Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-11
Demands Probe of
Camden Politics
C,nt,ured from Page One

c, ntInred from Page One
the 'clocklikc precision of the Repub-
lican machine, Mr.. Kramer's answer
was that there was no tighter knitted
political organization in the state than
that which claims Camden for its home,
and that its work was we'll described
when the adjective 'clocklike' was
given to it,"
Colonel Kramer Is an independent,
that is independent of the Baird ma
chine In local politics, and a Republi.
can in national politics.
Everything Colonel Kramer said was
indorsed whole heartcdly by Joseph Il.
Nowrcy, former mayor and former
sheriff. Mr.. Nowrey Is a Democrat. a
leading real estate man and considered
to be one of Camdcu's prominent
citizens.
Demands Election Probe
Not only did Mr.. Nowrey indorse
Colonel Kramer's statements, but he
added that there's more than that can
be said" Mr.. Nowrey declared that an
investigation into the use of repenters
and of political murders would turn up
evidence which would fully substantiate
any description of the Baird machine.
George w. Jessup, real estate man
and one of the few survivors of the
Council of 1898, which was swallowed
up by the Baird organization, said that
in the light of the history of Camden
politics it was at least odd to see the
spectacle Of Mr.. Baird's "virtuous in
dignation.'
Mr.. Jcssup is one of tho city's lead.
ing citizens and also one of the four
members of the Council Of 1898 who
stood firmly against the allurements of
the organization Mt the time the lighting
and paving contracts were being let.
Mr.. Jcssup said Mr.. Baird was cor.
rect in saying that there had been cor
ruption in connection with these con.
tracts, but that Mr.. Baird seemed to
have overlooked the fact that he was
the leader of the Camden machine, then,
as he Is now.
Mr.. Jcssup said that the committee
of one hundred in 1897. in its fight
against the organization had been COM
PEELED to take up minor politicians whom
bard mad refused to admit into his or.
ganization.
Deserted to Bairrl "NIachine"
The committee of one hundred won
the election aud the control of Council.
but then the 'workers" who had
helped the committee promptly deserted
the independents and went over To the
.'machine. These political soldiers Of
fortune had made it necessary for tbe
machine to give them consideration
which. said Mr.. Jessup, they admitted
they received.
Mr.. Jessup said that there had not
been as much corruption since 1898,
that Is, corruption of that particular
kind. But, he added. there was enough
at that time to last for long time
Contracts for lighting and paving,
involving hundreds of thousands of dol
lars, he said. were let at exorbitant
figures, In the lighting contract the
independents wanted to make the price
500 light. They arrived at this fig.
urc after investigating the price paid in
Trenton and Newark. But the machine
insisted on paying S120 and "won" the
necessary votes from the Independents.
The paving contract was let ut 81 "a
yard. Mr.. Jessup said that ut this
price the contractors said there was
no grease" Therefore the machine.
having smashed the independent move
mcnt by means peculiarly its own,
broke the 81 "a contract and rclet it at
S2.53. Ne. Jcssup Said the difference
represented grease" pure and simple
In other words, Mr.. Jessup said that
the scandals had developed because the
machine had swallowed up officials
elected as independents. If similar
situation arose today, added Mr.. Jcs-
sup significantly, the same thing would
happen.
"Thcrc is no chance" said Mr.. Jcs-
sup, for an Independent to open his
mouth"