New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-17
FOR EQUAL TAXATION.
A SPIRITED PUBLIC MEETING HELD IN
JERSEY CITY.
CONGRESSMAN MEwAN AND ALLAN L. MDER-
MOTT MAKE ELOQUENT APPEALS FOR pop
ULAR DEMoNSrRATIoN-A DELEGATION
OF CITIZENS TO CALL on THE LEG
STATURE AND ASK THE PAS
SAGE OF THE BILL on

SAGE or The BILL ON
THE SUBJECT.
spirited public meeting was held at the City
Hail. Jersey City. Saturday night to discuss the
question Of equal taxation The meeting was ar
RANGED by the League OF Good Government clubs
and the Board OF Trade. Its object was to arouse
public sentiment and awaken the people to take an
active part inducing the Legislature to pass and
the Governor to sign Assembly bill No. !.
The bill H. perfect equal taxation measure,
but A compromise to avoid the opposition Of the
legislators representing the rural districts by avert
ing State 1t annuls the act giving the rail-
way corporations the benefit OF A special and 10"
rate and provides that the corporations shall pay
the same rate as the individual The money goes
direct to the city. town. or township. in which
the railway property Is located. except one-haif
OF per cent which goes to the State. \ delegation
Of Jersey city citizens will go before the Legisla-
tive Committee this afternoon and urge the commit
tee to present promptly favorable report The
meeting SATURDAY. night was to induce those pres
ent 10 unite With the delegation and make II a
strong and representative one.
Jcssph 4 Dear Of the Board Of Trade. elected
Chairman. Of the meeting. and George W. Russell
secretary The chairman said that II was remark
Alb. that such meeting should be held In city
where political lines are so rgidly drawn and po-
Aucal war 80 bitterly waged.
Congressman Thomas McEwan. jr. in an earnest
speech declared that q, was question OF justice
and patriotism Il WIS the question wnich haH
caused the Revolutionary War. and the same spirit
should prevail now From time immemorial taxes
had been levied on only two classes OF property
real and personal The railway corporations had
introduced a third In New -Jersey-railway property
II was unjust and un-American. he declared. to
make a special rate FOR these corporations ana IN
crease the burdens Of the individual. II was not
question OF politics he said. and he urged every
man put aside politics ana 90 MS uu'' !" 7'OP
this unfair discrimination.
Allan l.. McDermott delivered a long ana instruc-
five address It was full OF subtle prods at Governor
G-ggs The speaker said that the CHER executive
officer II honestly In favor OF equal taxation cond
readily exercise his power and secure IL. ana II ne
dd Il he would enjoy the distinction OF being the
second Governor OF New-Jersey who favored eq""'
taxation After expressing doubt that the Governor
would holm them the speaker said that II he erred
he would gladly retract a.. he had said during the
rec4n, campalgn and would Enthusiastically shout
Governor Grlggs's praises CONCESSIONS NJ S3'''
had been made TO canal and railway corporations
I'm order to encourage enterprslng capitalists anu
the same sentiment prevails In the agricultural as
trlcis and they would encounter the opposition %
the representatives OF these districts IN their EFFORTS
10 secure equal taxation. II was human he SAID
TO avoid paving taxes and he never. In his long
experience met a man who compialhed because us
tax BIZ was not high an that OF MS neienoo''
He recounted the long night waged for equal taNa-
ton which eliminated In the compromise OH OF 'N'
The fight. he said. stu on. lie expiaihei ''e
system OF assessing railway property ana quote
the agures to snow that I'm Jersey cry the railway
companies paid S3sj,ep for taxeS. and II the prop
erty was owned by Individuals and ihey gllE Ue
local rate they would be forced ~ pay 80, '0 ,. 90
sJi2 90 more than the railway corporations. NJ
condition OF affairs. he said could not continue
murh longer IN Jersey cry and Hudson county
ana emnheticaliy exclaimed 1T means death"
In speaking OF their contemplated appeal TO we
legislature he said that the rural legislator wVuIl
he moro AMI 10 listen to the railway agent wnom
he owe than to the protestant he does not KNOW,
The npht ne said was between the people anu wy
railway corporatlons: II was to the knife, ana
the people would win The remedy ne He,,atru, We
In the ballot box People must lay ASIDE tnrir par.',
protuiices-lt was not "A question OF poiitcs "a
make their demand AS "A unii ana tneh VOC d.
unit Then equal taxation would come