New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-17
POLITICS RUNS THE COURTS.
JUSTICE AND Ia " DEFIED.
pEPLORABLE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN
SOME NEw-JERsEY COUNTIES.

PROCURED AND WITHHELD THROUGH
POLITICAL INFLUENCE. TRIALS DE-
LAYED AND CRIMINALS ALLOWED
TO GO AT LARGE-wIDE FIELD
FOR INVESTIGATION BY
a SENATE COMMITTEE.
one Of the most important duties devolving upon
the LEGISLATURE is the appointment OF Senate
or Joint Committee to investigate the county courts
OF this State In the OF the last dozen years
there have been scandals nnumerable in connection
with the administration Of justice especially III
the courties of Middesex Hudson, Essex. Mercer
and Camden. Indictments have been found on film
sy evidence and for coercive purposes indictments
have been ncd untred over the heads of men active
In politics: indictments have been pigeonhoed or
nolle pressed when they touched friends OF the ring
or those who had made their peace with the ruling
powers and trials were so conducted as TO make
acquittal certain.
Until the Republican tidal wave Of 1898 swept
of office nearly all Democratic sherins. the
practice of Grand Jury packing for political pur-
poses common. but since then reliance has been
placed the Democratic judges and prosecutors
who control absolutely the matter of trying or
Quashins indictments
The results of the State House trials in Mercer
County furnish ample material for searching in
quiry The conduct Of trials In Essex OF Freeholcers
and others accused of grave offences furnishes an
other ripe subject. And with Hudson, Mddlesex
and Camden 1t may be said that fearless prob
ing of the whole subject Will involve some Republi-
cans Perhaps so. There is however. no good rea-
son why any guilty man should be shielded, regard
less Of his politics. Every who has hand In
perverting polluting justice deserves 20 be eN-
posed and punished. no matter what he calls himself
IN MIDDLEsEX COUNTY.
The courts OF Middlesex County have for long
period OF years been under Democratic control. and
have been used further the purposes of the Demo
cratic ring. which has been all powerful in the
county. These courts have been polluted with poll
tics and all the machinery of county government,
which IS at a., times within the control of the
courts. has felt the faint The subject is thoroughly
understood by the Republican State Committee,
and the Governor-elect. John w Grggs. IN his
speech at New-Brunswick on october 2S said: 1--WE
will take the judiciary out of politics. No judge who
knows any difference between Republican and
Democrat will now sit on the bench. We want to
turn the rascas out. If am elected Governor. out
they go; there be no doubt about that" That
sentiment elected the hearty applause Of crowded
house in the expression of which many honest
Democrats Joined.
one Of the blacklist crimes in the political history
OF New-Jersey the Democratic theft OF the
clerkshp of Mddlesex County in the fall of 1889
With that crime the entire Democratic party Of the
State can justly be charged for the Midesex
County Court. the Legislature of the State and the
Court of Errors and Appeals assisted In the wrong.
This has been distributed wide over the State
in pamphlet form under the caption The History
of Great Wrong" Briefly summarized, ii Is as fol-
lows: The candidates for County Clerk were John
II. Conger. Republican. and Patrick Convery Demo
crat. The election held on November o. 1883.
The Board OF County Canvassers found the total
number OF votes cast for Patrick Convery 10 be
5.s49 and for John II. Conger 1888 thus showing
seeming majority of sixteen for Convery
In the first polling place Of the Sixth Ward of New
Brunswick the returns showed sos votes for Con-
very and 100 for Conger. The normal Republican
this poll 200 and the small return
aroused suspicion. Investigation begun. and the
of l73 residents of the ward who had voted
for John II. Conger secured. The matter
taken into the courts. Congers counsel being
ex-senator A. V Schenck and Alan II. Strong, and
Convery's counsel being Robert Adra!n. then Sena
tor OF Mddlesex and later president of the Senate
and Allan McDermott. The hearing before Justice
Edward Scudder showed clearly that the balot-box
had been tempered with and ballots cast for Conger
taken out and others for Convery substituted in
sufficient numbers TO change the result of the cleo
tion. Judge Scudder, after the testimony was all in
and without the suggestion OF Mr.. Convery's coun
sell raised the question Of the jurisdiction of the
Circuit Court and also whether he could hear and
decide the case without a jury He accordingly GER
tioraried II to the Supreme Court on December 81
1889. had his doubts removed in the June term of
1890. and then rendered judgment June 9. 1890
that John H. Conser rad been elected clerk and
issued order OF custer to Convery Convery appealed
10 the Supreme Court in october. 1880. but the Cir
cult Court judgment affirmed in February
1881. Upon the afiirmance OF the judgment Con
gers counsel applied Judge Scudder for order
enforce IL by putting Conger possession of the
Office Judge Scudder refused TO hear argument IN
the absence Of the defendants counsel. who had
meanwhile brought writ Of error to remove the
judgment of the Supreme Court the Court of
Errors and Appeals. The legality Of such writ
in the doubted and so a law was rushed
he Leg nd fyad A h.
belts signature allowing the writ. The
argued before the Court Of Errors and Appeals in
the June term of 1884, and here Robert Adrain pro-
duced written dissenting opinion of Chief Justice
Beasley TO the Supreme Courts decision affirming
the Circuit Court judgment The Court OF Errors
and Appeals reversed the Supreme Court decision
upon purely technical grounds. and it was well un
derstood that the decision based upon political
grounds and for political motives. The effect OF 1t
was 10 have the retired before a jury and Mr..
Conger. refusing TO trust any Jury which might be
drawn In Midd'esex. dropped the case after a two
years Intellectual attempt TO secure his rights Thus
by unjust legislation and political chcanery John
H. Conger was deprived Of the Office which he
elected by the legal voters Of Mlddlesex County
The manner in which indictments have been
procured and prevented in Mddlesex through the
cooperation OF the Sheriff the Grand Jures and the
prosecutors Office is public scandal. An instance
is that of the Of john Meade a saloon keeper
Sayreville. On July L. 1894 a row occurred in his
aloon In which one Peter Keenan, was killed Meade
arrested charged with having caused Keenan's
death by kicking him in the stomach. But Meade
had political influence. and in a day OF two later
a Pole named Lutsk arrested for the murder
which it was alleged he committed after Quarrel
with Keenan,. The Coroner's jury, sitting on July
TO- returned verdict that Keenans death was
caused by injuries inflicted by Meade When the
next Grand Jury convened the case was considered
and TO indictment returned
One Of the chief points OF contention which Re-
pubicans and honest citizens fighting for in re-
gard 10 the courts in Middesex is the EXPENSE A.,
tachod TO running them. court in any county -
by no means a cheap institution. but the taxpayers
OF Middesex County cannot understand the neces-
sity OF the patent extravaganza. The following