Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-09-22
Hon CHARLES CLARKE BLACK
He Made the Issue and the Democracy Called Him to
Bear Aloft the Standard With Equal
Taxation" Given Thereon
[ From the Newark News.l

climb to the top of HOId North, as Nassau
hall is called, and saw the clapper from the
bell, whose chief mission in life is to sum
mon the students to their various daily
duties In his freshman year young Black
was one Of the small party who managed
to throw over the building rope, up which
they climbed the forty feet to the roof
There they wriggled up one of the sup
porters Of the belfry and sawed off the
much coveted clapper, which was
melted down, made into miniature clap
pers and worn by the class members as
proud evidence of the class's powers
But Black never permitted his high
spirits to interfere with his college work,
and in 1878 he graduated with good
position In his class. In this class were
several men who have since achieved
prominence in their chosen vocation.
After leaving college Mr.. Black studied
law for a year in the office of Colonel JAS
n. Stratton at Mt Holly, and then entered
the law Departments of the University of
Michigan at Ann Harbor, where he studied
until Judge Thomas N. Cooley, the emf
nent authority IN constitutional questions
He graduated from this ms tuition in 1881,
and was admitted to the bar Of Michigan.
A few months later he was admitted to the
bar of New Jersey as an attorney and took
up the practice Of law in Jersey City.
Almost at the beginning of his legal career
he won complicated accident suit and the
verdict was sustained by the higher courts
This gave him reputation which brought
his many similar cases, and he was very
successful.
AUTHOR OF LAW Looks.
The experience which he gained in this
practice led Mr. Black, in 1866, to writt-
Proofs and Pleadings in Ancient Cases, /"
which was the pioneer worh in that par
ticular branch of the practice of the law
and became sta ndard in such cases. As
the book got ont of date, Mr.. Black en-
larged it with new work, which he
published in 1890 under the title, Law
and Practice in Ancient Cases This has
been highly commended by judges and
lawyers, aad is considered BY che profession
as an authority on such matters. In 1897
Mr. Black became member of the firm of
Randolph, Condict & Black He continued
a member of this firm until 1900. when he
became the senior member OF the firm OF
Black & Drayton, which position he occu-
pies to-day.
Although he has never been candidate
for Office, Mr.. Black has always been an
active Democrat. In the campaign of 1892
he took an active part and made many
speeches throughout the state for Grover
Cleveland and the state ticket. In the
fall of 1892, when the Hudson Democratic
society gave it's memorable reception to
Grover Cleveland in its club house in Jersey
City, Mr.. Black was president Of the organ
ization and welcomed the presidential can
didate to New Jersey. He also worked
and made speeches for Alexander I. McGill,
Elvin W. Crane and James M. Seymour,
the last three unsuccessful candidates for
governor.
The legislature of 1891 created the state
board of taxation and Governor Albeit
appointed Mr.. Black one of the commiss-
toner's. He discharged the duties OF the
office with such ability and general salts
faction to the people of the state that he
was reappointed by Governors Griggs, Voor-
hees and Murphy, all Republicans, and
that too, without any solicitation on his
part. 1t might be added in this connection
that Mr. Black is the only member of the
board to-day who was appointed originally
when the commission was created in 1891.
WORK OF STATE BOARD
1.-The state board of taxation was like
new machinery introduced into the tax
laws of the commonwealth because of the
dissatisfaction with the adjustment of
values by the local taxing boards, which
was general throughout the state The
remedy afforded by the courts was consid-
cred too cumbersome and expensive, and it
was to meet these conditions, by proving a
cheap and expeditions method of settling
controversies and to provide assessors with
information to aid them in the discharge o
their duties that the state board OF taxation
was created. At first there was feeling
throughout the state that the board, being
solidly Democratic, might be used for part
isan and political purposes, and there was
much doubt whether it would prove
efficient The early meetings of the board,
in Atlantic City, Camden, New Brunswick,
Paterson and Jersey City, were attended
by large numbers of people and large
amount of business was disposed Of. Val
uations at that time were very unequal,
the tax laws being used by politicians for
partisan purposes, and there was feeling
y n .-o1 ~,
the occasion and fall prey to politics. By
the time, however, that the state had gone
Republican in "a, and that party had con-
troll of both branches OF the legislature,
the work of the board had been SO salts
factory throughout the state that the mem
bers were not only undisturbed, but their
number was increased from three to four.
In addition to the works on accidents
which Mr.. Black has brought out in 1903
he issued "The New Jersey Law OF Tax
ation,' which is standard authority on