The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-21
FALSE PRETENCES.
The &c onomy and Re.
form" Republicans Are
Pedd1ing In Trenton,
IA VERY WINDY ARTICLE.
Democrats Puncture the Bubbles
and Expose the Nothingness---
Rank Hypocrisy.
Special to the jersey CITY Ne,cs.


TRENTON, April 2l, 1894,-"It is a meas
ure in the interests of economy and reform
and legislates out of office useless and un-
. necessary Office holder" are the words fire.
quently heard in both houses of the Legis-
lature this session. They have almost en-
tirely supplanted the time honored phrase,
'this is good bill and ought to pass, and
old Pharisee ever dreamed of, Republicans
alone use them and they are always employed
urge along some one of the rank partisan
| measures which disgrace that party in this
State. Previous to the session much was
heard of the great economical and reform
work which the accidental majority pro-
posed to do, and they had hardly signed
their names to the oath when they began to
| tumble over themselves in their haste to
introduce these measures of reform and
economy
The first of these were introduced on the
first working day of the session and provides
for the reduction of the salary of the Cover
nor to S., 600 and placing the clerks of the
Supreme and Chancery Courts on salary OF
| S., 900, with $4,000 for assistants.
WANT THE OFFICES THEMSELVES.
There are many citizens and taxpayers
throughout the State who applauded these
| bills and locked upon them as true measures
in the interest of economy, and no doubt If
the Republicans had passed them they would
| have been applauded by those citizens But
now, since the Republics MS are in, their
cheeky shoutings about "Reform and
Economy were plainly demonstrated by the
| subsequ emit course of these bills. When
| they made their appearance the leaders
| of the party nailed them at once. They
| showed how, under the Constitution, the
| Governors salary could not be diminished
during his occupancy of the office, and they
| had no need of a reduced salary after Gov
ernor Werts' term expired, as his successor
might be republican. Should they sue
ceed in electing Governor next time, the
| fat Offices of the two courts, with all their
| emoluments and fees, would go to two good
republicans, and the idea of getting only
| $4,000 year out of an Office which is vari-
ouslY estimated to be worth from $20,0 to
| $40, 900 year, was not at all relished by the
willy old politicians who have their eyes on
those offices. So the word was passed TO put
| the bills to sleep, and no one knows what has
| become of them since the Committee on
| Judiciary, of which "Our Own Max is
| chairman, took charge of them.
| GAVE THEM A COLD SILVER.
| These specimens of Economy and Re
| form" gave the bosses cold shiver. They
| did not know what the underdone states
men would do next in their zeal. So they
called the Republican legislators together
| and had them appoint committee variously
known as the 'sCommittee on Partisan Leg
lation" and "The Steering Committee to
| take charge of all such measures. This
| tended to have a depressing effect upon old
| Geo nomy and Reform and nothing was
heard from them for some time Then up
| they bobbed serenely, and two bills abolish
! ing the three Democratic police justices IN
Jersey City and Newark and putting in their
places two economists and reformers of the
| Alex Dusenbery stripe.
| In order to give this measure semblance
| of being in the interests of economy they re-
| duced the number of the justices from three
| to two. There was much opposition to this
at first. 1t was shown that Newark re-
quired three justices, and some good re-
publicans required the office. There were
quieted by gentle tip from the bosses that
| If they would let the bill go through as it
was in order to brace up little old s'econ-
| omy and REFORM bill would be rushed
| through next winter providing the other
| place.
This quieted the opposition, and the bill
passed the House. 1t is now in the Senate,
and will take the usual course of like meas
ures OF economy and reform"
FIGHTING OVER THE STATE HOUSE.
| The next spasm of reform which seized the
Republicans produced the bills for obtaining
possession of the office of Superintendent of
| the State House. 1t is conceded by all,
| Republicans and Democrats alike, that Mr..
Ford made a singularly efficient superin-
| tendent, and that the State House and
| grounds were never in such excellent con-
! dition as he has placed them. But he had to be
| reformed and economical as only republicans
| can do it and bill was introduced placing
the appointment to his office in the joint
meeting Then came another putting him
out of the Office. These passed the House
| in ho fn
with its characteristic modesty, made all its
arrangements to gobble the Office. Senator
| Skirrn objected and said that Essex
had enough and he thought Mer-
Ger would take this office, and as he said
| it he put his foot down hard. When Senator
Skirm's foot goes down, it stays Neither
| Yielded, and the fight went merrlly on until
| Wednesday when it was settled by the in
| PRODUCTION of bill providing for superin-
| tendent at 50, COO and an assistant at 81, 800.
Once more the dear people who had sent the
| accidents there sin the interests of good and
economical government" as Mr.. Storrs likes
! to saw, were assured the trust would not be
| betrayed, but ECONOMY and Reform
blushed for keeps Mr.. Ford receives So, 600
a year.
| A more hypocritical act was never at
| tempted in the name of two virtues than the
| grab which the Jersey City republicans
| have made for Poormaster Hewit's Office. AS
| one OF the leadlng mempefS ol tueir party
| who lives in Jersey City said when the bill
| came in, ssIt is shame and an outrage
Mr.. Hewitt has managed the poor depart
ment in a most efficient and economical man
ner, and no one republican or democrat
can say anything against his administration
| of the Office of OveTseer of the Poor. The
bill taking his position from him is still In
( the committee. But the crowd of starving
office seekers from Jersey City who are
here declare with glee that Mr.. Hewitt will
have to go. A republican wants the office,
| of course in the interests of sseco comy and
| reform"
rApmunnAVrc An ATHENS