The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-01-13
VOORHEES,
ON TRUSTS.
Governor Tells the New
York Republican Club
About the Octopus.
OUR STATE UNFAIRLY CRITICIZED
Senator Johnson and Speaker
Jones Also Make
Speeches.
OUR STATE UNFAIRLY CRITICIZED

New Jersey was we'll represented at the
dinner of the Republican Club OF New
York last evening. at the clubhouse, No.
450 Fifth avenue Among those present
were Foster M. Voorhees,, Governor of
New Jersey; William M. Johnson, Presi-
dent of the Senate; Benjamin F. Jones,
| Speaker of the House of Assembly, and
| John Franklin Fort, Presiding Judge of
the Court of Common Pleas of Essex
county Others who were invited but were
| unable to be present were Franklin Muir
ply, Chairman of the Republican State
! Committee; Edward C. Stokes, State Sen
ator, and United States Senators Seweif
| and Kean.
| Governor Voorhees, spoke on Trusts He
first referred to the changes in recent
| years in the political complexion of New
| Jersey. He said:-
| Sudden and great political changes
| have there occurred within recent years.
For long time the State was afflicted,
not so much with Democracy, pure and
| simple, as with the spirit of hunkerism
| that deadened public interest and dis
couraged partisan effort. Politicians of
the baser sort had seized the opportunity
| afforded them to fasten upon the people
| a corrupt despotism. The elimination of
a series of wrongs wrought by them
| against the State was found in the enact
ment of a series of laws so infamous in
| character as to shock the conscience of
| the people an darouse their latent moral
| sentiment Unuder these circumstances
| they turned to the Republican party for
| relief AS the people of our Union had
| turned many years before.
| And now a citizen of New Jersey,
! whether Republican or a Democrat, who
has recently been born again, may lift up
| his voice with the Republicans of other
| States who have made the record of the
| party glorious for nearly half century.
He claims with pride a share in the honor
| which comes from recent achiements; he
feels that he has contributed something
to increase the grandeur of our common
| country.
| After referring to the services to the
Nation of the late Vice President and oil
Attorney General Griggs, Governor Voor-
| hees spoke on the subject of trusts. He
said in part
There is, however, profound economic
question, of worldwide interest ovel
which the public mind is now agitated
and with which the State is prominently
| identified. I refer to the vast comibina.
tdons of capital which have recently and
rapidly come into existence, and which
it is claimed, are necessary for the profit
! able conduct of great industrial enter
prises New conditions have made II
necessary to engage in trade under new
methods, and with old restrictions and
| rapidly since the Inauguration of Presi-
dent Mckinley, and great changes have
come. The borders of our country have
| been extended, and they now include or
the East Puerto Rico and ON the West
the Isles of the Philippines. We have
entered into a bold competition with other
nations for the trade of the world. With
new conditions of trade at home and the
| enlargement of our field of activity abroad
/ there has come the need of departure
from the old method of industrial opera
tions. What may be the effect of such
| new forms and combinations upon the
people at large is a question of great i'm
portance.
There is NO doubt that with this change
| there have come hardships and injustice
| to the individual; but what the ultimat te
outcome may be it is idle to predict We
have no tests of experience wherewith to
determine the wisdom of the present in
| dustrial tendency. We cannot with ac-
| curacy forecast the future, and to it we
| must look for determination of the wis
dom of the tendencies of today.
| The attitude Of New Jersey on this i'm
! portant question has unfortunately meen
| misunderstood. The State has been sub
| jected to much denunciation and unfair
| criticism. It,has been represented as re-
| Gently adopting the policy of holding out
| special inducements for the formation OF
such combinations for increasing its rev.
| enues. This is far from the truth. AS a
! mater of fact its present policy was in
augurated more than fifty years ago, and
no political significance attaches thereto.
! Other States furnish easier and more
economical methods of Incorporation.
| The impression is widely prevalent that
instead of levying taxes on her citizens
to support the government she exacts IL
cense fees and imposes taxes on corpora
| tions, thereby deriving a vast revenue
which is used for this purpose, but is In
reality injurious to the interests of the
State
posed, go nomine, upon property within
! her borders for the purpose of meeting
the annual expenses of the State, but
| indirectly and in effect the State does
tax her people for the support of the
government thereof. Every railroad
ticket, every freight bill, every telegram
or telephone message and every bill
for gas furnished or water supplied con-
! tains fraction of taxes that eventually
4 finds it's way into the State Treasury
BY many this method of indirect taxa
tion is considered to be the most prac-
tical and the fairest, and within the last
few days adoption of plan similar in
its provisions has been recommended by
the financial officers of your own State
1t may not be the wisest, because it con-
ceals from the taxpayer the amount OF
i taxes that he actually pays. On the
other hand, it affords practical advan-
i tages in the method of collections and
secures uniformity and promptness Of
! payment that cannot otherwise be at
tanned.
with vast capital and paying large sums
of money into the treasury must exert OF
4 may exert baleful influence upon the
morals of the people and the integrity OF
the government. / have been quite close
" Identified with the government OF the
III