Frank Hague and the Organization
Frank Hague was a New Jersey Democrat who served as Mayor of Jersey City from 1917 until 1947. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee for twenty-five years, while controlling a political machine known simply as the Organization, which controlled political activities at the local, state, and national levels. He used his political machine to amass significant personal wealth, estimated to have exceeded $10 million by the time of his death, although his salary never was greater than $8,500 annually.
Hague rose through the ranks of the existing Democratic machine in New Jersey politics, serving as a ward boss and building alliances, and joined in the push to change the government of Jersey city from a Mayor and City Council form to one of a five member commission, with the members of the commission selecting one of their group to serve as mayor, a largely ceremonial title. After the charter passed Hague was elected to the commission in 1913. In 1917 he ran again and despite not receiving the most votes of the five elected commissioners was selected as mayor of Jersey City.
After taking office as mayor Hague seized control of the Democratic Party in New Jersey, which allowed him to control candidates for every elected position in the state. Hague also used his position to control voter registration rolls. In the late 1930s Jersey City’s voter registration rolls listed 160,050 voters despite the census reflecting that less than 150,000 residents of the city were over 21 years of age, then legal voting age.
Hague’s control over Jersey City and Hudson County, an area of the state which was heavily populated, gave him influence with the Governor, who needed his votes, and the President, who provided the area with federal jobs to be distributed through Hague’s machine.
Hague used his self-appointed position as public safety commissioner to muzzle dissent in Jersey City, refusing to issue permits for gatherings of organizations which he felt were in opposition to him under the guise of prevention of disturbances. Hague appointed his son-in-law as his successor when he retired as mayor in 1947 and continued to run the machine behind the scenes for another two years.