The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-04-18
THE CAMPAIGN In TIE FALL
TIE RELzITONS THE RAILROADS
BEAR TO CANDIDATES,


Republican Fear of Tacklins the Railroat
Qucstien.-Phelps and the Morris s.
Essex Tax BiiI.--The Baltimore & Ohio
said to be Ready to Eater the Political
Arenn.-The Chase Bill and Connolly,
TaENToN. April IL. - Especial. - This
main anxiety on the part Of the Legislature
that closed its doors on Friday till the bo'
ginning of June, has been to shape legisla-
tive and political events with view to the
approaching Fall canvass. The Republican
majority have kept the main fact, that
William Walter Phelps is to be the Rspub.
licap candidate for Governor, and that VIII
lall J.. Sswell is to be the next Republican
candidate for United States Senator
in sight, throughout the whole session. /
am giving away no very profound State
secret when Iremark, for the purpose only
ofthrowing light upon the rest of mug Drtiole.
that Mr.. Sewell is bound hand and foot to
the Pennsylvania Railroad. It may not
be SO well known, bat it is equally true
that William Walter Phelps as largely and
fully represents Delaware, Lackawanna q
Western interests. With the certainty of
the candidature of these two gentlemen be-
fore them, and thorough acquaintance
of their railroad attachments in their pos
session, the Republican leaders have had q
delicate task before them An anti-railroad
clamor would materially injure the political
chances of the two gentlemen and SO it
has been their duty to keep the railroads as
much out of al ,togonism with popular con-
ceits as possible. 1t was this necessity that
led to a spirited debate, in the Joint Caucus
which ordered the recess of Friday, as TO
when the Legislative functions should be
resumed. Some of the conspicuous Sen
ators, fearful that display Of railroad
greed that would turn the popular stomach
against railroad candidates might be made
III the debate over the possible new tax act,
urged that the Legislature do not reassem-
bic, to formulate such an act, till tho cleo
ton shall have gone by. Ga the other
hand, the certainty that Governor Abbot
wonld call them together in special session,
and that he would make an effective point
of their very transparent attempt 10 dodge
the great popular issue of the day, was held
up to them as reason for an earlier re-
assembling. They did not dare to run the
chance of thus precipitating an ugly rail
road dispute Unto the middle of canvass
looking to the election of the railroad can
didates. and the adjournment till June was
the result.
But Governor Albeit has made it appa.
rent to their minds, that, in spite of all
their efforts to keep the railroad machinery
OF the party out of view, it cannot be posi-
BILE. They declare that his veto of me
Chase bill was as much for political effect
as because Of his righteous objecti1n to an
obnoxious bill; and in saying SO themselves
admit that he is on the popular side of the
question. They fear that it may mean even
more than that. Governor Albeit, they
argue, would not invite the antagonism OF
30 great polite i factor as the PcRnsyl
vania Railroad, unless he had assurances
OF support from an equally powerful agent,
and they see in his veto the evidence Of the
advent into State politics of the Baltimore
q Ohio Railroad, with its myriads of SER
wants and millions of treasure. If the Re-
publican candidates are to have the active
support of its mighty rival corporation, the
Baltimore Ohio might be expected 10
exert all strength for the Democratic
candidates, and these Republican leaders
argue that it viii fight, through thick
and thin, for the foremost of them-the
Governor who hes his eye on the United
States Senatorship. This condition OF
affairs imposed second delicate duty apon
the Republican managers. They found it
incumbent to protect the particular rail
roads that are expected to back their can
vass from political attack, and at the same
time to add otheir strength and efficiency
wherever it can be done without attracting
too much pubic attention. The Chase bill
was therefore as important in political as
1t was in a railroad sense. If the Baltimore
Il Ohio was disposed to fight the Repubh-
Gan candidates if SIZE came into New Jsr-
sey, it was to the interest of the RepRbli-
~ 10 oh nj
possible in the wsy of her coming into New
Jersey; and the Chase bill was planted upon
the State line 10 block her advent. So teo.
there may be political explanation of the
the defeat of the bill authorizing enquiry
into the honesty Of the Norris & Essex
tax returns. As matter of fact thsre ia
The opposition TO it was fed with the an
nounoement that it came from the Execu-
tive Department, and in his vapid speech
against it, Parker gave it right out IN 70 est-
ing, that it was intended to help Leon Alb
bett into the United States Senatorsbip.
Its bearing on the Senatorial fight May be
somewhat remote 1t might by casting
suspicion upon his road, have cast suspio-
ion upon William Walter Phelps, and 50 have
had more direct relation to thu guberna-
torial fight. It would not be pleasant to have
discoveries of William Walter Phelpss
lHAlIOA0 Gull Dduy dLLcuDtS u c4oAb bU6
State heralded before the people from day
to day at time when he is asking the
people to make him the States Chief Magis-
trate; and SO his political friends took the
bull by the horns, and beat the bill makiag
such discoveries possible out of sight. But
they didn't build as wisely rs they Thought;
for en- the last day of the session some
willy Senator found it on the Senate's files,
and had it put into the hands of the SPECIAL
Railroad Tax Bill Committee for further
aeticn and report 1t will return to plague
him when tho Legislature reassembiea in
June-a very much more inopportune time
for his political prospects,, til n now.
This view Of the poiilico-reiroad situa-
ton throws some light, toe, upon the hest
tation on the part of the Senate. in the
confirmation OF the nomination Of james
F. Connolly for State Tax Commissioner in
Mr.. Reynolds place. Any one who will
stop to think of it, can see that the
State Tax Beard may be made great
political factor in its influence upon the
Railroads. To some extent the Commas
si0ners control the money of the corpora
tions. Their favor may make small tax
bills. Their opposition may make large
tax bills. And both the small and the large
may be fair; for in fixing the taxable yalua-
ton Of railroad possessions there is wide
range for the exercise of discretion. When
the aggregate tax value mounts mp into tens
of millions, g few millions less would be as
little liable to criticism as a few millions
more. If q State Assessor is favorable to
Railroad, natural and unconscious bias
induces him TO put the smallest reasonable
figure upon every depot and freight house,
upon every car and locomotive, and length
OF rail and bridge Spite it owns. II he Ii
against railroad, just ss natural bias
leads him TO put them in at the highest
possible figure consistent with decency.
The grand total of all would show valaa-
ton Of millions between the maximum and
minimum of valuation, and of tens of thou
sands between the maximum and minimum
Of tax bills. The ordinary city assessor Is
credited with vast political influence
among tax paying voters, and railroads are
like all other classes of tsxpay-
ers; they are awfully sensitive about
their pockst-books. The State Assessor