Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-03-03


the Borough of Paulsboro, passed the
legislature last Wednesday, and is yet in
the hands of the Governor. The GL0U-
CEsTER COUNTY DEMOCRAT has no part
in the conditions that exist in Paulsboro
over the question of incorpoa tion = on
general principles we should favor incor-
poration-but measure fraught with so
far-reaching importance, we submit, should,
before enactment, receive the calm, judi
eial, legislative consideration its Importance
demands, and the approval of majority Of
those affected. Because such was not ac-
.sorded this measure, before enactment, is
the reason which prompts us to comment
on it now.
To go a little into details: The bill was
introduced in and passed the House, urged
by Speaker Avis; when it reached the
Senate, the dbjectors, who form a vast
majority of the population of the district
affected, representing vast proportion Of
the assessed valuation-about as $4,000 is
related to $3.50, 00O-appealed TO Senator
Ferrell for fair play. Senator FerrelI
sought to obtain for them hearing before
the Committee of Boroughs and Townships,
and although that committee was in ses-
sion all day, citizens of Paulsboro were
denied such, Senator Horner, of this
committee, coming the opinion that As
sembly bills were not subjects for hearing
by Senate committee Not content with
this rebuke to citizens of our State, the
hackers Of Incorporation were enabled to
secure a caucus of Republican Senators,
and this bill to which the municipal and
financial majority of New Jersey COM
munity were opposed, was forced to final
passage under the crack Of the party whip
after those highest rights of American citi-
zens-petition and hearing-had been de-
MED.
Senator Ferrell is justly indignant at the
treatment accorded his constituents by the
Senate majority. He desired that they
aould be heard, and that their petition
oRld Is giEsn faII Esighti He desire.
rther, that the people Of the proposed
uJrough should have the privilege of de-
eiding at their own ballot box whether or
not they desired new government.
And this is a fundamental right-a
guarantee of both National and State Con-
stitution. To deny the right of local self
government is to create a despotism. And
it is because the right of local self-govern-
ment has been denied the people of Pauls-
boro, that we raise protest against the
method rather than the act itse +.
Even those good friends Of ours in
Paulsboro who favor Incorporation are too
wise not to know that the methods en-
ployed to enact this bill are un-democratic,
nn-republican, un-American, and will not
stand the calm Judgment of the future. It
seems to us that one of the functions Of
factions in just such emergencies, and in
sist that honorable, lawful methods prevail,
and Senator Ferrell's position was just that
and no more
The contention at Paulsboro is not poiiti-
cal, but purely fractional, and that the
opinions and interests Of majority of the
people of one of the most intelligent COM
munities in this or any other State should
have been ignored and their rights tramp
led upon in the legislature, merely to
crafty factional hatred is, to our mind, a
serious mistake. And this criticism would
hold if a minority had been thus met in an.
appeal to the State lawmakers.