The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-31

lCuecES anu dppIauSe.l
ATTORNEY GENERAL STOCKTON.
Attorney General Stockton was next
introduced by Chairman Spielman. He
referred to the fact that Leon Albeit
was the unanimous choice of the Demo-
cratic convention because his nomination
was demanded by the people. This de-
mand was occasioned by the many ex
cellent measures for the relief of the
people of the State which he secured.
These various measures received the
speakers attention. He traced the efforts
of Leon Albeit to secure the equal tax
alton of corporate and private property
from the time he suggested the project in
the Constitutional Convention of which
he was d member down to the passage of
the present law. He portrayed the
great CONSERVATION which prevailed
amongth Republicans when b eSupreme
Court declared the law unconstitutional,
and related the manner in which the
Republican press condemned Leon Albeit
for bringing bankruptcy upon the State,
and how, when the Court of Errors and
Appeals declared that the law was consti-
tutional, these same Republicans were
claiming that he had nothing to do with
the law.
The speaker then s~arcastically referred
to General Grubb's statement that New
Jersey had long needed a better govern
ment, and provoked peals Of laughter by
his witty illusions to the captain of the
Philadelphia City Troop. Amid storms
of applause he reviewed the careers of the
of the illustrous Democratic governors
from Joel Parker's first term to Robert
s. Green, and said that during all that
time we lave been hankering for Grubb,
and we didn't know it.
One of the widest outbursts of en-
thusiasm of the evening was provoked by
the Attorney Generals eloquent allusion
to Grover Cleveland.
WILLIAM C. HEPPENHEIMER.
Colonel Heppenheimer spoke mex and
said
Mr.. Chairman and Felloac Citizems:-
Again 1 stand before you a candidate for your
suffrages. The party has seen fit to bestow upon
me without any solicitation on my part, a re-
nomination for the Office of Assemblyman at a
time when disgruntled and disappointed office
seekers are out in open opposition to my candi-
dacy and election. The head and front of the
kickers, the boss Tweed of Hudson County, has
nominated himself, and is running against me
with the avowed object of e~lecting Mr.. Calvin
Peck, the Republican nominee. My motto has
always been "a public office is a public trust. .
Bill Kern's motto seems to be Public office is a
private snap" He is a candidate against me,
because l was instrumental in passing the new
Charter for Jersey City. / was Instrumental in
passing that Charter, and | am glad that it has
become a law, because | believe that it has saved
our city from bankruptcy and financial ruin.
Under the Old Charter we had a Mayor with
s ens eo omm pIwS1 .9 spe each II rie an@ 'tta to no ~ one
for their acts. We had a Board of Finance,
elected by the Board of Aldermen, who, to per-
petuate themselves in office, appointed the Al
dermen Assessors in the various districts. The
Assessors were autocratic in their powers. They
assessed whom they pleased, and for what
ment books in their safes, where nobody would
see them. Our tax rate was enormous Since
1884 our city had collected from the railroads,
under the act forced through an unwilling SEN
ate by Governor Albeit, about 5000, 600. We had
collected, under the so-called Martin act for
back taxes, hundreds Of thousands of dollars,
~ millions of dollars We had pnliacfad in the
year 1883 from licenses the sum of $3.50, 900, when
In former years we had collected but $4,000 and
less from the same source. All these moneys
were pledged to redeem the bonds of Jersey
City when they were due, and under that charter
ought to have gone into the Sinking Fund. Not
one dollar of these moneys ever reached the
Sinking Fund. No public Improvements were
being made of any kind. What has become of
all this money! To cap the climax the Board
luton to bond the city for $3.000,000 more. These
were the facts staring ME in the face when the
New Jersey City Charter Bill passed the Senate
majority, had the responsibility thrust upon me
of eieler defeating or passing the Act, What
would you have me do, fellow-citizens. Wipe
out the men who were in power, and who
evidently were responsible for all these
moneys. which have mysteriously disappeared
or keep them in officer My duty was pl ain
Representing the citizens and axpayers of the
Fourth district (and every man that pays rent
pays taxes), / came to the conclusion that it was
my duty to pass the so-called New Charter for
Jersey City. And what is this law that Mr..
Kernss friends say is such an ubiquitous
measure9 1t provides that the Mayor OF the city
shall have the right and the responsibility of
selecting the heads of the municipal depart
ments, who under him shall govern our city, and
he alone IS responsible to the people Of the city
of public affairs. If the citizens are dissatisfied
they can now go to the Mayor and say to him,
Investigate this matter and let US know what is
being done with our money"
am glad to see that our new government Is
proving beneficial to the people. Streets are be-
L.. ...L-s-z1. anu-nHr so kat-. 1x..ffk. 49,. .az
about to get a new pump, at high service, to sup
ply our district with water, A new school house
is about TO be erected in our district. The tax
rate has been reduced from $50. 80 to $2S, a saving
of $1.80 ON a Thousand. This is the lowest tax
rate that we have had since the consolidation of
old Hudson City with Jersey City took place.
The individual tax valuations have not been in
creased in our district, except where houses have
been built. We have a Board of Assessors,
ton of the pnhlic. Every tax payer can see
what his neighbor is assessed for. We have less
office holders now, we have less government,
and therefore less taxes to pay.
We have profited by the experience Of other
large cities. Our new charter is practically the
same as the charters which have worked so well
in other large cities. So much for the charter.
l am pledged to equal taxation. / have never
voted while in the Legislature for any act In the
interest of the railroad companies and against
the interest Of the people. As leader of the
majority, l opposed bill No. 1856, popularity known
as the RAILROAD Land Grab Bil, y and after a
bari fight secured its defeat.
william j. Sewell, the head and front Of the
Republican party, is vice-president of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and whips his
party into a caucus every time the railroads
desire to have any bills passed or defeated.
In the year 1887 / advocated and voted for the
repeal of the charter of the Morris and Essex
Railroad Company in order to compel them to
give up their valuable tax exemption rights
which they possess under the decision of the Su-
preme Court of the United States. This railroad
today does not contribute one dollar to assist the
citizens of this city to pay the expense of our
municipal government which it enjoys with us.
although it owns millions of dollars worth of
land within our borders.
The State of New Jersey claims that the Nor
ris and Essex Railroad Company owes it 81, 500
600 for back taxes, and that the railroad has
handed in false returns to the State of the value
of its property, on which it is assessed one-half
Of one per cent. / am informed that in the year
1890 the charter of the Morris and Essex Rail
road Company expires, and that the next Legis- |
lature will be asked to grant a new one to it. I
to the Morris and Essex Railroad Compan un-
less their charter will compel that railroad to |
pay the same rate of taxation as the individ-
uals do.
Mr.. Calvin Peck, my opponent on the Republi-
can ticket, is employed by the Morris & Essex r.
r.. Co. 1t remains with you, fellow citizens, to
say whether or not you will trust an employee of |
to be unbiased in his opinion when his
employer has a larger amount Of money at
stake.
/ don't own a dollar of stock in any railroad
that does not pay the same taxes as an in
dividual citizen pays.
/ have never accepted q position under the New
Jersey Charter.