The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-10-04
Mayor Issues . Campaign
Document That Shows
Distrust Of His Party
in Every Line.
his WANT or IArLUEACR CONFESSED
Powerless to Shape the Taxa
ton Plank He Gives Weak
Reasons for support
ing the Doctrines
Enemy.

Mayor Pagan issued today the follow
ing campaign document which is sup
posed to explain why, as aapretended ad-
vocate of equal taxation he will support
he avowed enemy of the great Dtmo-
cratic doctrine
IN the State campaign, all citizens
desirous of good government must choose
between the Democratic party and it's
candidates and the Republican party and
its candidates.
The Democrats promise us equal tax
alton. What is their party history on
the subject? The Democratic platform
declaration in favor of equal taxation
of this year is practically identical with
the promises made by the party and its
candidates in 1885, The Democratic
candidate for Governor and the candi-
dates for the Legislature appealed for
support in that campaign mainly upon
the pledges that, if successful, they
/ would increase the taxes upon railroad
/ property substantially as now promised
IN the Democratic platform of this year.
After they had secured power on the
faith of these promises, the pledges were
II. ,l~,.sax. y.~nbsr and NOT avon an at.
tempt was made to carry them out.
.aThe Democratic leaders who made
and broke those promises are, with
scarcely IN exception. the same men who
gathered at Trenton the other day in
full control of the party organization.
Without their aid the pledge of the plat
form cannot be redeemed.
I'm the light of this experience, feel
justified in believing that the pledges
which they now make are made for elec
tion purposes only and would again be.
broken. / also cannot forget that these
men who now control the party organiza-
kion are the same men who were re-
sponsible for the race track, coal COM
bine and other scandals which degraded
the State ten years ago.
sAgain they appeal for support on
the ground that u Ar candidate for Gov
ernor is man Of character and ability.
Personally, have great respect for Mr..
Black, but this does not obscure the
more vital fact IN my mind that his cleo
ton viii strengthen the power of these.
discredited leaders.
i have also considered the effect of
the election of Democratic governor
upon ii conditions in this city. For
years the Democratic machine here have
used the cry Of equal taxation and pre-
tended opposition to corporations to help
their local ticket. When became May
Tor of the city / found glaring inequali-
ties and discriminRtions in the tax levy
/, in favor of corporations, and some of
their property entirely omitted. We
raised the valuations on the property
lof the trolley, telegraph, telephone, and
gas companies, on an average of over
one hundred per cent. The representa-
tives of the Democratic machine in the
Tax Board and Board of Finance Bit
terly opposed and voted against these
increased assessments, but the same were
paid by the companies without appeal
to the State Board Taxation, thus Prov
ing that the former assessments made by
the Democratic machine were gross un-
sderyaluations
= am convinced that whatever re-
mains to be done along these and other
lines for the improvement of conditions
in Jersey City-and much still remains
ito be done must be accomplished
gainst the determined opposition Of the
Democratic machine. How would the
kIectlon Of Democratic governor af-
/ ect these conditionsi Can any one
oubt that such d result would greatly
strengthen the local Democratic machine.
and that this power would be used
yainst the public interest in the future
1 s it has been IN the past?
n - fl-tt