New-York tribune., 1903-03-23
ENW-JERSEY NEWS.
LIVE JERSEY TOPICS.

- snv serious effort be made to revive the
Morris Canal Abandonment bill 1t may be neces-
sarv. in order to kill it beyond all possible hope
of resurrection to tell IN The TRIBUNE just
where the bill came from and at whose instance
it was introduced.
One John Edgar Montgomery is chairman or
the Assembly Committee on Railroads ana
Canals Mr.. Montgomery appears to he nncer
the impression that all the responsibility TOT
legislation at the present session OF the New
Jersey House of Assembly rests on his shoulders
An ordinary man might content himself with per-
forming the constitutional duties of committee
chairman by inquiring into the merits or de-
merits Of measures and reporting his fnd1ngs 10
the House for such action it deemed proper.
But John Edgar Montgomery isn't built that
way Apparently he has his doubts shout the
wisdom and mental astuteness of his ifty-nine
associates in the House. and he is reluctant to
subject them to the risk of voting wrong on Inn
portant measures. and this end is attained Ey
keeping the aforesaid measures locked up In his
desk.
OF course Mr. Montgomery means we'll. But
isn't he little bit overanxious about what his
colleagues may or may not do with oiils, once
the latter are released from the protecting cover
of the Railroads and Canals Committee? His
conscience may be an ultra-sensitiva one and
rebuke him for blunders committed by others
He will be entirely justified in making his COL
leagues share the burden. Neither hisRoath OF
Office nor any other public obligation requires
him to do the thinking and voting for the whole
House of Assembly. and he Is foolish in taking
that on himself. No can blame him II he
hands over to the House all the bills now in the
possession of his committee, with reports. favor
able unfavorable or n-committal, as the rules
provide. Put it up to the House.
Incidentally it may be mentioned that there
are four other members Of the Railroads and
Canals Committee-John g. Roberts, of Cam
den George H. Dalrymple. Of Passaic; Thomas
Colclough, of Mercer, and John A. Widrick, of
Warren. How much or hov: little moral or ma
terial aid they are rendering to Mr.. Montgom-
cry IN his self-assumed. onerous and patriotic
task does not appear. It might not be amiss for
them to let the public know where they are at.
For instance. their constituents may be curious
to know why there should not be free and
open interchange Of opinion the floor of the
House regarding. for instance. the Morris Canal
Commission bill and the State Railroad Com
mission bill Possibly lot of people haven't yet
made up their minds about these measures. and
a debate in the House might illuminate the sub
ject.
the Railroads Committee to relieve itself Of
the brow crumplng labor Of worrying over
these two commission bills have ready to hand
a medium through which they may throw a
gentle hint at the committee. The committee
has an affectionate interest in the Lehigh Val
ley Merger bill. and many other persons solici-
tous about it's fate also have more than a
cousinly regard for the two commission bills.
Legislators who favor the latter may very prop
the merger bill until the other two have left the
committee.
What will the Essex Assemblymen do when
the Jersey City Excise bill reaches the House?
Confirm the story Of the deal with the Hudson
Democrats. repudfate 1t take to the woods?
There were many persons who predicted that
this session of the legislature would develop a
Republican leader to take the place of General
Sewell. All that his been done in that direction
has been sciely by process Of elimination. There
are some persons who were among the possibili-
ties three months ago and whose names not
decipherable on the slate now.
The lobby is keeping busy this year under the
direction Of highly paid State official.
Governor Murphy made two conspicuously
timely and desirable recommendations in his
annual HeSsaSe-lOT eJeC(lOnS
and for the payment OF salaries to county off,
cials. The former has been mangled and the
latter strangled by a combination of the ele
ments which are coming pretty near to making
poor reputation for the 127th session Of the
New-Jersey legislature.
The Tribune hasn't opposed the abandonment
Of the canal; the canal is practically abandoned
| now. The Tribune has simply insisted that be-
fore acting 80 important matter as this the
legislature and the public should know what it
was doing, and that all the facts in the case
should be carefully gone over This is precisely
the course that would be followed by any cor
poration or individual when asked to abrogate a
contract which wiped out all the benefits COM
ing to it or him and left to the other party all
| the benefits and privileges. When all the data
have been gathered, examined and eifted we'll
know more about 1t. Meantime the people OF
Newark and Of Essex County can ind ways and
means Of compelling the abolition OF dangerous
crossings. For instance. the Indictment OF few
trolley officials for the Clifton-ave tragedy
might work wonders. There are dozens of law
yers in Newark ready to draw such indictments.
SAY ANARCHISTS Prosecuted THEM.