Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-02-10
A Letter FROM THE
CITY BY The SEA.
"Hr9us" Pitches into his
Critics in Vigorous Style.
CALLS THEM DOWN" FOR MISREPRESENTATION
HE THINKS THEY DO NOT DESIRE TO PER
Feet THE BILL BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY
so THAT THE PEOPLE CAN VOTE ON IT
COUNCILMAN LEE DECLINES A NOMINATION.

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The antics of q certain individual at
Mays Landing would be pItiable if they
were not ridiculous. His efforts to bring
discredit on the project to remove the
County Seat to more convenient and
desirable location and his direct asser-
ton that the whole movement is only
for land-booming purposes is an insult
to the thousands of taxpayers who have
signed petitions or otherwise used their
influence in favor of the proposed change,
for the public good. But the people &C
cordiDg to this descipleof selfshness, are
not to be allowed even chance to vote
upon the subject They may continue to
pay the ever-increasing taxes, but they
shall not be permitted to say how they
shall be expended, or haye voice in
reference to the public convenience 1t is
nothing to this fellow that every news
paper in the County-save his own
favors the change, or that eight-tenths
of all the lawyers in the County favor it,
or that the owners of three-fifths Oh the
taxable property of this City favor it; or
that that the City Council has unanim-
other municipalities have done the same
thing. He ignores every salient fact as
completely as if there were no facts, and
sublimely stands alone and talsities
everything relating to the whole subject.
Was there ever such magnificent eXhibi-
ton of ''gall' before?
In pointing out what he assumes to be
defects in the bill before the Assembly he
suggests NO amendments to perfect it,
and his vapOring is on par with other,
articles from the same source. The bill,
as every one who has read it knows
provides Tor an election, and the whole
matter to be submitted to the voters of
the County for their decision. Mays
Landing will continue to remain the
County Seat if majority of the voters
so determine; and all who advocate it's
claims have just the same right as every
other person to go before the people and
give their reasons why this should be
done. This would appear, to all fair
minded people, to be the proper thing to
do; but the Mays Landing Record
which voices the handful of interested
people at the County Seats unwilling
to do this and hopes to defeat the bill
only by some underhanded method Of
smothering it in Committee. Very well;
so be 1T, if that in the final result. Sena-
tor Hoffman and Assemblyman Jackson
know as well as do that three-fourths
of their constituents are opposed to ex-
pending more money upon the old
County Buildings for the purpose ofkeep
ing them where they are, and that they
are also in favor of q more convenient
location. If, in the face of these facts,
Messrs. Hoffman and Jackson can o ford
to take the course that it is intimated
IN certain quarters that may take, why
that is their own lookout, and they will
have to settle accounts with the people
who put them in their present posi-
tiOns.
The assertion that the buildings at the
County Seat ''are good enough for many
years to come" and that nobody but
ARGUS and the Pleasantville Press is
dissatisfied, is decidly rich when it is re-
membered that one of the Judges, dur
ing the last term of Court, threatened to
adjourn saying that he felt he was not
doing right to endanger the health and
the lives of the people who were COM
PEELED to attend Court. Nearly every
newspaper in the County has time and
again called public attention to the ''un-
seaworthiness," as a sailor would ex-
press it--of the County Buildings, but all
these numerous articles 60 for naught
with those who are determined to mis-
represent the facts. Under the circum-
stances to call the old buildings ''rattle-
traps" is to designate their condition
rather mildly, until the Board of Free
holders spent $25 900 or 100000 upon
them. AS long as $4,000 or $4,000
year was expended upon them, no one
ever heard of the Mays Landing Bread
and Butter Brigade, and their special
organ, ever utter word abouteconomy
or the terrible condition of the County
on account of the bonded debt. As long
as the plums fell their way it mattered
not to them who was shaking the tree.
Every intelligent taxpayer knows that
it will be economy in the end to erect
new buildings, but new buildings mean
the stoppage of continual jobs on the
old ones, and there. it is quite evident,
is where the shoe pinches in certain
place.
In regard to the continual charge that
the Pleasantville movement is only start
ed by those who are ''land boomers" l
have only to say that it does not apply
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sell in Pleasantville, nor am interested
in any person who has. | am in it,
only for the public good and the public
convenience, and do not expect to be per
sonally benefited by the proposed
change. Can my critics truthfully say as
much?.
Another writer, who signed himself
E"Justiee." PUSHES into print In the
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his dear friends, the taxpayers, that a
great indignity is about to be thrust
upon them by bill that is to take away
their liberties. He does not say that
they will be reduced to slavery, and cbas-
ed by blood hounds, and live up on clam
broth, but all such little incidents will
naturally follow, Of course.
He ignores, am compelled to assume,
either from ignorance or wilfulness, the
vital words of the bill ''or such other
convenient place in said County as may
be determined by the legal voters of said
County at special election" etc. Like
other objectors, Justice is ''hoisted by
his own petard."
The bill as it stands, is subject to
amendment; but has single one of the
objectors suggested one. Not one, and
furthermore they won't suggest one, for
would commit them to the recog-
mel ~ of the fact that bill was in exis-
tner y Pnd that it was in existence be-
! !, ~ here is public sentiment in favor
okm smoval of the County Seat from
zen Landing.
ally card of Edward S. Lee, withdraw
IN en- n the Councilmanic contest, is no
'nai- .,se to such Of his friends as are
yes 'e of the large business enter
: les which demand his whole atten-