The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-10-30
How Democrats
Played Politics.
Report OF House Investigation
Committee MiSstates and
DistOrts the Facts.


DistOrts the Facts.
The revelations of the Voorhees, In.
vestigating committee of 1893 We're st
startling. the proofs of corruption and
inetlicieney SO glaring. that the officials
responsible We're permanently driven
from power and the Democratic party
10 which they belonged, WIS unable It
control either branch of the Legislature
for twelve years. Last yenr This party
elected Il ma joriiy of the members of
the lower branch of the Legislature
Probably, Judging by themselves. they
assumed ttnt In these twelve Years OF
Republicans rule there must be found
much 10 cfitieise, so they appointed II
committee 10 delve into the affairs of
the different departments of the state
government.
Much has been said regarding the
findings of this committee. Newspa
pers, with II superficial knowledge OF
its proceedings. have stated that graft
and incompcteucy have been uncarth
or. and the Democratic candidate Is
entertaining his audiences with similar
charges These charges, however, are
general in their nature. and when any
attempt is made to specify the specific
stnte,npatS are SO cVaSivc and In some
respects untruthful that n candid ic.
sumo of their procedure is demanded.
1t should he remembered that the
authority for Legislative Investigations,
questionable at best, places In the
hands of the iuouisitor one of the most
powerful and undcmocratic forces
known 10 the common law and has
never been justified except on the
ground of utmost necessity. The ques
ton mny we'll he asked whether the
right OF such Investigations has not
ceased entirely Ia exist Remember
ing This. the Voorhees, committee of
% and its counsel We're very Jealous
facts, to protect in the highest degree
the reputation OF witnesses and others
with whom they had to deal as in
vcstigntors and Ia report to the legisla
turc only the actual findings But how
far the assembly investigating commit
tee Of this year has pursued this course
will appear from II brief examination
OF Its proceedings
\ partial report by the counsel OF
this committee, acting without the
knowledge Of the committee. was made
To the legislature at It's adjourned meet
Ing on the 10th of June last
II begins by charging extravaganza
and lack of attention To the interests
of the state on the part of the banking
and insurance commissioner because
Of that officials failure 10 collect inter
est on the deposits of state funds In
his name before these funds were off
ctally turned over 10 the state treasury
There Was no law requiring the com
missioner TO collect such interest, and
the commissioner was responsible for
the safe keeping of the money until II
was turned over 10 the state.
While II may be admitted that Ms n
general principle these funds should
have drawn interest, yet the facts are
that ut the prevailing rates of interest
the state would have received less than
500 per annum from this source
No effort was made by the committee
to ascertain or to present to the leeis-
lature the many and radical reforms
worked in this department by the
present commissioner. the very high
standard of efficiency attained by the
department duriHg his inoumbenoy or
the surprising service he has render.
ed to the state. The whole effort of the
counsel for the committee was direct
ed in attempting to discredt tho COM
missioner because Of his failure to col
iect this small interest accumulation.
for which there was no authority OF
law.
The report also deals ut length with
the question Of what it is pleased to
call official abseutceiSm" on the part
of public officials No effort is made
to show that the officials did not prop.
erly perform their duties. that the
state Was not receiving fair return for
their services. hut only Il charge that
these officials did not spend suth-
cient number of hours at the state cap
itol. No information is given to tn.
legislature that men of the standard OF
ability desirable for these positions
could not he found or properly asked 10