The Jersey City news., 1904-10-21

roads only $1.50 on their depots! Why
should the railroads pay only IS thou
sand on their main stem while the indi-
| vidnal owning land alongside the tracks
pays $40 or s25 thousand?
The injustice was apparent to every
man. The answer should have been
prompt apd unequivoeal from the con-
| yentions of both parties. But it was
not.
A leading Republican in Paterson
says the Paterson News summed up
the results of Mr.. Stokes visit in these
worlds
''Stokes is disappointment. I expect
ed he would tell us all about equal taxa
ton and Wood Mckee led us to expect
that he would do so. But instead of that
he described in glowing periods how we
had rescued Cuba and the Philippines
from the cruel government of Spain and
how gloriously we had restored peace to
poor China"
Now. if Mr.. Stokes was candidate
for congress. or president. or any place
where he would have the least thing to
do with China it would be all right. Bue
Mr. Stokes is running for governor of
this state. And if he should be elected
lie will have nothing to do with the af-
fairs of the far east but will be a mighty
power for good or evil in New Jersey. 1t
is remarkable that Mr.. Stokes said but
little. and that little was mighty unsat-
isfactory about the question of equal tax
alton.
That is something that comes directly
home to every citizen of this state
whether he pays poll tax or a few dol
lars on his humble household n.rnitHre
or a large tax on real and personal furni-
ture or a large tax on real and personal
property. In either case he pays $50 for
each s1,0e0Sof property for which he is
assessed.
But the railroad, canal and other cor :
poFations pay only S. per $1,000 of as
sessed value. To do away with this un-
just discrimination Mr.. Black, Stokes's
opponent, is pledged by the platform up
on which he was nominated and by his
personal pledge to the people of the
State. A man does not earn his dollars
as a Democrat or a Republican, unless,
as in Stokes's case. he is an office holder,
who has enjoyed for years rich pickings
at the public crib, and who has never
been too nice in his choice of methods to
increase them. The tax gatherer collects
taxes from all, and if the voters prefer
Mr.. Stokes they will have to endorse the
methods of taxation that Stokes stands
| for, and which methods he didn't say q
word against in his address to the voters
of Paterson last night.
Stokes was a disappointment. Bu
| did anybody who knew the man and hi,
political associations expect him to de
nounce the corporation influence
| through which he has grown rich ant
1 which Influences are behind his candi
! dacy and the direct cause of it?
The people of New Jersey don't car
rap for China But they are mightil
interested in equal taxation, the subjec
that Mr.. Stokes didn't discuss and il
relation to which Mr.. Stokes himself
the issue today.
Stokes had the chance to tell the pee
pie of Paterson that he favored thei
cause as against the favored corpora
tions. He did not do it. He talke
about China instead. Now, when tn
overtaxed Patersonian casts his vot
election day, if he is interested in Chin
he will vote for Stokes. But if he is ii
terested in New Jersey and wants a
the property in the State taxed equal
he will vote for Black
ADJUSTMENTS.