The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-04
ouintus Curtius Again.

Ou1nCuS CuFJIuS Again.
This is a hard, cold, cruel world, and
the way of the good man is truly a
thorny path. The only people who
seem to have a good time are the very,
very wicked. and they appear to get
a huge amount of enjoyment out of
scofing at the efforts of militant
virtue.
Now Quintus Curtius Steger is, of
course, one of the purest and loftiest
souls in Hudson county. The cele-
brated act of self-abnegation through
which he gained his immortal title
was only one of the many acts OF
transcendent patriotism which have
filed his career.
Yesterday, Quintus Curtius Steger
was at 1t again. The spirit moved
him, and wisdom, patriotism and vir-
tue exuded from his being in a way
that was overwhelming. He wrote a
letter, and in it he talked like a die
tionary or a s'third reader" and only
the most hardened soul could resist
being edited. Here is one big blob
of originality and wisdom which he
let fall on the page of history
These reports with the detail and particularly
which characterize them, disclose a condition Of
things in relation to obligations required to be
met by us, which should at once engage our
most earnest and thoughtful consideration.
1t Quintus Curtius never said an
o+bar xuo.d tho anpyipoiuu trrth nj
this remark would place him among
the sages of modern times. But he
went on
The time atmy command will not permit me
to enlarge upon this and kindred subjects as l
would like to do.
Here is one of these irreparable
losses the world sustains from time
to time through the careless inditfer-
ence of thoughtless persons. The
Freeholders should certainly have
given him time and let him talk as he
would have liked to. They should
also have hired a stenographer. With
that self denial, however, which always
distinguishes him, he did not insist
on talking for a week. He said:-
must content myself with admonishing you
to extend to me your aid in an effort to shut
down forthwith upon everything calling for the
expenditure of money, except in instances
where the call shall appear to be so Indispensable
as to be beyond all controversy on that score.
But the browning glory of this
Epistle to the Phillistines is to be found
in the following PASSAGE"
While such a policy as this may possibly have
been pardonable Il speak qualitiedlyl under the
very peculiar system of expenditure of public
moneys which seems to be permissible under the
laws relating to county affairs, l am quite GER
tain that the policy is one to be condemned
rather than commended, and your hearty CO.
operation is hereby invited to give effect to this
sentimental sentiment so sure to bring the APP
proving smile from the taxpaying part of several
constituencies. This is the kind of a smile which
some of us, at least, ere long, if rumors be true,
are apt to be anxious for. VIII a calm and fair
review Of our action decree that we deserve it?
The illusions to the smile are full
of inspiration. But there are smiles
and smiles, and il rnmor be true the
average freebooter is much less con-
cerned, about this time, regarding the
smiles the taxpayers bestow on him
than he is concerning the number of
smiles he can induce the non-taxpay-
ing voters to accept at his hands. But
Quintus Curtius Steger is far above
such sordid ideas. The smiles he
longs for are the ethereal-not the al
coholic-kind, the kind that light up
the faces OF well pleased taxpayers
when they ~re-elect Directors-atlarge
and other patriotic public servants to
offices wherein large sums of money
are to be spent.
But such is the coarse unbelief OF
mankind in virtue and elevation of
sentiment that the Freeholders to
whom Quintus curtius' words OF wis