File:James Henry Van Cleef election in The Daily Times of New Brunswick on 30 October 1894.png

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J. H. Van Cleef's Life And Record. As a Man and a Public Official. His Record In The Assembly. Repealed the Sewerage Commission Act. In Public Office Has Earned the Confidence of All. The candidate for Senator on the Democratic tickets has little need of labored endorsements or elaborate encomiums in his campaign. His record as a man, as a lawyer, as county solicitor and city solicitor and as a member of the Legislature is good enough for him to run on and good enough for him to win on. Though often in public office there is not charged up against him a single instance of a betrayal of the trust reposed in him. On the contrary he has been better liked at the end of every term than at its commencement, and each year of service has installed him more firmly in the confidence of the people he has served so well. The plainly told story of his life and record is the strongest and most convincing campaign document that could possibly be penned, and it Las the added merit, of being be unvarnished truth. James Henry Van Cleef belonged to the Third Congressional district at his very birth, for he was born at Branchville, Somerset County, New Jersey. The date of his birth was July 12, 1841. Soon after, however, his parents moved to Titusville, « village on the banks of the Delaware, in Mercer county. has held, replete with energetic and clear headed work in the interests 61 the people he represented. In 1889 be was elected Mayor of the city of New Brunswick, and so honestly and efficiently did he conduct the duties of Executive that in 1891 be was unanimously re-elected Mayor; the Democrats having re-nominated bim and the Republicans also placing bis name on their ticket. With the people, Mr. Van Cleef is very popular and deservedly so. To be once elected unanimously the Mayor of a city of 20,000 inhabitants is an honor of which Mr. Van Cleef may justly feel proud, but he was destined to experience it a second time. At the charter election last spring he was again nominated by Democrats and endorsed by Republicans, and he is now ably and efficiently administering the Mayoralty for the third term.. Mr. Van Cleef - la a finished scholar and a graceful orator. He holds the degree of A. M., which was conferred upon him by his alma mater In 1872. Our candidate has always been in sympathy and touch with the people, and has always looked upon "public office as a public trust." He comes of good, sturdy, Dutch stock on his father's side, and when recently made a member of the Holland Society, traced his ancestry back to 1641. In politics he has always been an active, faithful and consistent Jeffersonian Democrat, and has never stooped to any low, mean methods to secure office. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, Masons, New Jersey Historical Society, Knights of Pythias, Zeta Psi (college society), and several other organizations, and bis picture is one of the two B runs wickers that appears among the "one hundred New Jersey nobilities," published by the New York World some years ago. Beside a large and constancy growing legal practice he is president of the New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company. His whole Jife and record recommend him to the support of the honest and intelligent voters. His training has bejn of the best. He is conversant with the needs of the county, and elected can be relied upon to work with heart and soul for the best Interests of his constituency. He is a man who can neither be bought nor sold; a strict believer in temperance, being himself almost a total abstainer, be has high Ideals of manhood and statesmanship, and possesses every other qualification of an Ideal representative. Vote for William F. eembly. Harkins for As- in of as After a bab, hood spent as Titusvllle and the acquisition of a rudimentary education at the district school, young Van Cleef entered Rutgers College Grammar School, this city, from which he graduated with honors. The ne*t year he entered Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. At college Hon. William B. Kirkpatrick, ex attorney general of Pennsylvania and ex-Assistant eral A. D. Hazen wtre his fellow Btuden's and intimate friends. When after four years of study he bad acquired his diploma end his degree he entered upon the study of his chosen profession, the law. His early steps in the science of Justinian and Blackstone, of Coke and Littleton, were taken under the guidance of the nestors of the New Jersey Bar, for upon leaving college he entered the law office of Honorable Mercer Beasley, of Trenton, now chief justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. When Mr. Beasley was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench, Mr. Van Cleef continued his studies under Honorable Edward T. Green, one of the most famous of Trenton lawyers, who since was male judge of the United States District Court at Trenton. He completed bis preparatory studies in 1867, in June of which year he was admitted to the bar. Immediately on the expiration of the term fixed by law he took his second examinations and was licensed as a counsellor. Immediately upon being admitted to the bar young Van Cleef to New Brunswick, where he was well known. His mother, a member of the well known Hutchings family, was born here commencing in the way that is traditional with young lawyers, In a very short time, by natural ability and bard work be had earned the confidence of everyone and had built up a large and lucrative practice. A sterling Democrat and a sound believer in the principles of which Jefferson was so able an exponent, the young lawyer soon became a force and a factor in local politics Unlike most men, he filled one office in such a way that it became hts strongest recoin mendation for a second. Though not ao office seeker, he saw time and again been called upon to serve his party and his people In elective and appointive offices. He was counsel for the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1873 and 1874. In 1875 he was made Assemblyman by over 400 majority although his opponent received the year before 700 majority The Board of Alderman elected him City Attorney in 1877 The Board was then a political tie. Although a Democrat and a letveut partisan, so satisfactorily did Mr. Van Cleef fulfill the duties of his office that be was continued In office in 1878 by a board of Aldermen that was then largely Republican. In 1880 be was again elected to the Legislature by 655 majority. The year pr vloua the Republican candidate bad 959 majority Mr. Van Cleef was elected to the Assembly in 1881 for the third time and without any opposition. While a member of the Legislature Mr. Van Cleef was the active and effective guardian of the people's interest, and drafted aud passed some of the most Important laws of bis terms. He served upon the following committees : Ways and Means, Judiciary, Corporations, Revision of Laws (chairman), Reform School for IHys, Industrial School for Girls, and Fisheries (chairman). Middlesex county has never had an abler representative in the Assembly than was James H. Van Cleef. Columns might be written upon the yeoman service he did for his constituency. The energy and ability of the roan is evidenced by one of his achievements during his first term in the lower house. In the iace of the determined opposition of the Republican ring that controlled New Brunswick In 1875, he drafted and put through the house a bill repealing the act creating the Sewerage Commission. He succeeded in getting his repealer passed unanimously by the house, but it was killed in the Senate of which Levi D. Jarrard was a member.

Praise for Van Cleef. James H. Van Cleef, the Democratic candidate for Senator, Is a man perfectly fitted for the position. He deserves every vote in the county and will come pretty near getting them. The New York Herald of Sunday last had this to say of him: "The Democrats of Middlesex have made an excellent cominatitn for State Senator". Mayor James H. Van Cleef, of New Brunswick, is probably the most popular man to all the county. He has been elected to the Mayoralty three times, and on one occasion was even endorsed by the Republicans. Everybody will be satisfied to see 'Jimmy' Van Cleef, as the boys like to call him, sitting in the senate Senate. And everybody" will be as well pleased with him at the end of bis term as at its beginning." Only one thing wrong, he was twice endorsed by the Republicans.

Quotes[edit]

• "He has been elected to the Mayoralty three times."

Licensing[edit]

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