New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-20
DEMOCRATIC NER-JERSEY.

The adjournment of the New Jersey Legfs-
lature, which will probably take place to-
day, should not pass without especial notice.
This has been not merely the most unscrupu-
lousy partisan Legislature for years, at least In
that State, not merely the most corrupt body,
not merely the most Indifferent to ordinary
considerations OF decency or justice Even deep
er than these lies the fact that it is the first
Legislature In New-Jersey, at least for long
time, that has been In open alliance with the
most lawless and degrading elements OF society.
II was distinctively Democratic, and the State
has supported Democratic tickets and elected
Democratic Governors for long time, 1t may
fairly be hoped, without definite idea what
Democratic government really meant. With
a practical object-lesson before them, perhaps
the voters of the State may think it worth while
to prefer a different party hereafter
Democrats in New-Jersey, as in many other
States, have claimed the confidence
and the aid of fragment called
Civil Service Reformers Heartily be-
leving, or at least protesting to believe,
that MIR. Cleveland had done the best he couio
in spite of great difficulties, these advocates oil
reform have fallen to criticising President Har-
rison with as little fairness or candor as II they
were partisan Democrats of the most extreme
type. Even while they are affirming that
Republican President is bound to leave Demo
Gratis in office, if they can be called tolerably
competent, although Republicans believed to be
more capable can be had this Democratic Legs
lature in New-Jersey has illustrated the Demo
cratic idea of reform by legislating out OF ONCE
every public servant in the State who has been
a Republican, and whose place could be made
vacant even by change in the law for that
purpose. Men of peculiar and unquestioned
fitness for the posts they I'll, men who have
been retained through several political changes
because of their especial qualifications, have in
this way been ousted to make room for par
tisans. Offices which have never until this year
been regarded in New-Jersey as spoils Of party,
which have no necessary or proper connection
with politics. which cannot be used to aid
party except in defiance Of ancient customs and
of public opinion, have been snatched by n
legislative majority in order to make its party
more sure Of control in the future.
1t is entirely fitting that these things should
have been done by persons who tampled upon
every parliamentary rule or right in their
tyranny over reluctant members Of their own
party. The scene presented when the Assem-
bly, was held with locked doors for nearly TWEEN
ty four hours by IN utterly indefensible ,isurpa-
ton of power by the Speaker, has never been
matched in that State, and can hardly have been
surpassed in any. 1t was fitting, too, that such
partisan majority should place itself on record
as being practically owned by the grog-shops.
Il not only repealed tho Local Option law, under
which the people of several Democratic counties
had supposed that they had secured protection
for their homes from the evils Of unlimited
Iiquor-selling, but il adopted measure which
was carefully SO devised as to give the liquor
interests power in any town to prevent an in
crease of the license for three years by pro-
posing an absurdly low rate, and then voting
It down. The same measure actually makes
the revenue payable into the treasury of each
town direct bribe to taxpayers to favor that
license which will keep the greatest number
of saloons in operation.
This is a result of one Democratic victory,
achieved by combination Of Democrats and
Prohibitionists. 1t ought TO be many years be-
fore the people of New-Jersey willingly intrust
legislative power to another Democratic Legis-
lature, in spite of the knavish DistriotiDg bill
by which, it Is supposed, minority Of the
voters will be enabled to elect majority Of the
Senators and AssembIymen. The matter rests
with the citizens. If respectable men, whether
called Democrats or Prohibitionists, want an
other Legislature of the same sort, they have
only to contribute their direct or indirect aid
to the New-Jersey Democracy.