The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-19
AN OUTRAGE ON THE TOWN OF HARRISON.

a great wrong has been done to the town of Harrison. firing
of msgovernment there by petty ward politicians, the decent
citizens of the town had a law passed creating the Office of
Mayor To this office they elected Joseph Rordan. a local
business man and large propety-owner, who had been reared in
Harrison, knew and understood the people and the needs of the
municipality. His capacity, honesty and independence pleased
the people so we'll that no one attempted to enter the lists
against him and he was reelected without opposition.
In protecting the rights of the town and its taxpayers
Mayor Riordan ran foul of selfish concerns that wanted all kinds
of privileges. True to his duty, faithful to his oath OF ohce'
the Mayor guarded the peoples interests, and it was found inn
possible to cajole or intimidate him. He was warned that re-
prisals would be made if he persisted in his course, but he
stood firm as adamant.
Then came the counter attack. The Supreme Court was
asked to declare that the act creating the Office of Mayor of
Harrison was unconstitutional and therefore void.
By whom was this appeal madef By the citizens Of Har-
rison? No.
By the bondholders Or creditors of the city, No.
By whom then Lord knows. Possibly Attorney General
Mccarter knows, because hisN consent was necessary before the
suit could be instituted Possibly the Supreme Court judges
know. If either the Judges or Attorney General know they have
kept the secret to themselves.
Well, the Supreme Court has declared the law unconstitu-
tonal. Harrison is now without a Mayor and the town is
threatened with the old chaotic conditions which bred misgovern-
ment. Those who brought this about dared not come into the
open like men. They had not the nerve to stand up before
the community and justify their action. To attempt anything
of the kind would have brought to light their motives and these
would not bear examination in daylight.
But why did the Attorney General permit this secrecy 7
Why didn't the Supreme Court insist on pubhcitye Isn't the
person or corporation behind such a suit supposed to prove that
he has a right at stake-that he has some standing in court
Isn't he supposed to prove his bona-fdes and to show that he
comes into court with clean hands,
Possibly the procedure followed in this case may seem reg
|ular from the strictly technical view of the lawyer, but to the
lay mind it seems subversive of, both law and justice. To the
impartial spectator, who has no connection with the town
and no selfish interest in the matter one way O another, it
certainly looks as if Harrison had been the victim of a damna
bic outrage, and the viciousness of it is not mitigated by the
fact that it was committed under the form of and in the lame
of the law. 1t is not just, it is not wise, to permit such
things, and the law should be SO amended that no possible in
terpretadon of it could be made to shelter, approve o permit
outrages of that class.
Think it over, gentlemen. Here is a community with a
form of government that suits it, and the Supreme Court upsets
lit IN the motion of an unknown plaintiff who dares not ac-
knowledge his identity.
The Legislature of 1907 must bear its share of the odiun
attaching to this piece of Black Hand litigation. When the
question of Harrison's right to have a Mayor was raised the
people of that town appealed to the Legislature. They asked
the law-making body to correct whatever possible errors had
been made in the original act creating the office. 1t was a
reasonable, a fair and a proper request. It was a request that
the Legislature had no moral right to refuse. 1t was the re-
quest of a municipality practically a unit on this proposition.
TO grant it would have injured no honest citizen. But the
Legislature smothered the request-not openly, oh, no. 1t was
done to death by methods in keeping with the whole procedure
in this case-secrecy, darkness, and with all the cowardice that
usually accompanies deeds of shame.
Is there, then, no redress?
Must Harrison tamely SUBMIT Its people are mostly hard
working, industrious people who have little time to spare for
public affairs. They owe it to themselves, however, to make a