New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-09
DTSGRACE TO JERSEY JUSTICE.

A last word now. by way Of Strengthening ma
closing the record in the case OF Bernard ..
Ford ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of the Newrcrsey
St,tehouse We have no disposition to make u
sconocoat Of Ford nor is there n desire mere 10
throw unon his shoulders all the punishment
and infamy of the crimes committed against the
State during the era OF plumber coincident win
rord's supcrintendency: but it is important 10
,he cause of Justice and good government that
the exact situation should be set forth at this
time.
If is true that all the men accused of plumber
;,,, tho Stare during the period referred to have
escaped the laws rctributon. and this has been
urged as one of the principal reasons why Ford
shoud not have been severely dealt with But
It must be remembered that their position WAS
wholly different from his. They knew only OF
their own wrongGoing and could have told htile'
If ANYTHING. TO aid in bringing out the truth re-
Cardng the conspiracy of robbery. Ford now
over held the key to the whole story. He alone
of all the PERSONS indicted could have traced II
from beginning TO end He alone could have
told the authorship and origin of the system
undcr which contractors were blackmailcl. and
by which the contractors rccouped themselves
=. tho eyncnse OF the State 10y charging cx-
traOrlnary prices. lie al"H' ''"'" nav
how the money was collected and TO whom he
paid it, But he refused TO give any lniorihh
tion on these points and the Senate lnvesii-
eating Committee tried in vain 10 get from nm
| facts that would have enabled It t. unravcl the
| whole villany. and thus render similar ac'S I'M
possible during this generation at least. stand
ing thus before the public in an attitude OF con
tumaclous defiance he appealed for clernency'
a h.. nlssn
who believe more in mercy than justice In pre-
senting petitions Of that character TO the court
Joseph Coult made these statements:
saw that Fords offence is a minor one. and
that he is not the chief offender. His wrong
deeds were not committed through corrupt mo-
tives nor out OF bad heart Public virtue at
that time was not aroused as 1t Is now on that
no,nt The money which ne wrongfully took from
the State has been returned and the recommen-
datons OF mercy and statements OF the members
of the Investigating Committee and men VINO are
so well acquainted with the transactions IS the
almost unanimous expression OF public opinion.
The offence which Mr. Coult describes as Il
minor one Is that Of having allowed himself
TO be used a tool by which the state was
robbed wholesale and corruption funds were
enriched to the extent OF thousands OF dollars.
As to the statement that Ford returned the
money belonging 10 the State Mr. Coult Is not
altogether accurate. Ford paid back into the
State Treasury less than S115O and 1t was
estimated by member Of the Investigating
Committee that the former Superintendent col
lected at least $4,000 or 100000 in ''divvcs y
This takes no account Of the hundreds Of thou
sands of dollars OF dishonest profits which the
contractors were allowed TO take from the ex-
chequer. As to the almost unanimous express
sion Of public opinion" the less said about that
the better The people Of New-Jcrsey regard
Ford more with pity than cnmty. 1t would
have pleased them to see Ford walk forth a free
man without punishment rebuke If he had
told what they had "A right to know. Instead
Of making that concession TO popular sentiment
Ford chose to protect those who had led him
into his trouble, and dissatisfaction at the out
come arises from the fact that they have been
able to reciprocatc by parayzlng the arm Of
justice
The whole chapter from beginning to end is
one that no Jerseyman who loves his State ear
look back upon without shame and humilia
ton