Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-04-21
A Letter FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
The penei1 pushers Lot Is
Not a Happy One.
COMBINES" and COUNCILS CONSIDERED.
SOME INTERESTING CONUNDRUMs, con-
CERNING CITY POLITICS, PROPOUNDED
FOR SOME ONE TO ANSWER. THE TURN
PIKE COMBINE TEMPORARILY CHEERFUL.

Hard is the lot of the pencil pusher.
For many years | have written more or
less for the nef 5papers, and to-day | can
conscientiousl say that | have never
sent an arti for publication in my
whole life tha was intended to misrep-
resent or wrd g any one. Very early in
my journalistic experience was taught
to send the news as | found it without
fear or favor and without regard to who
might or might not be hit. This | have
tried to do to the best of my ability, and
L expect to continue in the same direction
as long as | WELD a pen. Ny idea Of a
newspaper is that it belongs to the
people, without whose patronage it can
not exist, and that they pay for the news
of the day and have a right to expect
that it shall be served up to them truth
fully, and particularly upon subjects in
which they are vitally interested. My
political views never cut any figure in my
writings for the PRESS. | recognize the
other fellows right to vote himself and
expect the same courtesy froA Others
that | SO cheerfully concede to tkenl
Acting upon this principle / give
synopsis of events as find them, in the
plainest language l can employ, and
leave Others to draw their own con-
clusion.
The Review, after feeding at the Coun-
ellis crib for lifetime, has gone into fit
of the doleful dumps because the present
Council decided not to make it one of the
official papers any longer. 1t keeps
prodding what it calls the new Com
bine," aud intimates that they are an
awful set of men who are prepared, at q
moments notice, to work everlasting
ruin to the city and all its interests
This is too distressingly funny for any
thing when we remember that the new
Council contains only two men who were
not members of the old Council which the
Review so greatly admired as long as the
feed" held out. Brother Shreve has
been playing the baby act in great style,
and it may be that the boys who COM
pose the Council may see their way clear
to put the Review back again in the old
stall where it can againNpick up few
crumbs of comfort. Since | have known
Atlantic City | have noted the acts of
Council and say, without fear Of sue
cessful contradiction, that the members
compare favorably with any similar
body of men in the State, and | have
found them, SO far as my acquaintance
extended, ready to give any proper infor-
nation that would interest the public.
Combine or no Combine they are for
the people and the people are for them,
as was pretty clearly demonstrated at
the last election when the Dump Masters
made the effort of their life to defeat
Barton and Kelley in the Fourth Ward.
But the people said No aud elected them
after fierce struggle. Now why did the
Turnpike Combine want to defeat Mr..
Barton? Who will answer Perhaps I
will, myself, in the near future, if some
one else doesn't. Again, why did the
Turnpike Combine want to defeat
Kelley? Was it because they felt assured
that he would not take orders" from
them but would, like Barton, stand for
the best interests of Atlantic City and for
the people of his ward?
Again, how was it that the Atlantic
City r. r. was SO anxious and SO active
for the defeat of these men?
One more Conundrum. Why was it
that the effort to plunge the West Jersey
and Seashore R. R. into the fight against
George Long and Barton and Kelley i
failed? Was it the fool friends of the
Pennsylvania R. R. that advised this
folly? Was it the same gentlemen who
tried to defeat Father Sam. Rose the
last time he ran for Council-and was :
elected? Was it the same men who
kept the fight up between Father"
Rose and the r. r. Company until it
cost the latter many thousand dollars?
All tine damage they did Rose was to
disturb his remarkable good nature just :
q little bit and caused him to provide
himself with a hatchet which he keeps
good and sharp, and conveniently handy
for future use, Perhaps the Review can
answer some of these questions if it can
forget its loss of '-provender" long
enough to consider them. The present
Combine seems to be for the best in
terest of the taxpayers, as far as | can
ascertain, and as long as they continue
to be they deserve TO be upheld. Even
the outlay for Superintendent for the
construction of the new City Hall can
and will be justified at the proper time
and shown to be in the direction of real
economy. 1t may interfere with some
peoples calculations little and possibly
cut off two and half per cent some
where, but it will save money in the end
and secure better material. Right here
| want to mention that a little bird flew
into my office the other day, perched
upon my desk and sang me little tune
that runs like this, There was some
lumber purchased, during the construc-
ton of the Boardwalk, that was con-
demned as unfit for use. Was it destroy
ed, or returned to the contractors? Oh
no my son, it was merely loaded upon
some teams, driven up one avenue and
down another and laid down in another
place and used. That was a wonderful
bird, and he warbled me several more
tunes that may unwarble again to the
PRESS at some future time.
1t is surmised that the Dump Masters
Brigade is under orders to commence
operations once more, so let everybody
keep their optics wide open and see
what these wonderful chaps will at
tempt to do. Thus far they have found
themselves checkmated at every turn,
and / fancy their troubles are not yet
ended. Watch out and see if | am not
correct in this prediction.
And the Turnpike Combine can't see
one good thing in our City Fathers-not
even when they hear that they are busily
engaged in looking up some OF the
doings of the old gang that formerly ran
the City-sor the good of the City you
know. Alasl how some peoples disin-
terested Efforts fail to be appreciated.
But such is life.
And the "Three Tailors OF TooIey St."
are happy. The Turnpike bill was pas
sed, and the bill permitting the people to
vote on the removal of the County Seat
died for want of breath. But who cares
for the people anyhow? The Turnpike
bill passed, and the "Tailors' rejoice
Turnpikes and Parksl Breakers ahead
And the Combine on deck. ARGUS.