Frank Hague was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947 and was the Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1924 until 1949.

During the height of his power Hague’s political machine, known as “the organization”, was one of the most powerful in the United States controlling politics on local, county, and state levels. Hague’s personal influence extended to the national level, influencing federal patronage, and presidential campaigns.

And in a speech to the Jersey City Chamber of Commerce on 12 January 1938, Hague made the following remarks:

“As long as I am mayor of this city the great industries are secure. We hear about constitutional rights, free speech and the free press. Every time I hear these words I say to myself, ‘That man is a Red, that man is a Communist.’ You never hear a real American talk like that.”

Things that make you say hmmm…

Notes:

As quoted in The Last Three Miles: Politics, Murder, and the Construction of America’s First Superhighway (2007) by Steven Hart, p. 137.