The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-09-28

/ ernor Of this State has thus done. Mag
nanimity seems to be lost on RepubllcaI
/ politicians.
The roseate pledges of the last Guber
/ material campaign concerning leg1slatloI
are still unfulfilled. | ask has the Stats
| seen in all it's history such absolute doml
| nation of legislation as has been witnessed
| during the last three years by the Ke'
| publican State Committee. 1t would seen
as If the Legislature were created te
record their DEGREES. HOW many uf linlss q
! journed owing to meeting OF Inns State
| Committee. and how many times has i
| failed to reconyene at the appointed nour
because the State Committee had nol
| finished its legislative labors! The lobby
! has found these sessions fruitful OF re-
| wards and has grown bolder IN It's ae:
| itself upon the State. With the. State
| Committee it dominates the Legislature
Its only path glistens through the counci
| chambers of the State. It's shadow mas
| fallen across the GlIbernatorial chair. It's
! influence under the fostering care of Re
| publican officials has grown to be men
ace. 1t has set aside every advance made
| towards equal taxation. 1t will not per
nit the burden Of government to be laid
| equitably on the property values or the
/ State. We record our voice for equal
| taxation. This has ever been the policy
| of the Democratic party.
The Republican party has struck a blow
at home rule. 1t has endeavored to crown
| the infamy of its work by extending Tor
/ partisan PURPOSES the term Dl the Md VI
Of Jersey City. This act received the sig
nature of Governor Griggs. 1t carried on
its face the stamp of unconstitutionality
so plain that the dullesr lawyer could see
it, The Supreme Court promptly set It
aside wonder how scorpion like must
have been the stings of conscience of the
Governor of New Jersey IL he remember
ed his ante-election speeches as he set MS
hand to this measure. High-soundlng
and lofty phrases are but light winged
arguments to be blown into air before the
fierce struggle for public spoil. In the
ringing cry for reform have we noticed
any attempt to reduce the salary of the
Governor? The outcry of righteous in
dignation from the Republican party was
painful when this salary was Increased.
/ said to myself that surely the first thing
the new Republican Governor will do,
will be the Spartan act of reducing this
salary and putting his office on an econ
On1ic basis. His predecessor would gladly
have signed such an act 1t his request.
We are still YEARLY waiting for this con-
summation of reform.
Have we ever had such an example Of
personal appointments as we have wit
messed during the last three years? The
Republican orators in the last Guberna-
torial campaign criticised some of the
appointments of a Democratic Governor.
Yet the State has recently had an Illus
tration of personal appointments never
before seen. Only close personal friends
of the Governor could hope to serve the
State. Such was the condition of things
that one-half of the Republican party in
the State was in open revolt and de-
nounced in linmeasured terms the scam
dal of these appointments. We have seen
obnoxious candidates for high public Of
flee who were condemned by the unani-
nous voice of the public press buried
among a number of respectable appoint
ments when sent to the Senate in order
more effectually to screen them from the
public gaze and to borrow something
from the mantle OF respectablity of the
other nominees. The Legislature has had
IN IA 40 n fr3 calS i'm Z.
great expense TO the State in order to cor
rect the error of a typewriter. Bills have
been signed that were never passed. A
Legislative committee that burned with
great zeal to Investigate the affairs of the
County of Hudson had its life snuffed out
by the simple remarks of a Democratic
lawyer, that it was without power to
carry on its investigation. Incompetence
Incompatible. A peal of laughter went
around the State and its echoes are still
distinctly audible. They have played with
labor that came with moderate requests
for legislation have been turned from the
Eegis lature with blighted hopes. APP
pointmepts that by common consent
interests of labor. have been bestowed on
politicians with view 10 re-elect a Re-
publican Governor. IAfail to comprehend
why any working maHin the State should
feel aggrieved at the failure of Republi-
can State government to recognize his
claims for attention. 1t seems foreign
to their legislative schemes to embrace
within it any consideration for the pro-
motion of the cause of labor
The Governor of New Jersey resigned
to accept the office of Attorney General of
the United States. We are all gratitied
when distinguished honor falls to any son
OF New Jersey. Our appreciation is not
cifcumscribed by partisanship. But when
that honor is attained by relinquishment
q a post so lofty as that OF Governor of
New Jersey. and at period when the
Executive has whole year to serve we
declare 1t to be an abandonment of the
duties which he was elected to execute.
NO such declination was ever considered
by the trainers of the Constitution The
effect has been to disarranee the whole
functions OF government An officer has
been thrust into the Executive chair to
nominate high public officers and to ap-
prove or to disapprove important legis-
lation whom the people of the State had
no voice in selecting 1t is question
whether a council of constitutional Ia W.
yers could with any degree of unanimity
agree what the status is of the present en-
cnmbent of that high Office We have
thus IN effect an open defiance of the
Constitution which declares that the per-
son exercising the powers duties and
emoluments of the Office Of Governor
shall be incapable of holding that office
Tor three years next after his term of
service shall have expired. The main
purpose of the trainers of the Consti-
tuition was that the honesty of represent
atiye government might be maintained.
powers of his high office In an effort to be
Reelected. And vet the very thing the
fathers of the Constitution wished to
avoid Governor Griggs in resigning his Of
flee and Foster Nj Voorhees, in his new
candidacy have thrust upon the State. We
charge this as wilful perversion of the
letter and the spirit of the Constitution.
We confidently declare that no Democrat
under such circumstances would have re-
signed his place as Governor to accent
what he might fancy TO be higher political
preferment 1t is but still further evidence
that obligations of State seem to lie light
~ on the shoulders of Republican poll
ticians when their own personal fortunes
are in the way.
We are a the close of a foreign war.
the frst IN our history against a foe whose
territory was not contiguous to our own
| The eagles on our standard glitter with q
new lustre. The country's arms are re-
| spfendent with glory. 1t was a war Of the
whole people. Ill party differences were
| merged in the presence of imperati tive
| leans. We confronted Spain with absolute
unanimity. She drew no strength to her
| self by looking a a divided America. This
nation rose to the height of its lofty duty
| with spontaneity that surprised the
world. II was luxury to enlist They
| lected to wear the blue. The young man
hood of the country leaped forward to llp-
! hold the flag. Miner and millionaire
marched side by side The people of the
| North sprang cheering to their feet at the
strains of Dixie, and the Star Spaneled
Banner brought tears to the eyes of the
veterans of Jackson and Lee. AT last the
| United States were an undivided unit
Before such superb patriotism the banne,
+! Of Spain was lowered in the dust anl
| that proud monarchy forced to relinquisf
! her last foothold of territory upon this
| continent