The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-24
HUDSON COUNTY EFFRoNTERY.
From t4e Neauurh DARN Aduentiser.

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Not the least striking feature of the
methods employed by the rascals who
have made the ballot box meaningless In
Hudson. county, Is the bpldness with
which, having been brought to bay, they
fight their prosecutors. In other notably
evil cities, even in New York, when q
great series Of political crimes is discov-
cred, the guilty men do their best to hush
the disclosures, and, if they are indicted,
weigh their chances of running the
gauntlet of a jury, basing upon the de-
cision their choice between running away
and remaining to fac the music. In Jer-
sey City, however, the ringsters will halt
alton seems to demand. They do not even
pay the respectable public the compli-
ment of seeming to care for their reputa-
tions or trying to make themselves out
homes men. In effect they say:-"We are
robbers and briberS and frauds, and we
do not care who knows it; because we are
too strong for any justice to overtake
u.s." They deserve what little credit
there may be, even for seoundrels. in not
sailing under false colors. This brazen
front was displayed yesterday in the re-
nioval from the jurisdiction of the New
Jersey courts of James McGregor, a wit
ness whose testimony would probably be
vital in revealing the details OF the oat-
rageous frauds practised in the recent
Mayoralty election. Seeing that his evil
dence would be unanSwerable, the ring
made 1t advantageous for him to get out
sand he got.
The daring of these men is not more
astonishing than their success. What
their minds conceive their hands execute
with unerring skill. There is no better
illustration OF this fact than this very
case of McGregor. He was employed by
the Citizens Committee to go from door
to door and gather the definite evidence
that names which had been voted were
not borne by IN persons at the houses
from which they were registered. His
work was faithful; he had a good story
to tell. Now, he must, of course have en-
listed theconfdence of his first employers
as al honest and trustworthy man, or
else they would not have engaged him
for SO Important q service. AS men go,
he must have been considered reliable.
And yet he was not proof against the ad-
yances of The ring. They succeeded in
making him harmless. Their effort to
destroy the value as evidence OF the
fraudulent ballots, it will be re-
membered, was equally gratifying to
themselves, although they were Obliged
to secure the assistance of the Grand
Jury TO make their plan effectual. What
wonder, then, that they boldly presume
to undertake any crime they choose to
commit They rightly feel that they
may depend upon the co operation of the
Sherlu ana MS 0tanu JuFleS, and they
know that If they do not absolutely con-
troll the courts. they can prevent the in
PRODUCTION of convicting evidence at
their trials. They are reasonable beings
and they simply make use of their opDor-
tunities. Should it. be essential to their
interests to have q man murdered, they
would be apt to order his funeral with
their accustomed placidity and in per-
feet faith that it would be all right.
Their capabilities are infinite, and they