The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-17
Tho Jersey City Frauds-The Tammany
Ring OutrivaIled by the Jerseymeu.


Ring OutrivaIled by tho Jerseymen.
Jersey City seems destined to pass through
an ordeal similar to that to which New York
city has recently been subjected There are
Tammany Rings, although of a smaller and
meaner type than our own across the river,
and it would appear, from all accounts, that
their operations are as reckless and unscrupu-
lous as any in which our own municipal pecu-
lators have been engaged. II is curious and
suggestive to observe how closely these Jer-
sey frauds, as they have been from time to
time exposed in the HERALD, are modelled
after the example set by our Tammany politi-
clans, and it is evident that the Jerseymen
have copied very closely from New York in
the conception and working of their schemes
of plumber. There, as here, the grandest
speculations have been made through
the fundamentally of Board Of Pub
lie Works; contracts on street openings aud
improvements have been awarded by the
"Ring" to partners and relatives, without
competing bids, in defiance of the law;
special legislation has been resorted to, and is
still invoked, to facilitate schemes of pecula-
ton and to protect the perpetrators Of the
boldest frauds; property has been purchased
and rented at exorbitant rates for public pur-
poses, and the overcharges have been divided
up among the conspirators; dishonest claims
have been audited and paid and, finally, to
crown the sufferings and sorrows of the vic
timized citizens Of Jersey, new City Hall
job has been concocted, which, if suffered to
proceed, bids fair to prove as magnificent
swindle as our own still uncompleted Court
House. To make the similarity yet more
striking charter was passed by the last Legis-
lature, at the mitigation and through the cor
rupt appliances of the contractors ring, which
entirely destroyed direct responsibility on the
part of the public officers, and opened the
door to the preparation of just such frauds
as our late city officials are now called to an
swer for at the bar of criminal Court.
There is one point of difference between the
citizens of Jersey and ourselves. They have
the benefit of the experience through which
we have passed to guide them in dealing with
their own unfaithful officials, while we were
compelled to fight against powerful and I'M
scrupulous conspiracy in the dark, without any
light to show us the proper path to pursue.
Many plumbers were in consequence made by
us which the Jerseymen, if they are wise and
prudent, will be able to avoid. While we lost
time over the good-intentioned but inefficient
labOrs of committee Of seventy highly
respectable citizens, and afforded many OF the
principal rogues the opportunity to escape
with their plumber or to place their property
beyond the reach of the law, our neighbors.
profiting by our example, will avoid any such
cumbrous machinery, and seek the direct aid
of the law to reach the offenders promptly
and effectively. We were compelled to await
the empanelling Of Judge Bedfords Grand
Jury before single step could be taken to
bring our city frauds to practical, legal test,
and to place the parties alleged to be crimi-
nally implicated in them at the bar of
criminal Court. The people of Jersey have
now in Judge Bedle judge as fearless and
upright as Judge Bedford and Grand Jury
which promises to do its duty as resolutely
as did the famous Grand Jury of our General
Sessions They have no need, therefore, to
burden themselves with the load of highly
respectable committee which might embarrass
the action of the Courts and facilitate the
escape of the rogues in spite of the honesty of
its intentions.
The citizens of Jersey are masters of the
situation to-day if they have the resolution and
the will to protect themselves. Governor
Parker is bound to give them all the assist
ance in his power in extending the services of
the Attorney General and such other counsel
as may be needed to aid the work Of the faith
full Grand Jury now employed in investigating
the alleged city frauds. The people can con-
troll the action of the Legislature, provided
they let the members understand that their
eyes are upon them, and that any act they do
to protect and screen official rascality will be
remembered against them. Such men as Pat
terson, of Monmouth, and Niles, the Speaker
Ct the lower House of the Legislature, can
readily expose and defeat the attempts now
being made by the Ring to repeal such clauses
of the Jersey charter as provide for the indict-
ment of municipal corruptionists. If they
fail in this Judge Bedle and his Grand
Jury can reach the rogues through indictments
under the common law. All that is needed is
earnest and determined action on the part of
the people themselves and resolute ignoring
of all political considerations until justice has
been done and the power Of the corruptionists
broken. According to all accounts the frauds
committed in Jersey are comparatively as
great as those of the Tammany Ring, and the
conspirators who are engaged in them should
| be dealt with decisively. They have trick
of hanging murderers promptly in Jersey; it
will be we'll if they show that they con make
short work in dealing with municipal robbers.