The Jersey City news., 1899-03-29
The Abuses At Snake HilI.

"A number of Republican organs are en-
deavoring to take advantage of the re-
cent situation at Snake Hill to make
campaign capital for the G. o. p. Re-
gardless OF fact, they assume to throw
upon the Democratic party the full re-
sponsibility for the evil condition Of the
children in the Almshouse, and also for
the scandals of the present contract
system.
Now everybody knows that this is un-
true. Even if they tried, the Democrats
in the Board of Freeholders could not
have developed the abuses, which are now
the subject of complaint, in the time that
they have held office.
The present Board of iFreeholders went
into office on December 5, 1898. This is
just four months ago. The revelation OF
the condition of the Snake Hill children
was made a month ago. Therefore, If the
Democrats were responsible. they should
have demoralized the county institutions
in the brief space of three months. The
utter absurdity of such a proposition
must be plain to any person not blinded
by partisan zeal.
AS a matter Of fact. the evils COM
planned of are all of long duration. About
fifteen months ago, similar revelations
were made about the state of the children
at Snake Hill. It was proven that yirulent
Dpthalmia and also painful skin disease
were generally prevalent, and no attempt
was made to quarantine the sick from
the healthy children. The children were
then shown to be ragged and neglected, i'll
fed and worse taught, only few de-
praved pauper women being assigned to
care for them. This was in the days of
the good Republican Board, which held
carnival on the Hill for two years, under
The direct guidance of Deputy-Boss E. w.
MooIIey. as Chief Clerk.
At the same time. the Evening Jour-
nal" Republican organ, began the at
tack upon the system of bidding for con-
tracts in general, and upon the share
taken by Tgnatius Noonan in particular.
1t devoted columns, even pages of its
space to the expose, and, after a while,
ii claimed to have effected complete
reform in methods.
So much for the record of the last Board
Of Freeholders, which was Republican by
about seventeen to nine. AS for the pres
ent Board, it has not yet had time to be
very bad, even had it tried, and other
elements of the Democratic party have
taken very good care that it should not
go far wrong. Thus, when it seemed to
be backsliding in the matter of contracts,
Leader Robert Davis came out and at
tackled it openly. He, sent lawyers into
court to certiorari its action, and he
served notice on the members that he
would use all his influence to kill them
politically. if they violated their trust.
This is a matter of such recent notoriety,
that it is unnecessary to do more than re-
mind the public of the facts.
1T was 1TeeHUidtE diioli, VI tAc -1NAeAy
ette section, very confirmed Democrat
indeed, who brought to light the con-
dition of the children and who insisted
upon instantaneous reform. It was, of
course. the vote of the Democratic ma
5ority in the Board which provided for
the reforms now being instituted, and
which thus swept away the denominations
created during two years Of Republican
rule in the county. ~
Finally it is a Democratic Grand Jury,
drawn by a Democratic Sheriff, which has
ventilated the subject in presentment
to the county courts, thus doubly assuring
4 complete change Of methods.
Ii is well to remember, also. that Re-
publican Governor and Legislature are
responsible for the present preposterous
board Of Freeholders. consisting Of twen-
fv-seven members, many Of them repre-
sentina' rotten boroughs This Board y
so large as to be inevitably unwieldy, IN
ef1cierit and irresponsible. Il was created