The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-14

| none of the legitimate efforts to achieve
! it, But he did not lead the anti-slavery
party In Illinois. or debate with Douglas
! for the Senatorship, or deliver his incom-
parable speech in Cooper Institute with
! the Presidential nomination in his mind
1 In his Cabinet, he massed his foremost
rivals and controlled them. 10 their
number he soon added Edwin M. Stan
| ton. who had been an adherent of the oD-
| posite party, just as Grover Cleveland Is
to add Walter @. Gresham 60 his other
| wise at all times Democratic Cabinet. He
was masterful politician.
but in all this, the agency OF the
! United States should not be forgotten.
The Door white became President. In
| no other country could he have risen to
| the summit of power. On no higher
range of birth could he have learned that
sympathy with the slave and that con-
| sideration for the Shareholder which he
showed. The United States had slavery
as an institution, and compromised with
it as policy. Any less evil than slavery
would not have raised Lincoln to his full
moral stature"
Colonel Fuller introduced Mr.. Freder-
ick TAYLOR, who responded to the toast,
s'Ihe Humorous Side of Lincoln's Char
acter." Mr.. Taylor amused all present
by telling number of anecdotes, and
then Judge Dixon responded to the toast,
New Jersey"
A NOTABLE SPEECH.
''It is usual" said Judge Dixon, 'on
festive occasions like this, to call on the
Governor to respond to the toast which
has been assigned to me, and | think the
time bias gone by when members of the
party from which Governors of New Jer-
sey are chosen should have any objection
to speaking on such a topic before our as
sociation, organized to honor the
memory of Abraham Lincoln. For
the principles which made Lincoln call
himself Republican, third of a century
ago, opposition to the extension or sla-
very and an unconquerable love of the
Union, have no more to do with party
divivions today than have those prin-
ciples which made Thomas Jefferson call
himself Republican century ago.
"But perhaps when your President
asked me to speak to this toast. he did
not know what kind OF Governor he
might be having on the 18th OF February
then next. He knew who he would be,
but not what be would be. Looking,
however, today at what he is, am in
cIined today TO think that he would re.
ceive as hearty welcome in this as
sembly as he would in anv meeting
where lovers of New Jersey were congre-
gated. For across the line which in this
State marks off Democrats from Republi-
cans there runs another line which distin-
guishes partisans from patriots, and in
our estimation Governor Werts stands on
the patriotic side of that distinction. He
has declared, not only In word but by
conduct also, that while he will not be
unnindful of party interests, he deems
himself The Governor of all the people and
the highest good the chief object of his
ambition, and means so far as in him lies
to establish his party's claim to favor
upon its success in furthering the welfare
of the State. In this purpose we all, l
trust, are ready to bid him GOD speed.
So in responding for New Jersey l am
glad to be able to say have faith in her
Chief Executive.
JERSEY JUSTICE.
Zone subject for State pride has long
been Jersey JUSTICE an expression COM
mouly denotiug the vigor and impartial
ity with which criminals were punished.
1t is not for me to detract from this self
satisfaction.
''But pardon me for suggesting that this
pride should not be unalioyed. The ulti-
mate aim of the criminal law is to pre-
vent acts which are injurious to society,
and its justification depends mainly, II not
wholly, upon its tendency 10 accomplish
this end. Now the preventive energy of
the law lies in the certainty and the
celerily with. which the penalty falls upon
the head of the wrongdoer. Delay the
punishment unduly and you destroy its
certainty, and so emasulate its power.
Well, within the past few years, changes
have taken place in our criminal laws,
and their administration, which. at the
option of wealthy criminals, can
often defer the penalty almost indef-
nitely, so that The deterring fear of i'm
prisonment has nearly ceased to be a factor
i'll securing the proper behavior of rich
men. II no other motive avails to pre-
serve their rectitude. the criminal law
becomes merely the basis for an
arithmetical comparison between the
nd ho af
crime The poor offender, who
cannot purchase the writs of
error that keep the sentences in suspense
is generally hurried to his merited doom
with commendabie promptitude. while
the richer convict enjoys the freedom of
his bail piece at the price only of his
counsel fees. Such differences are not
contributve to public good. l am not of
those who would paint justice blind. l
woulp picture her rather as the allseeing
eye. But when she discerns every
detail OF the case in hand, l would
have her remember that wealth,
by lessening the temptation to
crime aggravates It's lniqulty, and
by increasing the means OF evading pun
isnment calls for the heavier penalty that
may finally descend. So let Jersey jus
tice beware Let her take heed that she
be not disgrnced; that this crown of
beauty which she has worn, sparkling in
the eyes OF AIl ner sister states, De not
torn from her brow.
.Iu our form of government this rule is
the law. President, Governors, Judges.
Legislators, even popular majorities
have no orgnized authority over US.
On this basis all political power rests.
1t becomes us then TO see to it tba6 the
law be deemed sacred. Particular laws
we all may dislike and labor to repeal,
but we must insist that SO long as they
remain they shall be enforced and obeyed.
Let us. having adopted the noblest politi-
cal institutions which human wisdom mas
yet devised. preserve them as guaran-
tee of even handed justice aud undinch-
they will fail and go down.
POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE.
"There is one otner thought that 1
would present to you us helpful to the
welfare of our State. We need more of
personal independence in public affairs
DO not presume that am about TO de-
nounce the machine in politics. Parties
are the necessary fruit of popular govern
menJ. and organization is as essential to
O party as it is TO the State. You might |
as well try to make the grains Of powder
propel the ball TO the target without con-
fining them in the cannon, as to make |
the voices of the multitude effective iu
the State without enclosing them |
in party organizations. Party |
machinery is Indispensable. But |
do not lose sight of its appropriate func !
tion Ii is useful as Il means, not as an |
end. A political machine, which exists |
only for the sake of its own existence,
which has not for its object the general