The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-16
GOOD FOR 7HE SHARKS.
An Interesting Topic For
the Bar Association To
Investigate.
THE sHERIFFS ADVERTISEMENTS.
Awarded to Papers for the Purpose
of Avoiding Publicity.

There has been SO much exposure Of the
methods of Sheriff McPhillips' conduct
In office that there appears to be but little
more to say. He has been charged with
nearly every abuse OF power imaginable,
and SO far the charges have not been COM
tradicted. One matter, however, has not
been touched on.
In a conversation today with one of the
best lawyers in the city, was asked why
THE NEWS had not made public the prsc-
tice of Sheriff McPhillips in advertising
the sale of property. He turned 20 the
laws Of 1887 and read long act of which
The following is pertinent to his re-
marks:-
"And shall likewise cause the same to
be published In two of the newspapers
printed and published in the county in
which the lands are situate, of which
one shall be newspaper printed an d
published at the county seat of said
county, If newspaper be published at
such county seat, and IL no new spaper be
published at the county seat then In one
published and circulating in the neigh
bornood Of said lands. at least four Weeks
successfully"
THE EFFECT OF THE Law.
"You see by this law said my legal
friend. that the Sheriff may keep within
legal bounds and at the same time perp6s
trate gross outrage. In many couns
ties there are one or more friends OF
the Sheriff who do nothing but attend
sales of land. These men are sharks.
They cannot do their dirty work Of buy
ing the homes OF unfortunate poor men
at Oue-haif their valne unless they can
prevent opposition. The opposition comes
from publicity and that is the direct re-
suit OF jusiicious advertising. IL valu-
able proDerty is to be sold under execu-
Gutenberg. and an advertisements Of
the fact appears only in the papers pub
lished there, no person in other sections,
interested in real estate transfers, would
know OF the chance to make purchase of
poor mans home except the sharks
that grow rich from their close connec-
tion with the Sheriff.
"The opportunities for q corrups
Sheriff to amass fortune during his
three years service are great. It
is fault of the law, and no dout +
the Bar Association of this county,
when aroused TO the facts, will have
some legislation enacted at the nexr
session OF the LEGISLATURE that will rem-
edy the possibilities of evil and corrup-
tion.
Perhaps the only way to prevent these
almost secret sales TO sharks by corrupt
Sheriff is by changing the law that gov
erning the advertising Of the sale OF the
property of unfortunates II is simply
ridiculous for any Sheriff to have
the power to designate what papers shall
advertise TO the public and Inform It OF
what property it has for sale. II Is not
his property; he does not paw for the
advertising. and the poor fellow who 3 -
worked q lifetime TO secure home for
his wife and babies, aud from sickness or
other misfortune looses 1t, does not re-
ceive any protection against the ring that
watches she-iff's sales through adver~
tisements in papers selected for their lack
of circulation.
WHERE THE RING COMES IN
"A property may be worth 5000. and
judicious publicity of its sale might real.
lze him that amount. Without this adver-
tIsing. but very few. except The ring,
know that the sale is to take place, and i
representative of the ring ouys the psop-
ring can then afford to sell 1t for four
fifths Of its value at private sale. and the
division OF the spoils makes some sharks
rich.
''All this may happen under the pres
ent system Of advertising. do not say y
ignore his moral obligations simply be-
cause he is technically protected from
wrong doing by vicious law. that law
should be changed.
"The object of advertising the sale of i
mans property under execution Is to
make the sale as public as possL-
BILE. When pIpers that are pub
lished but once a week and have
a combined circulation of but from three
thousand to four Thousand are given
these advertisements in preferences to
giving them 10 the EUening Joarnul, the
Hoboken Nclcs aud JERSEY CITY NEWS,
which have combined circulation of
over 10000. the wrong the law permits
may be readily estimated"