So many bracket slogans were
perpetrated that a topical song could
be rhymed up out of them that would
make a big hit if put to music, and
called "The Bracket Waltz" "The
Bracket Polka" or "The Bracket
Punch"
At any rate, the political pot is
boiling so hot, and bubbling so furi
ously that nobody knows where
they're at, except that now it Is
known that the Gill Act is constitu
tional everybody is singing the song,
81 Want to be Freeholder, and With
the Freeholders Stand!" The truth
is, with so many patriots to choose
from, who is going to deny them
anything? All are good men, but
some are better.
Candidate Albert M. Pratt, of
Hackensack, who wants to wear a
Freeholder crown, writes Jim Moore
a lambasting letter, submits to the
catechising Jim sent to all the candi-
dates, says he is thirty-two, been in
business fourteen years, lived in the
county twenty-five, is an electrician,
wouldn't agree to turn the whole kit
and-kerboodle of county officers out,
doesn't believe in having politics fed
to him with spoon, asks Jim to
"show me" where there has been any
any rascality anywhere, etc. Pratt
fairly sizzles with brilliancy, and is
as full of logic and words as nut is
of meat, and closes by asking dear
old Jim Moore to judge of his bril-
liant qualifications "by my letter"
Of course, the latter was very flatter-
ingly fine-it was indeed, and space
ought to be given to it, but it was
long. It is in Thursdays Record.
The Count de Pratt certainly "wields
a nasty quilP' as they used to desig
nate classy writers.
And as if to add to the woe and
misery of Jim Moore, here comes
Mayor Charles Cooper, of East
Rutherford, and says in letter to
him, which is even more torrid than
the weather these past two weeks,
and more intricate than Pratt's
epistle ever dared to be-, and several
needles more pointed, because Mr..
Pratt was full of satir and mere
words. Anyhow, here is Mayor
Cooper's sizzling letter to Jimmie
Moore:
"Dear Sir-Your recent communi-
cation to the undersigned, as candi-
date for nomination as member of the
Board of Chosen Freeholders on the
ticket of the Democratic party, in
forming me that committee had
been appointed by your organization
to interrogate me as to my age,
length of residence in county, ex-
perience, ability, character and opin-
ion about county AFFAIRS has been re-
ceived.
81 regard your action in signing
such letter as highly presumptuous,
in view of the fact that you have re-
sided in this county but trifle over
two years, and have been on the pub
lie pay-rolls for minor political posi-
tions during the entire period, when
most of the men you presume to ex-
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