New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-05
THE TOORHEES REPORT


Tho Governor of NcwJcrsey is required by
tbc Constitution Of that State to communicate
hv message TO the Legislature at the opening Oh
oach session and at such other times as he may
deem necessary. the condition or the S'a'e' anu
70 recommend such measures as he ma! u'Fih
cxnodient. Yesterdays meeting or the Lesls
loture was not exactly the opening oil ne"
session. but merely renewal OF thal ol i'sV VII"
tor Thercfore there was no legal need OF Il mes
sooo from the Governor, 1t not, apparently, DeihS
ono Of the "other times when such coliiihu'lio'
tion was deemed by him to be necessary. Inc
;,,.uro did not however have TO 60 without
- oeso,,o II GOT one and such one as no
co,.ornor has sent for many a year. Indeed II
= s,,oh q message as no recent Governor OF
\o,,.. Iorsov could ever have been prevailed upon
:, ,,;,o Yot thc bulk Of its contents belonged
.;o,,,. ~ tho Governors sphere of observalloh
and ,,;ob, and should long ago have been re-
,,a..oa Inv him to the Legislature. And II WAS
iorro,v hocouse the present eminently respectable
Governor and his various predecessors hhu ci'','
o,,;r,,od thcir duty or actually connved ut evil
ao,,c ,h,, This extraordinary message had TO he
nrenorod and the Legislature rcasselhpiou ~
consider 1t. r.,
This message. or report. Of the voorhees, III
vesticating Committee will cause no di>appo'n
mont 10 good citizens If ii provokcs no especi'i
sunrise that will be because the meetings 81
tho committee have been so open ana 50 iuii'
,ono,tod that every one knows already all ABOUT
,ba revelations il has made. Nevertheless, even
,hos. ,vho have followed the investigation most
c,osclv will do well to read very thoroughly ana
,houchtfully the text Of the report. as we present
{, an ono,her page Of this impression. They VIII
find II "micbty interesting reading 1t Is ah-
,o;r,h,v written. without a touch OF bitterness
or of huncombe 1t is calm. dispasSiona'e.
commemorative and judicial recapittlation OF
what was discovered and substantially proven
nv tho Investigation, together with numerous
wise recommendations Of ways and means OF
oorroctinc the abuses exposed. 1t is absolutely
convincing 10 the honest mind, and absolutely
damning to the Ring and Gang VINO nave ioi
year, made Trenton their chief punder-pch.
There is no mincing Of words, and no discrlih-
nation Of party in its dealings with Offenders
The State House management, says 'he r'Pol''
wos marked by deliberate, systematic swim
ding" to which a State Controller was an act""
and active party. and for which Governor was
largely to be blamed. In the matter Oh Inc
nr;nting or the laws the State has been afro
ciously robbed under guise OF legal forms II
has had to pay $4,000 year, while FOR more
effective work Massachusetts pays only S"'ooo'
Ninety papers throughout the state nave snare"
the plundcr Forty-fve Of them are Democratic
and fory-fve Republican, But the Dlparusah-
shin of the job secures for 1t no immunity from
this committees scathing condemnation In ms
and other printing matters. says the report the
State Controller showed himself either knave
or a fool And then. after drawing attention 10
rho great cos, of doing public printing in Ger
man and Italian and other foreign languages, 1t
strikes a clear bold note that should arouse re-
sponsivc echoes in all patriotic hearts: Amer
can citizens should learn the English language
New-Jcrscy requires Of every alien five years
residence AS a prerequisite to NATURALIZATION III
In that fine he has not learned TO read the Ian
euage of his adopted country, he Is not worthy
Of citizenship.
The subject of fees in the courts, especially in
the Supreme Court and Court OF Chancery. Is
exhaustiycly and convinclngly discussed The
clerks have for wears been enjoying princey
revcnues from that source, with scarcely any
responsibility or accounting 10 the STATE. lhe
report urges the abolition Of some fees altogether
and the reduction Of Others to less IMAM one
third their present amount Also, that the clerks
be required TO conduct their work as admins
traitors for the State, and not after the farming
out" fashion so long and so prOitably III vogue
To the venerable and austere Mr.. Kelsey ana ms
| wondrols manipulation OF State funds IN ac
! cOrdance with his own personal, INDIVIDUAL
singular and solitary Interpretation or the laws
the committee addresses itself AT length ana VIII
much emphasis. We need not rehearse all lt'
| arguments and conclusions here; the matter mas
very recently been discussed in detail In these
columns But Of all the unfalthful servants OF
the State none Is more ptilcssly pillored in this
| renort than he In the case OF the great maj
swiudle the committee does not hesitate to pro
nounce the Secretary Of the State Board OF AS
SCISSORS guilty Of deliberate fraud.
No part Of the report merits more earnest at
tention than that which relates TO the Board OF
Pardons body which. the committee frankl!
and truthfully declares, has lost the confidence
Of the peoplc" Four specific cases of sordid ano
scherning devil.ry on the part Of the majority OF
that tainted Board are given. All are familiar
TO the public, but mention OF them should be
made again and again, until popular wrath Il
made concrete and effective against any possible
rendition Of such nfames One was the case OF
a notorious woman. convicted Of violent assault
She obtained pardon by virtue Of paying at th'
former Governors bidding fee OF $1,000 tt
lawyer who rendered therefor no service what
ever. But he was political pal" Of the Gov
crnor. The second was the case Of the gani
OF Hudson County election criminals. than whom
yilcr set Of scoundrcls never went unhangcd
They were promptly pardoned out. wholesale
without their asking 1t. But the chairman o
the State Committee Of that party which ha(