The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-06
AN INFAMOUS RECORD.
Some Of the Ubiquitous
Things Done by the
Last Legislature.
TAI. ALTON JUGGLE
Republicans Show Their Contempt
for Pledges as Soon as
They Get Power.
TAXATION JUGGLE
Especial to .'ThA Jersey city News.,'l

-rS-~ y 1AithG, CTS e q AiltCt
they have been in the habit of saying
that it was as bad as the Legislature of
1893. The session of 1898 narrowly missed
losing its laurels this year, for the Legis-
lature of 1897 was little if any better han
that session so famous for its wickedness.
The more particularly is this noticeable
from the fact that when the Republicans
were conducting their canvass they
solemnly pledged themselves to give the
| people relief from the many burdens that
oppressed them and kept those pledges
by smashing. them on the first oppor-
tunity- Great and glorious things were
promised, only to be forgotten or brushed
aside when the party found itself in the
saddle.
In the first few weeks the Legislature
moved with such slowness and delibera-
ton hat as the time wore and they ac-
complished nothing they gained the title
of the "Donothing Legislature Some,
especially their fellow partisans, were in
clined to look upon this waste of the
peoples time as a commendable affair
and said hat the legislators were follow
ing out the recommendation of the Gov
ernor, not to place too many laws upon
the statute books. but as the session
went on it was soon discovered that bills
would be passed ad libitum provided they
were the right kind and had upon them
the stamp of the corporations approval.
The Legislature was in session twelve
weeks and passed eighty-two Senate and
n~inety-five House bills, making a total of
LII. Among this humber there are a few
really good bills. but the mischief which
the Legislature accomplished far exceeds
the good
Ubiquitous record thar the past Legis-
lature did in the matter of equal tax
alton. The battle which they waged
against Jersey City inc the manner in
rr1 hin thar 1rnraAx5ofoo Al ~ W. ,Nnfnf
is too fresh in the minds of the people to
need any rehearsing here. The abject
manner in which the Legislature bowed
its neck to the yoke and took upon itself
any burden the corporations desired. The
supporters of the equal taxation move
ment proved SO c~onclusively to the Equal
Taxation Commissioners the justice of
their cause that these gentlemen felt
To this the railroads consented so long as
it did not cost them a cent. So the bill
known generally as the Equal Taxation
Commissioners bill was devised. This
provided for returning to the municipali-
ties in which ~second-ciass railroad prop
erty is located the amount received in
taxes Upon such property. This brings
to Jersey City some $114, 900 more per
annum. But who pays it? The railroads
who own the property and receive all
the benefits? No, it is taken from the
State. The people of New Jersey are
| practically robbed in order that the cor
| porations may escape their just debts.
No bill that went through the LegiS-
lature ever had 81 worse time of it than
did his same bill. 1t was first known as
No. 14 and as such got through the
House in fine shape. 1t was on it's way
through the Senate in the same n
when Mr.. Johnson of Bergen discovered
that the bill might apply to the present
year, or in other. words a. effect i'm
~nlediately. This was not considered de-
sirable and a new bill was drawn up,
,Aatfpn that nhianfinr and intrn111ao6
in the senate. A short time afterward it
was thought that the bill might be con-
strued to be a measure for the raising of
revenue, and as all such measures must
be introduced into the House, the support
ers of the bill withdrew it from the
Senate and a new bill, known as No. 307.
was introduced In the House. This went
through both Houses and went to the
Governor to be signed by him.. The bill
passed the Senate by only eleven votes.
III of these was that of Senator Herbert,
who was not present at the time, but
who had permission to vote for the bill.
After the measure had been passed some
doubt arose as to whether the action of
Mr.. Herbert was legal n rather than
have no question about a matter of such
Importance it was concluded to recall the
bill and pass it through the Legislature
again. That was done in quick order and
the bill became a law.
1t is a long time since any Legislature
SO slavishly obeyed the behests of the
Bosses as this one did and in no Instance
| was that more manifest than in the
Houses action OH the Constitutional
amendments. General Sewell at the very
beginning of the session made a speech
in which he let 1t be plainly understood
that he would ike to have the Consti-
tuition amended 80 as to provide for BIZ
ennial sessions. When this amendment
came up in the Senate Mr.. Voorhees, at
tackled it savagely and denounced it as
a. scheme of the bosses and corporations.
EJn"1o6 vCyJnn q rfOnrn11c pyarfar 20 1Oaincf
the amendment that he succeeded in kill
ing it. The wrath of the bosses was great
and they vowed to take vengeance upon
Mr.. VOORHEES, at the first opportunity. 1t
was not long before that opportunity ar
rived. Mr.. Voorhees, judiciary amend
| rnent to the Constitution. the one meas
ure Upon which he had set his heart,
came UP In the House, having been car
ried through the n The bosses went
to work to kill the bill with a will.
William BEETLE, the new Commissioner of
Banking and Insurance, who General
Sewell Indignantly declared was never a
lobbyist, took his place on the floor and
| personally directed the lobbyists of Gen
eral SewelI as they fitted in and out
among the members, doing the work
which killed Mr.. Voorhees, amendment
and punished him for daring to oppose
the wishes of the great bosses.
Another piece of legislation enacted at
the request of the railroad corporations,
whether the people like it or not, was the
Il6dSuIG VI I.EDcIOuSSe W0lCn Dr0VlQGS
that the unused portion of a railroad
ticket must be redeemed at the general
office of the company issuing the same.
When this bill was before the House its
advocates declared that 1t was to do away
with the scalper, who was such a soulless
wretch that he would sell people counter
felt and worthless tickets and thus
swindle the public. The real object Of the
bill is to benefit the Golfers Of the rail-
road companies. If a man buys an ex-
cursion ticket and is unable to use the
for 1t by. selling it to a reliable broker.
But now he must take 1t himself, some
contend, to the principal office to get his
money for it and rather thar take that
trouble, especially If 1t is a ticket for a
short Journey, the traveller does not
bother with 1t, and thus during the year
the companies make a large amount in
this name
Perhaps the browning iniquity of the
Ubiquitous session was the election ex-
tender bill, which has been so recentlv
| before the public as to need no more than
Ii notice here. That measure. as is we'll
known, changed the time for holding the
municipal election in Jersey City and
Newark from AIiril to November and ex-
tended the term Of the city officials from
May to January 1. In vain did leading
citizens beg the wild partisans not to pass
the bill, n Republicans implored them
| for the sake Of their party, If for no
other consideration, not to putAthe meas
rough shod ovels everything until the
| strong arm Of the Supreme Court grabbed
their horses heads and brought them up
short.
There was another bill passed which
was nothing m0leS or less han a raid on