Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-04-29
STRONG IN DEFENSE
OF STAR CHAMBER


any such rule prevail and there is no
reason why that practice should be
adopted solely by the State Board Of
Assessors. Numerous meetings of
the State Board of Assessors and the
great mass of its records are open to
the public. Some of its records,
however, would furnish the railroads
and other corporations with informa-
tion which could be used to the great
detriment of the public.
| Attorney generals, both republic
cans and democrats, have repeatedly
advised the board to treat such rec
ords as confidential, and Allan l..
McDermott, admittedly close to the
people, when a member of the board,
! declined on the witness stand to an
swer questions which would have re-
vealed confidential methods of the
board, on the ground that 1t would
be to the detriment of the public and
the court sustained him.
You say "for years the State
Board of Assessors under the domi-
nation of David Baird has conducted
its business in private" The busi-
ness methods of the board we're not
changed during the membership of
Mr.. Baird, and have been as they are
from, the very date of it's establish
ment.
You further state "for years the
State Board of Assessors have been
in disrepute." If so, it is principally
due to your habitual and malignant
| falsehoods respecting its work and
its method of accomplishing it.
You say requests for information
as to the values placed on the fran
chises of the railroads were answer
ed by the declaration that "it was
none of the public's business" / do
not for one instant believe that any
such declaration was ever made.
After one particularly misleading
attack by you upon the board it's sec
retary sent you a statement showing
it's falsity. The important parts of
that statement you suppressed, and
gave the unimportant parts to the
public.
The public is particularly interest
ed in the integrity of it's banks and
trust companies, yet the Boards of
Directors of those institutions and in
fact of practically all business insti-
| tutions meet behind closed doors,
and the interest of the public would
suffer il they did not.
1t would be a strange circum-
stance If board, the majority of
whom were appointed by Governor
Fort himself. could not be trusted to
meet behind closed doors as all other
| state boards do
Anyone acquainted with Mr.. Hal
sey knows perfectly well that he is a
man of integrity and judgment and
which he believed to be in the inter-
est of the public, to please any living
man. The difficulty is that your
paper reaches readers who do not
know him. He has now entered pub
lie life and you are beginning to inn
pair his reputation as you have inn
paired the regulations of many other
public men who have had the hardi-
hood to differ in opinion from you.
shall be glad If you will print
this article in full without twisting
the text or misrepresenting its mean
] ling, which seems clear enough with
out marginal notes by you. shall
also be glad If you will explain why
it Is that reformers and reform news
4 papers lie so outrageously.
To cite two recent instances outof
many, you state that after the meet
ing at which the resolution was de-
feated, Strong also appeared, hts
face flushed with joy, and ran into
/ Treasurer Voorhees, Office, where he
used the telephone" The impression
sought to be given is plain. 1t may
enlighten the public as to your
methods to state that ] was not in
the state treasurer's office that day,
nor did / see Mr.. Voorhees,, nor did
! use any telephone.
In your method of dealing with
men in public life i believe there is
no more unfair newspaper published
| in the United States, and your dam
aging statements are particularly
| effective because of the high STAN
dard of morality you profess to set
for all mankind.
Another reform newspaper, The
Hoboken Observer, recently stated
that at dinner to John ROTTERDAM
/ was present and started laugh at
an attack on Judge Carey, and then
it proceeded to point moral from
| that circumstance.
You see it not only stated that /
was present at the time of the at
ack, but distinctly stated that /
started a laugh at the attack upon
the Judge. 1t may enlighten the
public as to the methods of that
| journal to know that at the time of
the attack on Judge Carey i was not
present, but had left to catch train
feel sure that you will justify my
adoption of any method of Mr..
Everett Colby and shall therefore
send this letter to the press generally
at the same time send 1t to you.
Yours truly,
THEODORE STRONG.
New Brunswick, N. j., April 2S,
1910.
Newark News Editorial.
The Newark News editorial was en-
titled "Public Office a Public Trust +"
and was as follows:
Publicity in the conduct of govern
mental affairs is the greatest safeguard
against the exploiting Of the taxpayers
for the benefit of special interests. Lack
Of publicity-the carrying on Of the
business Of the public behind closed
doors--creates suspicion and encourages
unfair discrimination.
" Enlightened public servants and
even big corporate interests have ac-
knowledged that the demand for public
| ity is warranted. That explains the
creation of laws for uniform accounting
| by quasi-public- corporations. for the
posting of railroad rates and for the
inspection Of books. and documents so
that the people may have accurate
knowledge by which they can ascertain
whether they are being fairly treated
| by the corporations in which thew have