The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-03
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1895.
This paper is Democratic m principles
End is Independent in ats vieaos on u" local
tuestsons.
Judge Lipplnco.c. Charge.

Judge Lippincotcs Charge.
While, of course, abuses of all sorts
Mould be remedied and corruption pun
shed, wherever found, it is still to be re-
.retted that Judge Lippineott should
lave found it necessary to address to
he Grand Jury a charge of such ex-
eeding bitterness as that which he de-
tvered yesterday. The curse of Jersey
lily is the cynical distrust of every
fublic mind. 1t paralyzes progress,
toisons public spirit and renders enter
rise of every sort abortive. Suspicion
nd dependency are the most marked
eatures of public opinion and public
ointment and as a result the city is
n many respects a quarter of a century
iehind the age.
When this state of things is discussed
onversationally, the same explanation
If it is always given by som old time
dtizen. He says, in effect, "If you hin
# the way this city has been robbed for
he last fifteen years. you o wonder
hat taxpayers are suspicious of every
me-" This may or may not explain the
norbid tone of the public mind. Other
ities have been robbed too. New York
lad it's Tweed ring and Philadelphia its
dcManes Gas Trust. Newark has been
ooted to no small figure, and Paterson
las been victimized by many abuses.
ONE revealed in legal proceedings and
ithers still mere matters of conjecture.
ret in none of these places named nor
q any other we can think of lave the
o strange the aspirations of the present
IS In Jersey City.
The main cause of the difference is
hat in this city the carping and COM
Ilaining never cease. Year after year,
campaign after campaign, month after
month, and week after week the same
lull, mournful croak of Fraud, Fraud.
FRAUD drones through the air and chills
he hearts of people who might other
wise look ahead and build up the town
IN a foundation of h~opefulness. There is
40 enterprise undertaken which is not
poner or later enveloped in a deadly
mist of suspicion and innuendo. There
s no man goes into office, no matter
low high his character. no matter how
intense his popularity, but he has all
torts of shafts of calumny and detraction
evelled at him before he has been in the
public service a year. His motives are
mpugned, his judgment is condemned,
ais very personal honesty is attacked
with hints and differences. One branch Of
he city government has come to be
commonly known as t.the grave of po-
itieal regulations" and the general at
nosphere has come to be SO ~surchargec
With evil thought that it is hard to gel
Ielf respecting men of either party te
,rave the inevitable obloquy of public
bfice.
Now it is unnecessary to say that we
10 not assume to criticize the action Of
fudge Lippincott in his charge to ths
Jury. We do not doubt for a moment
that he was animated by a pure sense
IF duty. We do not doubt but tales hat
been poured into his ears on all sides
which left him no choice as an uprfgh'
nudge but to order the inquisitorial brancl
bf our legal machinery to inquire int
heir truth. But we reiterate that it IL
/ most deplorable thing that a judge
should be compelled to make such {
charge from the bench n thus give !
aew shock to public confidence, a new
impulse to the belief that all public mel
ire thieves and all public works ar
rotten, a new warn and wool of doub
and fear to the wet blanket which pre-
vents Jersey City from being as othe-
stiles of 100000 inhabitants are. No doub
The Judge has only done his duty; Blu
sad responsibility rests upon thos'
who have filed his mind with an all
,ervading disbelief in the health or sound
ness Of any branch of the public service
III Hudson County.
The sweeping attack upon. the Count.
Road was certainly a surprise to tn
community. This work has been i
charge of a man. who. when he under
took control Of it. ranked in this cit
as irreproachable. He was chosen an