The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-08
Mr.. wafson's Dishonest Plea.

Mr.. Wafson's Dishonest Plea.
Yesterdays mail brought to the homes
of a majority of our citizens a circular
Jointly framed by Mr.. Edward NJ. Wat
son and the Republican City Committee.
Twe-thirds of a letter-sized sheet is COW
cred with a statement which Mr.. Watson
signs. and which is devoted to his W
personal Interests as candidate for May
or. The rest of the sheet contains a lit
tie boom for the other gentlemen run
ming on the Republican ticket, and TINS
the Committee endorses.
The Committee portion of the sheet Is
fnnocuous enough. 1t is with the portion
bearing Mr.. Watson's signature that we
have to deal. On the whole, we take it
to be the most s~candalous campaign cir
cuIar ever issued in Jersey City. 1t is
discreditably, disgracefully untrue in
spirit If not in letter. It is a product
either of shameful ignorance or shame-
full mendacfty.
The document opens with the custom
al. platitudes -abont tbs honor of the
animation and the pure and lofty inten-
tidns Of the signer. To this we have
no exception to take. 1t is customary,
and perhaps Mr.. Watson nay think the
nomination conferred upon him by Boss
Dickinson is an honor. For all we know,
Mr.. Watson may be gifted with a lively
imagination.
Equally, we are willing to accept as
true the general proposition, which comes
next, that political parties are judged
by their actions rather than their prom
ises.,' This is the reason why we urge
the people to vote for Mayor Hoos, who
has his record to stand upon, rather
than for Mr.. Watson, who is blowing
abonf. like a handkerchief on a clothes
line, in a windy swirl of pledges and
professions. none of which are consistent
with his political associations.
with the glittering generality cited, our
acouiescence in the statements of Mr.
Watson's circular ceases. The rest of the
document we denounce as r~nalignity and
falsehood OF the meanest and most COW
ard1y description.
Here is a specimen of constructive lying
of the basest sort
Under Republican rule, the city debt
5000 t1Aar6d cod and tho fax RATE WAS re-
dueed to $40 per $1,000. Under Demo-
cratic rule. the tax rate was increased
last year to $3.50, and this year to $500,
and the bonded debt has increased $1,000
000.
The tax rate, it is true. was reduced
from s2s.D to s27.4O under Mayor Wanser's
administration but 1T must be remem-
berea that the valuation of property was
enormously increased, and the total of the
city budget averaged s25O,0O a year more
for the five years of his term than for the
hve years preceding.
on the other hand, the cause of the in
crease of the tax rate in Mayor Hoos'
term is due to three causes, for two Of
which the Wanser administration is di-
recfly responsible.
These two are
THE change in the Fire Department
from the Buffalo system in the very
MAST week Of Mayor Wanser,s term.
2-The loading up of the Street and
water Board with all sorts of supplies.
from water mains to horse feed, in The
last hours of Republican power In that
Board. all the bills for which have had to
be paid BY Mayor Hoos and his asso-
ciafes.
The third cause of an increase in the
lax rate is highly honorable to Mayor
Hoos and to the city. 1t is the opening
Of seven new schools, involving a vast in
crease in the corps Of teachers, in the
force of jaritors, and in heating and all
other expenses.
AZ for the statement tina the city's
debt mas been increased, it is best met
by some figures procured from the Comp
troller's office by the Editor of THE
News this morning.
on December /, 1887, the net bonded and
floating debt of this city was 81, o7o.sSo.n
on December /, 1898, il was SIG, 800, 259. y.
This is a net decrease of ss0.42o.s4, in the
total liabilities Of the city.
There was a net increase iii the bonded