The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-15
JERSEY CITY RIGHT.
Equal Taxation Commits
sioners Uphold Her
Claim Against the
Railroads.
SENATOR STOKES DIsAppoIHTM EHT
General SewelI and Biennial Ses-
sions-Woman Suffrage
in Danger.
SENATOR STOKES DISAppOINTM EHT
Special to tbs Jerscu cstu Ns,cs.

TRENTON, Jan. Is, 1S97.-On Monday
might Speaker Macpherson will announce
his committees. bills will pour in and the
Legislature will settle down to real busi-
ness. Among the first bills which will be
introduced are measures relating to that
all-absorbing subject of equal taxation
Everyone expects a most bitter fight on
this question, even more bitter than it was
last year The railroads look more seri-
ously upon the subject this session than
they ever did before and There is no dis
position on their part to misrepresent the
seriousness of the situation. Strange as
it may seem to many who not having
read the report of the Equal Taxation
Commissioners carefully have looked upon
that document as favorable to the rail-
roads. 1t really is most favorable to Jer-
sey City. Inasmuch as by recommending
that the one-half of one per cent on sec
ond class railroad property be relinquished
by the State, to be distributed among the
local taxing districts pro rata, the Com
mission acknowledged the righteousness of
Jersey City's claim that the present sys-
tenn of taxing railroad and canal property
is a grossly unjust one. The railroads
were among the first to realize this bad
break upon the part of the Commissioners
and are now trying to undo the damage
done by the report. Already they are at
work in their peculiarly insidious manner
endeavoring to ingratiate themselves into
the good VII of members and others who
they believe can help them when the time
comes, which shows that they are prepar-
ing for some coming struggle.
Those people of Hudson county who
thought the criminal and civil affairs
of the county would be conducted with
more benefit to the county at large If
the Grand and petty jurors were drawn
by some one other than the Democratic
Sheriff are nearer to having the hopes
in the matter realized than was at first
supposed. A prominent Senator, whose
measures generally go through, has a bill
ready for presentation which provides
that the duty of drawing the juries shall
be taken from the Sheriff but it is not
to be given to commission. A new
plan entirely is provided. 1t is made the
duty of each assessor throughout the
State to file with the clerk of each coun-
ty a list of the names of all the men in
his taxing district liable to jury duty
: When the time comes for drawing the
jury the County Clerk is to take the
book before the presiding justice of the
county and under his direction the clerk
shall draw the jury. The intent of the
act is that the court shall draw the jury
actually as the clerk will draw only those
names which the court designates
Whatever the influence of the Senator
presenting this measure it will have a
hard time becoming a law The great
majority of the counties in the State have
can his party is king to that extent it
can do no wrong, it viii be hard work TO
induce the members of that political faith
to take from the Sheriff that duty which
makes him power in the county and
give him an influence which can be made
TO be of great Importance to the party.
1t can be definitely stated that Mr..
Stokes will not succeed Mr.. Henry G.
Kelsey as Secretary of State His warm
est friends, who enjoy his intimacy. now
say tEat the Governor has given him to
understand that the office belongs to some
one else. This is hard blow to Mr.
Stokes, as he has looked forward to the
time when he would take the lucrative
position with considerable satisfaction.
His health is not of the best and a
lucrative rest such as the office of Secre-
tary OF State would afford him would be
most acceptable The turning down. of
Mr. Stokes is great mystery ard why
Nv
running for Governor Griggs had no
more indefatigable and eloquent support
er than Mr. Stokes, and no one was sur
prised, considering the able and enereet-
&c manner in which Mr.. Stokes has al
ways championed the Republican cause
when it began to be whispered about
that he was to have one of the best
people say that the fight between the
Governor and Mr. Kean for the United
States Senatorship is at the bottom of
the whole affair, as Mr.. Stokes is a Sew
ell man and would support that states
mans candidate, John Kean. What that
could possibly have to do with the mat
ter is hard to see, as Mr.. Stokes will not
be in the Senate when it comes to elect
James Smiths successor. 1t is perhaps
more accurate to say that the Governor
he knows favors him for the Senate and
who has such influence as will bring the
Governor some votes. The man, it has
been said, is Banks and Insurance Com
course, and General Sewelrs Chief of
staff William Betell of Camden is to be
Mr.. Wurtsi successor. This treatment of
Senator Stokes is apt to make trouble, as
the eloquent young Senator has many
admirers and staunch supporters who are
already growing at the treatment which
the slightest intention to raise a shindig
It will not come from Senator Stokes,
however, as he is too good party man
e 70 sanctlon at .lot a revolt simply because he
When The amendment to the Constitll-
ti0n providing for biennial sessions of the
Legislature was introduced last year 1t did
mot aittract an over-amount of attention
and no one thought that it would ever be-
come a part of the Constitution ALI this.
h0Wever. has changed and those who are
opposed TO the amendment realize that
they are in great danger This change has
been brought about by General Sewell. At
the rneeting of the State Committee Mon
day nigf1t, as reported in Tuesdays dJer-
faxvx .11a5 xx.,,,~