The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-02-28
REMINDERS OF TWEED.
Judge Knapp Discourses to
the Grand Jury on the
Election Frauds.
A SEVERE AND CAUSTIC CHARGE.
Why the Grand Jury was Not Asked
to Investigate After the Pairson-
Nelson Recount.

Judge Knapp this morning succeeded
in making it very uncomfortable for
some petty politicians and ballot box
to come into court, and after Foreman
Joseph Warren had handed up ten indict-
ments to him, Judge Lippincott and
Judge Hoffman, he said:-
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, she
Court would have had little hesitation at
quest to be discharged from service, be-
cause you have given long and faithful
attendance here during the term. OF
course You anticipated why it was that
the Court hesitated at that time in dis
charging you.
"The examinations Of the ballot boxes
in the Investigations now progressing In
Trenton have disclosed such audaci0us
frauds at an election which ante-dated
your summoning, that the Court doubted
whether it ought not TO retain this Grand
Jury to investigate them. Properly, and
would have had that matter committed
to you. and indeed 1t would have been
had it come to the knowledge of the court
with anything of the clearness with which
iti is now presented.
ONLY RUMoR AT THE START
"Rumor at the time when you were
summoned was somewhat rife indicating
some such a condition of things, but ru-
NOR is such common thing that it is not
ground upon which court may act,
and no other information at that time was
brought TO the knowledge of the Court. 4
The first of it that appeared was in an
investigation instituted by the Circuit
Judge here directing an examination of
some of these ballot boxes; and, in that
work done by one officer appointed by
this Court, the first information came to
me by the actual condition OF things.
Then, for the first, the Court was
prompted, after consultation with the
entire Court, 70 take the matter mp and
put this Grand Jury to work upon the in
vestigation in the belief that you would
have faithfully done your duty.
WHY DELAYED5
tBut Just at this point of time the in
vestigatiOnS by the Senate commenced,
and removed from our possession the eNi-
dence upon which this matter must have
been investigated. In the hope that
possibly that Investigation might end and
return to us those ballot boxes, the Court
held tho Grand Jury. and at the last
meeting of the Grand Jury that hope was
still entertained, but now we are
quite satisfied that the possession
Of that evidence cannot be
placed before you in time TO make that
thorough enquiry which is demanded
before your legal existance will have
terminated. 1t is apparent to you all
aroused. 1t is a matter that strikes at
the very foundation of our Government.
SMALL CRIMES LEAD TO GREAT.
sIn Investigations brought before this
Court from time to time, minor frauds
are exposed and sometimes punished,
while they are not OF such character as to
excite the public mind, and sometimes
even do not call for the action of the
Grand Jury, and thus are passed by.
9This is wrong. because those who
practice fraud in small way
soon come to believe that there Is no
point of danger anywhere in that class Of
crime, and in the end come such condi-
tions as we now have before u.s. Let this
prevail, and the government established
by our constitution is at an end. No
longer the people rule, but the will OF
rascals, and we are not prepared to stand
thatl As l have Said slighter Of
fenses are often passed by the Grand Jury
but there is latent force, reserved
power, in the people in this country,
that is the protection of its institutions;
it is sluggish, often difficult to arouse; it
tolerates many small offences.
ssBut when the public conscience be-
comes shocked, this honest sentiment,
this sense Of justice, which is our safety,
is awakened. 1t is a giant, and when it
takes issue with crime it does it with
that force which makes the result not un-
certain.
PAINTING TMEED.
ssThere is no man on this Grand Jury so
young that has not seen one forcible ex-
ample in the metropolis of our country.
There was a man intrenched in power so
great that no one thought anything but
death could break it. A great city was
under his control; at his beck
a great State yielded at his mere word
men attained fortune or men of power
were stricken down; even the Judges
were appointed at his word, and the
Sheriffs and their officers were appointed
at his command The Grand Juries.
whose province alone it was to bring to
light crime, were under his influence,
and SO bold he grew that he Haunted in
the face of the honest community the
declaration that he, and not the law, was
the ruler.
s'You well remember how this sleeping
giant, this outraged sense of justice,
aroused, and, stretching its limbs ac-
the result. He withered like leaf, he
disappeared.
SENTIMENT AROUSED HERE.
"This sentiment is awakened here ON
this subject; this sluggish conscience is
aroused; the entire State is concerned in
no partisanship on this subject
except that of honesty on the one side
and dishonesty on the other and the pub
lie will expect and demand that this sub
ject should be thoroughly investigated,
and at the next term OF this court they
will require that there shall be in your
places men chosen who are represents
tiyes of that honest sentiment, that in
telligence and courage who will see to it
that this class of crime shall not go un-
punished.
1.sThe Court is sorry that the investiga-
tion mustbe postponed until that time, but
/ you will no doubt be glad to pe relieved
OF that burdensome duty. You having
served to so near the end of the term the
Court now discharges you, with thanks
on behalf of the court and the communi-
ty for the faithful performance Of your
duty"
A New Pastor for Bayonne.
The Rev. William p. Drew, of New
York city, has accepted call to the pas
torate of the Bergen Point Baptist
Church, on Lord avenue, Bayonne. He
is the son of a Presbyterian Clergyman
and his last charge was at Galveston,
Texas Recently he has been an assistant
to the Rev. DR. Moorehouse at the rooms
ST the American Baptist Home Mission
Society in New York city.
Warmer and More Rain.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2S. 1890. w leather