The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-03
Jersey city's History. Early and Late

ocdl questions
Jersey City's History, Early and Late.
Ex-senator Winfield's paper read
before the New York Historical So
ciety last evening seems to show a
curious survival of tendencies in Jersey
City. The story of the loss of the tax
levy, which he tells, reminds us of in
cidents we have heard of in the later
history of the city. 1t seems
as il there might be something
in the efluvia Of the old marshes
which has a tendency to eorrode pub
lie money, to make it disappear unac-
countably. However that may be, it
is very certain that the case recited by
Mr.. Winfield was not the last in which
the contributions of the tax payers
disappeared in whole or part beyond
the possibility Of anyone tracing out
what became of it.
The picture drawn of the condition
of the streets and the incidents OF the
debt raising epoch will also remind
readers of things they have heard Of
in later days. There was a period not
% long ago when the pavement OF
some of our streets was hardly dis
cernable beneath the mud of years
accumulation, and there vas also a
time not so long ago when the city
only seemed able to struggle along by
a hand to mouth policy OF petty bor-
rowing.
But Mr.. Winfield's paper also shows
that in the past as in the present,
there was an essential vitality in the
settlement now called Jersey City. As
the projectors of the place believed,
there are great geographical reasons
why a great and hourishing city
should stand upon the west bank of
the Hudson opposite New York.
There are reasons grounded on the
very structure of the earth why Jer-
sey City should be a centre of trans
portation, a great theatre of industry,
a busy hive of life and prosperity.
And so, while selfishness and stu
pidity retarded natural growth, the
natural impulse was always at work.
The greed OF a land company could
not keep it down. There might be a
cloud on the title to the land, the
jealousy of New York might attempt
to cut the city off from navigable
water, Legislatures might devise
narrow charters which retarded instead
of developing improvements. Allretro-
grade forces were in vain. The
city grew. Population and business
hocked to it in spite of every draw
back. The site was destined by nature
for one Of the great cities of the coun-
try, and its destiny could not be
changed.
The later history Of the city has
been a repetition of its early struggles.
Political corruption, short-sightedness
of Legislators, or municipal officers, of
the people themselves have kept
the city far behind its possibilities.
But with all the difficulties in its
way it has struggled ON, growing
in spite of its bonds, until now, at
last, it seems to have reached an
epoch of comparative light and
understanding when it may work out
its greatness unhampered by the old
forces of ignorance and selfishness.
We do not mean that all difficulties
are removed from the path of pro-
gress- The blindness with which all
transit schemes are blocked; the
narrowness which opposes every
public improvement that calls
for the expenditure of an extra
dollar, the slowness of our business
men to enterast themselves in public
projects, and the apathy of a large
section of the public regarding NUM-
cipal affairs are di~scouraging elements
in the struggles OF the present day.
But in truth these evils seem to be
abating somewhat, and at any rate
the methods of the municipal govern
ment have of late shown a marked
tendency to improvement.
Perhaps the most serious detriment
of all to Jersey City is the reliance on
NewYork for many of the advantages
OF city life. The practice of trading
in New York has led people to look
thither for their theatres. libraries
and schools and to take their general
tone from their great neighbor
across the river. 1t has often been
said with some justice that New
ark is far more OF "a Jersey
town than this city, that it has a
life Of its own while we live with the
life of New York, that it is self pro-
viding and self supporting. while we
draw much OF our income and half of
the supplies that We buy Herewith
from the Metropolis.
So far as this is true IL is detrimental,
and there is unfortunately much truth
in it. But we believe there are indi-
cations of a change in the right direc-
tion. New York itself is breaking up
into sections. 1t is growing SO great
that Capitalization is almost impos-
sibie. It Is getting TO be more a group
II cities than u city. We find