The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-12-19

=
they occupy is not enviable
----~e
ANNOUNCEMENT that Mount Holly boy,
cadet at the Naval sAcademy at Annspo-
lis. had been suspended from the institu-
tion with possibility of dismissal was a
severe shock to his friends here. The of
fence for which he was arraigned was not
SO heinous. but was one which showed a
lack OF discipline. failure to obey GER
tain regulations. something one about to
become an officer In the navy should
never do. The young man frankly &C
knowledged that he did not report another
cadet as Ill, but gives as his reason that
the latter did not wish to be compelled to
go to sick quarters. feeling that he would
soon be all right. But it transpired that
the illness was the result of hazing and as
strenuous efforts are being made to wipe
out this foolish custom at the Academy an
example had to be made of some one. and
young vanDerveer. the Mount Holly boy
referred to, was so unfortunate as to be in
just such position as to cause apparent
blame to fall upon him. He makes clear
statement of his part in the matter. He
did not participate in the hazing, nor did
he see 1t, but he failed to report the i'll.
ness which succeeded. In the recent oc-
currence at the Academy whereby one
boy lest his life. the punishment melted
out was reprimand and restriction of
privileges for year. In the last case 1t
seemed by the authorities to be necessary
to dismiss from the service those who
were not closely connected with it. That
is queer state of affairs at the Naval
Academy. If a cadet reports an infringe
ment Of the rules or makes complaint of
ill.treatment he is ostracised by his fellow
cadets. II he does not SO report he is
ostracised by his government. 1t looks as
II the entire system was out of gear.
As WAS predicted. Hon. Samuel Z. Rob-
bins, of this county, was selected by his
fellow-members of the Assembly to be
their presiding officer at the ensuing ses-
sion. The Essex and Hudson county
members to the number of nineteen, did
not like the idea of not being able to con-
troll everything in sight, SO they "bolted'
the caucus, but it did not make any diff
ference, the caucus went on just the same.
During the spirited contest which ended
on Tuesday, one of the Newark papers
made desperate attempt to keep Mr.
Robbins from being elected and has said
some things against him which it claimed
showed him to be unworthy of support.
Mr.. Robbins paid no attention to these
attacks until publication was made
charging that he, In order to receive sup
port from Passaic county, had made a
pledge to member from there, at the
same time making the public announce
ment that he would not pledge himself to
any one This Mr. Robbins denounces as
absolutely false" and he is sustained in
his assertion by the man to whom he was
reported to have made the pledge. After
putting himself straight on this line our
Assemblyman calls attention to the attis
tude of Senator-elect Colby, of Essex, who
has allied himself to the party demanding
pledges and who insinuates that Mr.. Rob-
bins is under the control of corporations
The latter pays his respects to MIR. Colby
as follows:
when the present Senator elect from
Essex County, then a member of the
House. was last year swallowing bodily
the Morris Canal abandonment,
Of
culated to protect the interests of the State
and finally for the bill itself in all Its OBJ
jectionable form, which of all measures
coming before the Legislature was prob
ably supported more strenuously by cor
porate influence than any other, 1t Is not
for him and his followers to sit in judg-
ment and condemn me as creature of the
The record of my vote on
both this bill and its amendments can be
found on pages S32 to S37 of the printed
minutes of the votes and proceedings of
the 10th General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey, and on the same pages can
be found the record of my critic"
There is much truth in this statement.
Mr.. Robbins was opposed by the Colby
Record crowd for the reason that they
knew they could not control him. They
are determined to carry their franchise and
taxation schemes according to their ideas
and thought the rest of the state must do
their bidding. But they discovered that
other people had minds of their own, and
refused to be led around by the nose.
Because they could not be absolute bosses,
the crowd from the two great counties got
sulky and refused to stay in the caucus.
If there ever was baby play this was the
ime 1t was displayed. The would-be con-
trollers Of legislation will find before win
ter is over that there will be little concern
whether they plav in the backward or the