New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-07
HOU JERSEY CITY is PLUNDERED.

II is an appalling history of conspiracy and
crime which TIE TRIBUNE presents in its col
umns this morning. The story of the methods
by which ring of plunderers has fastened It's
Grip upon Jersey City, has trOddcn its people
under foot, has looted its city treasury mas
carried on a municipal disagreement hafdiy
10 be paraeled in the annals OF miSrtue' Is
given by one who is thoroughly familiar WIN
the details of the whole foul record. Many
neOple unfamiliar with the enormlty OF the
offences committed by the Jersey City hing
NAV have thought that the assaults upon 1t
were inspired by partisan motives ana that
the condemnation of these frccbootcrS was
without sufficient basis in reason and sulhcen'
evidence in fact. But the statements made III
the exhaustive article published to-day cannot
be successfully met by the rascals who have
laid hold upon our sister city. The CONDITION
of the chief city of Hudson County, and one
of the most important communities Ill New
Jersey. is indeed pitiable Taxes have been
raised 10 such height valuations have been
increased to so intolerablc an extent, and the
eyactions plactised by thieves who occupied
nublic office have become so insufforable that
respectable property Owners have been selling
ont their houses and lands at a tremendous
sacrifice. and have deserted the unfortunate
municipality.
The audacity by which the municipal depart
ments of jersey City and every part OF It's city
government have become prey to unScrlpu-
lous men was not surpassed by the Tweed King
in this city in its worst days. In proportion
to population the Hudson County Ring has
practsed baot-box stulng on more extern
sive scale than even the Tweed thieves prac-
tsed it, Elections in Hudson County have
been farce The will Of the people has been
| overcome by the most desperate devices of dis
| honesty and fraud. Thousands upon thousands
of illegal ballots have been cast, and the ballot
box suffers became so bold in their operations
that they did not attempt to practise the slight
est concealment. The story OF the conspiracy
and crimes by which ward heelcrs of the low
est order men of the most limited intelligence
and absolutely devoid of conscience and Scruple,
have made themselves masters of Hudson Coun-
| tv and jersey City, is as shameful a one aS can
be found in any county or in any city in this
country. The ring, which has heaped up a
bonded debt of more than 5000, 900 on a
city which had only 1874 900 population in
1890 and contains only 21,O0O houses, has
| multiplied every possible scheme OF blackmall
and extortiOn until its members have enriched
themselves by levyng tribute upon all sorts
of business upon almost every form of activity
in progress in that community. They have not
only made the most serious drains upon the
city treasury by eXtrayagant salaries, by add
ing greatly To the number OF supcriluous Offices,
by quartering whole troops and regiments OF
leechcs and parasites upon the taxpayers, but
they have gone so far as to force the liquor
dealers to buy certain brand of whiSkcy
from which the leaders of the Ring derive a
royalty. They have compelled the keepers of
the bcer-Saloons TO purchase certain brands Of
beer which pay "A tribute to the maStcr-robbcrs
of the city They have obliged the school
teachers to patronizc certain shops or to incur
the peril Of dismissal. They have insisted that
city employees generally shall buy their supplies
from certain favored dealers, who are willing t.
pay percentage of their profits to the thieves
of the Ring. While jersey City has been grCan-
Ing under an excessive burden Of taxation and
under unreasonable valuations of property fOl
taxable purposes, the members Of the Ring have
been increasing their salaries and multiplying
their Offices. While their wealth has been ac-
cumulating with marvellous rapidIty, the tax
payers and the city itself have been constantly
growing poorer
How can it be possible that any decent and
respectable voters who still remain i'll Jersey
CITY can read the disgraceful history of The
jersey City Ring which THE TRIBUNE print,
this morning and hesitate as to the candidate
for Manor whom they shall support by then
votes at the coming election. On the one side
Allan l.. McDcrmott represents all that is mos,
evil in the disagreement Of the city. Tho
only hope of reformation and improvement, o
lighter taxes, OF economy i'll government, %
the overthrow Of the banded cOnSpiratorS ant
pundcrcIS lies in the election of Colonel Wan
scr. How, then, can the issue be in doubt?