The news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1882-1891, 1882-02-23
SENATOR DEACoN,s mo. ILL.,

after the customary manner OF the times,
teresting, startled the railroad corpora
tions, entertained the people and gave the
Trenton lobby such asurprise that, meta
physically speaking, you couldn't see it
for it's ears. Senator Deacon's Bill-ss
such it was in the beginning and will con-
tinue 10 be known--was as harmless look
ing an infant as ever was bern Of health,
when it came into the Senate on Monday
night of last week. Its introduction crea-
ted no surprise, but every Senator shook
hands with and was on good terms with
it from the first; 50 that when Senator
Deacon, removing his glasses as if fresh
from conscientiously careful inspection,
asked that Senate No. Ill "Anact con-
corning corporations"-be referred to the
Judiciary Committee, not the least sur
prise was manifested and no objection
raised. 1t may seem wonderful now, but
it was nothing remarkable then, that the
Judiciary Committee, through its Chair
man, the Senator from Burlington. be-
came go easily familiar with No. lii that
he must all the time have had the key, and
he reported it for duty without SO much de-
lay as to endanger its livelihood or create
anxiety. Tuesday morning saw No. III
on Its second reading and ordered to a
third; Wednesday morning the Senate, as
the unprejudiced mind is willing to be-
lieve, was SO pleased with its possession Of
a good thing, thatit, in the generosity
which is born of good-fellowship, deter
mined to share No. Ill with the House,
and passed it over that way accordingly.
1t was noticed subsequently and it has
since been remarked that Senator Deaeon
was so much attached to his protege that
he seldom lost sight of it, but on frequent
occasions visited the Assembly Chamber
that nursery of legislative whooping-
ing cough and measles--to see that prop
er care was given and that no undue
amount of ventilation was permitted to
engender membranous Group; in other
words Senator Deacon was careful, as
everyone now knows, and every conscien-
lobbyist affirrns that he knew all the time,
that Senate No. Ill didn't get choked.
The House took up the bill, referred it,
reported 1t, read 1t, and passed 1t in one
brief day, beneath the very nose and
vision Of gentleman who was here with
club in his hand on the wide lookout for
just such little joker, and who was being
entertained on convenient sofa in the
Chamber, while Senator Deacon was
smilingly nodding his satisfaction over
the vote and passage of his unpretentious
measure
Two days after It was born this bill had
grown to be the largest Ay In foreign rail-
way ointment put on record in many a
day. In word it had walked up to End
itself famous among the sngriest, dead.
heated lot Of lobbymsn who ever went
out to shear and returned shorn.
There was millions in il r. they all sd.
mittedI but 1t hsd gone and become Law
without the cost of a copper. The lobby
in the expressive veTnacuiar of the street
where bulls and bears and the rest Of
mankind struggle for supremacy. had
got left r But they were not alone, in
deed, their grumbIing was in the minor
key compared with the growls Of the
Garrett-Gowen foreigners, who were worse
used up and more completely stupefed
than they, in all their eventual railroad
careers, had ever been They, too, were
left; and ever sincs they have vibrated be-
tween New York, Philsdelphis, Trenton
and Baltimore; but all to no purpose;
wherever they touch the Deacon lightning
seems 10 have struck before them, and
the damage Ito them) is irreparable.
To look at this matter little more
quietly, it is, in addition to being one Of
the neatest pieces of legislative work ever
consummated, just and righteous meas
ure. As Is generally known, it enables
not only the Central New Jersey Railroad,
but any corporation similarly situated to
discharge an onerous indebtedness which,
at merciless rate of interest, may be
eating up the substance, by increasing
its capital stock to a legitimate amount,
and disposingof the shares atparJor their
full cash value, thus increasing the value
of the stock and keeping the management
of the corporation where it of right be-
longs, in the hands of its friends. This
is the whole story and if foreign corpora
tions are defeated, chagrined, outraged, M
Jerseymen, in their natural state pride,
those Jerseymen whose money
largely built and equipped the Central
railroad, are as happy as the happiest
CLANS al the highest high-water mark,
and as smiling ms the brightest black dia-
monds where the Jersey Central runs in
its course from the mountains to the sea.
That the Pennsylvania company and the
Central company should shake hands for
once. ifthey should never do so again, in
such an issue as this, is qualification to
the people of New Jersey not easily ex-
pressed in words. That Senator Deacon
should have been chosen to foster and
champion this measure showed clearly
the clear-sightedness of the companies,
and while rejecting credit to their abid-
ing good sense is only renewal of long
since expressed confidence 10 his sagacity
as legislator.
TORONTO, Sept. 1880.
r.. D.Sk... NJ