The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-30
Our SPECIFICS Assemblymsn

IluSG nave IediiLto VIII hSo1
the folly Of their course in sending to
the Assembly none but inarticulates
and incapables. This policy has be en
pursued because men of ideas and
energy, men who could argue and de-
bate, men who would play a mans
part in a Legislative body, could not
be relied upon as subservient tools.
A certain class of local bosses-especi =
ally in Hudson and Essex counties,
have willed it that only persons whom
they could absolutely control should
occupy seats in the Senate and As
sembly.
And so it happened last night. that
when the Republicans launched out
on a wild course of partisan legisla-
ton. there was not a man on the floor
of the Assembly to stem the tide.
There was no leadership. no concerted
action. There was no display OF
shrewd parliamentary tactics. There
was no debate worthy of the name.
Not one speech was made in defence
of the Democratic laws or the Demo-
cratic Office holders. There was no
exposure of the greed and imposture
which underlie the Republican plans.
One or two bitter remarks of a sar-
castle kind-not bad in their way
were uttered by members of the
Democratic minority, but there was
absolutely nothing that could be
called opposition to the Republican
programme. Mr.. Cross, Mr.. Salinger
and Mr.. McEwan had the field all to
themselves. and they just gathered in
everything in sight.
There was a time when Robert
Hudspeth, William c. Heppenhe inner,
John G. Besson, Lawrence Pagan,
Michael j. O'Donnell, William Nc
Adoo, Allan L. McDermott and Ed
ward f. Mcdonald and other men of
similar high character and ability sat
in the New Jersey Assembly. With
just one such man to speak for the
Democracy, the ridiculous crowd of
demagogues and office-grabbers, who
now have the control, would have a
painful ordeal to go through in real
izing its selfish schemes. 1t would
have to face daily exposure of its mo-
tives, daily proof of the soundness of
the Democratic party's record as Gus
todian of the public interests. There
are errors of certain democrats for
revenue which cannot be defended,
and which no honest man would I'M
dertake to defend. But the Repub-
lican party should not be allowed to
misrepresent what is good and honest
through dishonest trading on one or
two evils.
There is at least this one good feat
ure in the system of election which is
to prevail henceforward. 1t will be
impossible to nominate ward heelers
and men of fourth-class brains and
experience for seats in the Assembly.
The county tickets must present to
the voters the names of lnen of we'll
known ability and tried honesty.
Henceforward, we see reason to hope,
there will be no lack of brilliancy on
the Democratic side of the Assembly,
and if the Republicans happen to get
a majority again, they, at least. will
not be able to carry through their
schemes without facing powerful bat
teries of Democratic truth.
Two of the reform" measures
passed by the Assembly last evening,
were plain. unadulterated grabs for
offices for hungry republicans. They
were the bills abolishing the Office OF
County Superintendent. and the Sup
erintendent of the State Capitol.
They throw out of Office three demo-
Gratis, and beyond all doubt the same
positions will be regretted, under
new names, for the benefit of three
republicans.
In the case of the Capitol Superin-
tendency, Mr.. McEwan frankly said
that it would be filed hereafter by an
employee of the State Treasurer's
office. 1t is we'll that the public should
see the imDudent juggle involved
in this proceeding. The bill is
passed with a flourish of trumpets
about economy. yet the scheme is al
ready cut and dried for keeping it in
existence in another form. Of course,
the position is an absolute necessity.
The Capitol must have aSu~perintend'
emit; but by making the post subordin'
ate to the State Treasurer, theRepubli-
can saints hope to capture it for one
of their heelers, as they expect in a
short time to elect a Republican State
Treasurer.
The County Superintendencies are
also to be transferred to republicans. a
Democratic member asked what the
bill abolishing these offices meant. 1T
is to legislate out of Office two dis
tinguished Democratic statesmen in
Jersey City and Ne wark, replied Mr..
Cross OF Union, with an almost 1n-
credible cynicism.
Mr.. Salinger went a step further.
He bluntly explained that the inten-
ton was to place the power OF ap-
pointing these officials in the (he