The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-09
CRIMINAL EX-
TRAVAGANCE.
Freeholders Rob the Pub
lie to Pay Their
Political Backers.
SOME WANT OFFICES,
SOME, FAT CONTRACTS.
A Disgruntled Taxpayer Points
Out the Abuses in the
Rings that Rule the
Counties.
.Edator Of the Jersey Citg Neaos:

EdStoT of the Jersey city NeaCs:
1t was Dean Swift who objected to
the abolition of Christianity, on the
ground that the wits of the age would
be thereby deprived of one of their
| favorite objects of ridicule. The Board
of Freeholders of this county might be
| defended, if not by the same argu-
ment, at least on the same principles.
| The Board itself is utterly useless 1t
is even worse than useless. But when
its varied and unrivalled uselessness is
contemplated, the taxpayers are COM
PEELED to admire their own patience
and forbearance. They feel that by
enduring that Board they are laying
up treasures above, where neither the
worm nor the moth will be able to get
in their fine work.
Considering the conspicuous, one
might say the proud, uselessness of this
Board, it is interesting to inquire
a little into the reasons why the
evils OF which the people complain
exist, and to point out a few prac
tical reforms, which should be
adopted, and which no Freeholder with
any pretensions to honesty can refuse
to advocate and support. In the first
place it must be apparent to every one
on O moments reflection that the
membership of the Board is too pre-
posterously large. No sane man can
| find any argument in favor of entrust-
ing to twenty men certain duties that
could be much more effectually and
economically performed by three men.
NO LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS.
The Board has no legislative func-
tions. 1t does not need to embody the
local sentiment of every township
and corner of the county. tits charged
with a few very clearly defined respon-
sibilities. 1t must maintain our insti-
tutions at Snake Hill, our courts and
| county jail, and certain of our bridges
and highways. 1t must also make
provision in the tax levy for the inter
est and principal of our debt. These
| duties are so restricted, and the proper
method of performing them is so obvi-
GUS, that any man of average intelli-
gence and honesty ought to be able
to discharge them to the entire salts
faction of the community. Certainly
the collective wisdom of three such
men should be equal to the task.
There is no more reason for entrusting
it to twenty than there is for entrust-
ing it to 500 men,
The objections to the present system
are manifest. Assuming that every
one of the twenty members is per
fectly capable and perfectly incor-
ruptible, still it is physically impossi-
BILE for such numerous and cumbrous
body to act harmoniously and effect
lively. Every appointment, every
undertaking, provokes more OF less
opposition, and in nine cases out of
ten can be effected only by, conces-
sions, combinations and deals. II the
members are not so very capable and
not wholly incorruptib.e, then these
concessions, combinations and deals
are made without any regard to the
public service, and solely with refer
ence to the political or pecuniary in
terests of the individuals who make
them. And just here it may be OBJ
served that there exists in the popular
mind singular delusion as to the
chief function in life of Freeholder.
A POPULAR FALLACY.
A great many excellent but simple
minded people imagine that the prin-
cipal business of Freeholder consists
in performing the duties required of
him by the law and his official oath.
This conception may be theoretically
cally and painfully erroneous. When
a man becomes a FreeholderAhe natur-
ally enough asks himself why he is a
Freeholder He knows perfectly well
that he is not Freebooter because of
any visible capacity on his part for the
position. He knows that he has not
been elected by his fellow citizens be-
cause of their spontaneous re-
cognition of his merit He knows
that he does not owe his ele-
vation to his personal sanctity,
or his commanding intellect, or his
skill in the dead languages. All this
he knows very well. He also knows
and this is important-that he
is Freeholder simply because certain
of his political friends have captured
or bought or stolen a nomination for
him: and to them he is indebted for
his official existence. A beautiful SEN
timent is gratitude ! The Freeholder's
soul is impressed with the loveliness
of this virtue. He wants to practice
it. He insists on practicing it. And he
does practice it. And how? He can't
make all OF his political friends keep
ers at the penitentiary. There are
too many of them, and besides some
of them don't want to be keepers. But
even then Cne numDer OF tnem VINO
are willing to be keepers is greater
than the number he can appoint. For
every other Freeholder is in precisely
the same position, and each of them
is clamorous and energetic in trying to
get places for his friends, 1t would be
obviously bad politics to divide the
patronage equally among all the mem
bers of the Board That might be
fair arrangement, but it would not be
''statesmanship. The true quality
A9f county craftsmanship" finds its
highest development in a successful
deal.
A MERE FRIENDLY ARRANGEMENT.
And. Sc our Freeholder goes into
a combination with ten other
Freeholders, and they, as q ma
jority OF the Board, control it in