The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-04-28
This paper Is Democratic IN principles
and Is independent IN its Tieus on all
local questions.
Newark,s low MoraI ZONE.

Newark's Low Moral Tone.
1t is certainly refreshing to read the
condemnations of Jersey City misgov-
eminent in the Newark papers, while
their own columns TEEN with revela-
tions OF wrong doing in that city.
The Deputy Sheriff of Essex
is a defaulter; the Aqueduct
Board of Newark has been robbed
by its own employees. A rising young
politician in the Post Office has con
fessed to stealing several thousand
dollars of Uncle Sans money. The
people are waiting in trepidation for
the next revelation Of fraud.
But the worst feature is the calm,
matter Of fact way in which these
crimes seem to be regarded. Davis is
q good fellow, and so he will not be
prosecuted, so we are told. Seer is a
popular young man, and there is
great sympathy forhis wife. Hisbonds-
men will make good his defalcation,
and he will get another chance. Then
Pythe Aqueduct Board, Wismer's
anpsther has made good his s~tealings
send nothing more will be heard of
them. In other words, the public
officials are condoning these fragrant
thefts; public opinion is ~inventing
apologies for the culprits. and the
press of Newark, is measurably APP
proving this outrageous sacrifice of
honesty and justice.
If these things should happen in
HHason county the Newark EoeRing
NeaJa would have spasms, and the
Advertiser would writhe in agonies of
indignant virtue. The ring, and the
bosses, and the Horseshoe" and all
the other slang epithets of make-be-
lieve political virtue would be shot off
like rockets and the Legislature would
be appealed to to pass a bill to
sink Hudson county under the North
River. But it appears the deeds
which are high crimes this side OF the
Passaic are mere peccadilloes on the
other bank. La morG1ate, c'est la
geographic, says yoltaire, and Newark
journalism has made the maxim its
motto.
Indeed it is obvious that that is the
explanation of the tone of COM
promise with wickedness which the
Newark papers have adopted. Nor
ality is at so low an ebb in their city
that the crimes which excite
indignation in other communities
are there passed as t%rifies, and the
social and political standing of a
public official seems to be at it's zenith
when he has been revealed to an ad-
miring constituency as the hero of a
big, big steal.
A SUGGESTION to the S~enate;-If a
Committee on Municipal Abuses is to
be appointed, why not begin with
Newark and it's rotten Aqueduct
Board?
THE Rev. MI. Scudder last night in
his sermon took a broad and liberal
view of the eight hour question, as
might have been expected on
the part Of SO enlightened a
teacher. As he says, on moral
grounds the right of the
eight hour principle is beyond dis
pute. But we believe he fell into an
economic mistake in saying that the
success of the movement would affect
the labor market and the rate OF
wages. He spoke at length of the
Evaporation OF intellect and spirit
which the reduction of toll would
cause. One logical step further would
have satisfied him that this in
vigoration would cause every
man to turn out increased pro
duets during his hours Of
labor so that his absolute total
daily production would probably be
as great for eight as for nine hours.
Anyway, the work Of the eight hour
man win be SO much better in quality