The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-17
TUESDAY. MARCH II. 1896.
This paper is Democratic in principles
and is Independent IN its rie,cs on all local
questions.
The Ovsr-Prosecution OF Editor
Refner.

Refner.
Just what the merits of the contro-
versy between Editor Reiner of the Cen
trail New Jersey Herald and Mayor
Rankin of Elizabeth may be, we have no
desire to estimate Ii would be improper
to express an opinion. as the controversy
10 In a fair way of being submitted to a
jury. We cannot help making some COM
ment. however. upon the very peculiar
way in which the prosecution of Reirer
is being pursued.
This man has been arrested upon
twsnty-six indictments for libel. all grow
ing out Of one general attack, and nine
Of them being based upon a single article.
This Is in itself a gross abuse of the law.
The Prosecutor. when the first of the al
legged lfbels appeared. did not cause Rein
ef's arrest. He waited until he was in a
position to make SO many charges that
the procurement of bail. especially at the
rate set by the Union County Court of
s500 on each indictment. was a practical
impossibility. He thus secured the certain
punishment of Reiner, by Imprisonment
of considerable duration, no matter how
the trials on the indictments may result.
This is all wrong, as is also the proceed
ing of basing several indictments upon
one article. It is turning the machinery
of justice into an fundamentally of pri-
vate vengeance. Reiner may be the black
est criminal in the State. but he has
his rights before trial, and they should
not be sacrificed even as a peace offering
10 the wounded sensibilities even of so
very high-toned a citizen as Mayor Ran
kin. Imprisonment upon Indictment is JUS
response of the accused when called for
trial. Any bail that will secure that re-
suit is ample, and is all that the Courts
have a right TO demand. AS Judge Van
Syckel very justly said, the amount of
the bond should therefore be proportion
ate. to the probable penalty. There can be
no doubt but that the sum set BY His
Honor at Trenton yesterday was suffi-
cient and more than sufficient to secure
sheAends of the law.
It is not denied that feeling has been
wrought up-to a high pitch against
Reiner in Union County. He should be
granted a change of venue for his trial.
The accumulation of indictments and the
piling up of bail against him show how
great a handicap he would have to over
come if tried in Mayor Rankin strong
hold.
THE Consolidated Traction Company
deserves the warm thanks of the COM
munfty for the splendid service which it
gave yesterday. With the old horse cars
traffic would have practically some to a
standstill, but there was no time on any
line when the electric cars failed to make
regular, frequent and fairly rapid trips.
Perhaps the greatest wonder of all is
that the lines across the meadows to
Newark were kept open. The whole re-
suit shows that we have reached the
point where nothing short of a blizzard
will tie up the city.
THE papers Of both parties unite In
condemning the wildcat scheme of hori-
bly, made itself responsible for. last week.
Employees of the State are as a rule un-
derpaid already, and a proposal to reduce
their compensation by a fixed percentage
=. 49, A.-t--1.-- AZ T. .-..Ist-.-
Men of ability can get better pay in any
private business than they can in public
situations, whereas the State should take
the lead in setting a high standard Of
salaries.
Any proposal to reduce the salaries of
the Judges is especially vicious. That
mawkish sheet, the Newark Call fav-
ors cutting down the Chancellor and the
Supreme Court Justices to $1,000 a year.
and the minor Judges In proportionate
degree. This is like the s.Cali," with
which meanness. smallness and narrow
ness of all sorts. invariably count a.. vir-
tue. But the State at large win certain
ly not tolerate the substitution of cheap
iHcompetency on the bench for learning
and industry at what is, after all, small
pay in comparison with the emoluments
of private practice.
The Morris Canal aud Water supply
This is the way the Tribune speaks
OF the bill to break up the monopoly of
the potable water Of the State which the
Supreme Court branch recently conferred
Upon the Morris Canal and Banking Conn
pany:-
Senate Daily stands sponsor for a mod
est bill allowing Jersey City to condemn
the Morris Canal for water supply pur-
poses If the municipality so desires.
Senator Days bill does not condemn
the Canal. It authorizes proceedings in
tAe courts for the condemnation Of 50
much Of the water rights claimed by the
Canal as may be absolutely necessary to
give Jersey city-or any other city-a
supply Of pure and wholesome water
from the northern watersheds Of the