The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-10

AuoJ 0eo EitHcI lOU IIttl6 UbIuO.
cratic or Too Much RepnbIi-
can Corruption Ahead 10
| Reveal Ii to the
People.
A wave of popular indignation swept
over the city when it became known
through the inspired announcement in
| the Journal" reproduced in 1.-THE Jersey
City News, that the committee appointed
by the Legislature to investigate the al
legged corruption in Hudson county pro-
posed to hold star chamber sessions, meet
ing behind closed doors and permk ting
any one who had a grievance against
any one else to sneak into their presence,
utter all kinds of lies and then stink
away without anyone, except the COM
mittee and their counsel. knowing who he
was.
Republicans and Democrats alike de-
nounced the proposition in the bitterest
terms and were often at a loss to find
adequate words in which to express their
righteous Indignation. They more par
ticularly decried the attempt of a SEN
sational newspaper to escape the just
retribution which it's morbidness and SEN
sationaIism have brought upon it by sacri-
ficing the character and reputation of
respectable citizens. They declared that
all the proceedings of the committee
should be open and above board; that the
committee should meet in broad day light,
and every citizen should be permitted to
be present and follow the proceedings. 1t
was also plainly stated that the desire of
the committee to meet secretly made it
look as though the members were afraid
that they would find none of the cor
ruption they were after or that they
would find something which would injure
only their own party
1.-THE constitution of the United States
holds it to be the primary and inalienable
right of every accused person to be con-
fronted with his accuser The unpre-
cedented policy about to be inaugurated
by the Gledhill Investigating Committee
puts a premium on cowardice and ex-.
tends to those too cowardly to manfully
face the accused. an invitation to vent
their spleen and, unharmed themselves,
snirch the character of any citizen. If
there be citizens who can render the COM
mittee an invaluable aid in furnishing
evidence, surely such person should have
the moral courage to openly, and without
any secret or star chamber proceedings
furnish such evidence. If on the con-
trary there are persons who would will
ingly lay aside their manhood and lend
themselves as parties to any such IN
famous scheme as this, then such persons
should receive, not merely criticism at
sthe hands of the press and public, but
condemnation severe and just Surely
the public cannot tactly consent to such
an abominable, outrageous, dastardly att
tack on the personal rights of citizens
and they cannot be too loud in their de-
nunciations of such monstrosity or of
those who would be its instruments.
sNrhis rnachiavellian scheme of secret
sessions was Matched, no doubt, in the
mind of one who has held high nalftfcal
office in this country, and who, to cover
over and hide from publicity his own mis-
doings, is willing to assume the role OF
informer. AS such he should be brand
ed and driven from the county by the
people to whom such an insult Is offered
1t would seem that up to this point the
committee had been honest in their dn-
tentions and had meant to deal fairly in
their investigation. Since the innovation
of recent sessions has been announced,
the public lis beginning to doubt the SIN
cerity of the men who compose the COM
nlittee.''
Ex-Assemblynaa John wahl Queen
said:-'I read the editorial in the Jour-
nal and also its reproduction in The
News in regard to proposed secret ses-
sions of the Gledhill Committee do not
believe that the reasons for such sessions
set forth by the Journal are sufficient,
and | cannot believe that the commit
tee will be SO short-sighted as to hold Sc
cret sessions. The time for star cham
ber proceedings has passed and any meth
cd of Investigation which will not. bear
the light of day is as much against pub
lie policy and good government as the
matters to be investigated. .
Assemblyman and Leader Horace L. AL
len of Hoboken, said:-"Any star cham
Der proceeding is antagonistic to the
views Of the general AmericanNpeople. 1t
has a foreign SAVIOR and Is extremely un-
usual in New Jersey. AS | understand
Mr.. Gledhill, the spokesman of former
Governor Griggs, on the floor of the
House, the object of organizing an IN
vestigating committee was to probe for
iniquities and stamp eut crime without
regard to partisanship, 1t appears to me
that the best way to stamp out crime, if
the purpose of the committee, is an hon
est one, would be to hold nothing hut
public hearings. Such was the method
pursued by the Voorhees, Investigating
Committee. If the Gledhill Committee
intends to conduct a non-partisan. inves-
tlgation public hearings will be absolute
ly necessary. don't think, however.
that the people will tolerate secret tac-
ties
fohn ]. Mulvaney said .-"It looks very
much to eme as if the committee was