The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-25

people me meeting was called to order
by John Casey, who. with Andrew ].
Corcoran has been making determined
fight to compel the company to accede
to the demands of the public. For chair
man ex-Assemblyman William e. Drake
was chosen. Last year he introduced in
the Lower House ana secured the pas
sage through that House of a track ele-.
walton bill. In taking the chair he made
a brief speech in which he said he favor
ed the movement 1--WE want speedy and
complete abolition of the grade cross
ings,'' he said. I'VE must work together
and not ask, but demand, that the COM
pany rid this community of its death
traps If we cannot get the necessary
law passed this winter. we should see
to 1t that men are elected next fall who
will do as we wish. Success will crown
our efforts II we work in a determined
way
Counsellor William II. speer made a
rattling speech. Last year. he began,
.our chairman fathered track elevation
bill. Ia was passed by the Assembly,
hut the money of greedy corporations
killed it in the Senate. We are in this
fight to stay and the sooner we make the
Erie Railroad understand that fact the
will insist upon having is security of
life. Men never know when they start
across these grade crossings whether
without being mangied. Why civilized
people viii tolerate this juggernaut is
more tf1Ail l can understand. Year after
year lives are crushed out but the rail-
road continues undisturbedz Public sem
tlment has now been aroused and pre-
dict that a law will be passed to satisfy
n mi fS7,aat No., -
our property in our city depends upon the
abolition of grade crossings The idea of
q wealthy coropration pleading poverty
IS nonsenslcal. If the .stockholders OF
these tracks, the company should be
driven out of business. 1t is an insult to
pany cannot stand the expense. We are
the ones who are paying for this neglect.
Lives are being sacrificed daily. One
never knows when his or her children go
to school will they ever return. We have
rights and they should be respected and
believe it the duty of every man, woman
Trenton and demand of the Legislature
that no law for the relief of the Erie
Company in its reorganization scheme
be passed until Jersey City is given a
be elevated.
'sSuch a stand as this has been made
are making a determined fight for the
people. There is now a possibility of
getting these tracks elevated because OF
the pending reorganization bill. For
the throat and we should strangle it un-
til our demands are acceded to-.
Andrew j. CorcoEan was next intro
duced "When President Garfield was
made the victim of a shattered brain,
he began, "this whole country was up in
arms. Here in this city we tolerate grade
you to know that in a few years no less
than 215 lives have been sacrificed on
these crossings between the tunnel and
trainshed and still We. the sufferers, are
supposed to sit idly by and watch this
slaughter continue. Thank God the time
seems to be at hand when relief is COM
of this greedy corporation You speak. to
the officials of the road about the number
of lives lost and tAey calmly say the
employees of the road who are siaugh-
tered should not he counted among the
victims. Have not railroad men wives
and families depending upon them? Are
sort Of men? The impudence Of these
corporations and their indifference in
dealing with their subjects is shocking
u u Is % g 9a aeW rhSss 6sy nnecef
lives are crushed out. No discrimination
is made by the juggernaut. Children are
mangled as well as men What Sc
road? If our homes catch fire, the fire
engines. are. detained al these crossings
while, the Erie company has its cars
to its officials if our homes are des-
troyed and perhaps our wives and chill
dren burned to death?
1--WE never hear of millionaires or bond
holders being killed on these crossings.
1t is always unfortunate laboring men.
and they are the men we cannot spare.
THANK God relief is at hand, | be-
lieve. 1 believe this is an important
step for our city. l understand the rail-
road wants Jersey City to bear part
of the expenses of elevating the tracks.
Such a scheme as that l will never agree
to. The company can afford to pay for
this work if it will, and l believe it is
Ing to the fair minded men who are in
the Senate and Assembly
AT this junction telegram was re-
ceiygd from Myron b Furst, who of was vas
track elevation bill 1t was as follows:
Regret unavoidable absence. Heartily
synpathize with object of meeting, and
shall assist association by all honorable
means in my power to bring about aboli-
ton of death-dealing grade crossings"
Cheers greeted the reading of the des-
patch.
From Allan l.. McDermott the follow
ing letter was received:
s.yThis is the only community whose fair
demand for the doing of right is answered
by increase of wrong The tracks of the
steam railroads in old Jersey City from
the Morris Canal to the Hoboken line,
should cross our streets at an elevation
that will remove danger from those who
have the right to use those streets. The
question is not of dollars and cents, but
of life and limb The railroad terminals
in Jersey City are probably the most
valuable in the world, and no railroad
has any right to say that it cannot afford
to elevate its tracks here. A corporation
that can do. but won't do. should be
made to do. Ordinarily we have a long
battle ahead for justice when that justice
is dependant upon legislative action, but
we are now, fortunately in a position of
some advantage The scheme for the re-
organization of the Erie Railroad Com
pany needs the assistance of the Legis-
lature of New Jersey. That scheme, as
published, provides for the appropriation
of money to elevate the tracks of the COM
pany in this city, but the inclusion of the
item gives no assurance that the money
will be used for that purpose. Now, If
the Legislature will say, in granting the
relief asked for by the company that
its first step under reorganization shall
be to elevate its tracks in Jersey City,
those tracks will be elevated 1t, there
fore seems that the most determined
stand should be taken against the pas
sage of any remedial legislation desired
by this corporation which does not pro-
vide for immediate steps for the relief of
Jersey. City.
'srhe legislators from Hudson county
may be depended upon to make this de-
mand, and will be aided by those of their
colleagues who vote for the right because
it is right I had an Interview with Sem
ator Voorhees, last week, and 1t gives me
pleasures to report that he expressed his
to aid us in this matter
by insisting that the railroad bill shall