The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-09
Judge seymour's Defence oil the Loan
SWindler.

SWln0Iefs
We print in our news columns today a
long letter from e~x-Judge RodericK D.
seymonr counsel for the swindling man,
Roper of the Mutual Land and Building
syndicate. and a trustee orsdireetor OF
the queer concern itself. We print TINS
letter in accordance with our fixed pohcy
of giving everyone fair and full oppor-
t1lnity to defend himself when attacked
We allow the asperities of the Judge $
language to appear just as ne wrote
them. because we know no better way
of showing our utter contempt LOT such
foolish and reckless accusations as ne IN
dulge in.
IT is almost needless for us to say
that 1.-THE News has not one particle Oh
malice or anger in his crusade, or AM
mns of any sort. a the impulse to
do its duty by laying bare the opera
tions of a man or a concern which Is
nravins upon the weaker part of the
public. We have no antipathy to the
man, Roper, apart from his acts anu
for Judge Seymour we have so muca
friendship as to sincerely lament that
he is embarked in so bad a cause.
Neither is there the remotest ground
for the allegation thai 1.-THE News has
been mislead. misinformed, misdirected,
or deceived in any way. 1.-The News
fully knows what it is doing, and 1t mas,
down to date. the decisions of compe-
tent courts, in at least hall a dozen
cases, to back up its allegations.
The Judges entertaining lecture on the
general principles of the Building and
Loan system is as sound as it is lucid.
1t has no bearing, whatever, on the
case. The question is not how the Syn
dictate ought to do business; it is now
tbe syndicate did do business. There is on
this point an enormous mass of concur
rent testimony. There are, at the low
est calculation, a score of victims ready
to proye that O or other agents of
the concern-whether with or without
authority we do not pretend to say-dld
make fraudulent representations to per-
sons to induce them to subscribe,
promising them the very things which
Judge Seymour today points out, could
not possibly be promised with honesty.
Justice Potts yesterday, a report of
which appears in connection with Mr..
Seymour's letter, may well serve as an
epitome of all. 1t fully illustrates the
swindling system carried on by Roper.
and the business methods by which he,
if not the Syndicate. ave fieeced simple
people.
We refrain from making more than
passing comment on the notorious char
acter of Roper himself. He is an ex-
convict, with a thoroughly bad record.
His employment is a disgrace to the
syndicate, if honest business is its aim.
IT would be a crime to pass over in
silence the infamous outrage on justice
perpetrated yesterday in the arrest on a
warrant issued by Justice of the Peace
Weed of the victim and accuser of Ro-
per. The charge was perjury, and it
was based on afidavits in which Justice
Potts had just expressed his belief by
placing Roper under bail for the Grand
Jury. This shameful insult to Justice
Potts, and outrage IN al innocent citi-
zen of another State was one of those
acts which make the people cry out for
the abolition of the Justice of the Peace
system. sr 5ar y
Admit that Weed acted in good faith,
admit that he had no option but to issue
the warrant was laid before him, still Is
1t not an abomination that one magistrate
should be thus permitted to interfere
With and complicate the proceedings be-
fore another of higher rank.
If the charge was bona fide, why did
not Roper and his attorney lay it before
Justice Potts? There is only one answer:
Because Justice Potts was too honest
for them.