The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-03-12
TUESDAY, MARCH -, 1912

AZTEC thorough sitting Of the evil
dence In the charges against Senator Fitz-
herbert. accused of improper actions In
connection with two bills that had been
introduced In the Legislature, a verdict
OF guilty was rendered, but by q strictly
partisan vote, the Democrats sticking to
their colleague to a man. 1t is a pity
that craftsmanship should have entered
into this controversy. The charges were
not made by members of the Republican
party, but came from private source and
were given the fullest investigation, the
accused Senator being allowed to go the
limit In his endeavor to prove his inno-
cence. To those who have followed the
evidence the verdict is just what was to
have been expected and was fully iusti-
fed, The Democratic party, through its
leaders, has been very outspoken in its
ideas Of keeping clean record and quick
to find fault with Republicans who ap-
parently oYerstepped the boundary line.
The case of Senator Fitzherbert was one
that seemed to leave but one conclusion,
and 1t Is unfortunate, for the dignity OF
the body of which the gentleman is a
member, that the decision should have
been based solely upon the vote of those
of political faith other than his. Posi-
bly, the Democrats might say that the
Republicans were the partisans, but the
admissions of the Senator and the testi-
mony presented preclude any such idea.
The next question will be whether the
convicted official shall be expelled from
the body on which he has cast a shadow
As II will require two-thirds vote to do
this It is hardly probable that such re-
suit will follow, and if the Democrats
are willing to allow themselves to be
shown as standing for anything that is
not exactly straight 80 be 1t. The least
they could do would be to demand that
the convicted Senator resign from the
position he now holds. His usefulness
has gone.
FARMERS living In the vicinity of Flor
ence are protesting against the expendi-
ture of so much money on the roads in the
back part of the county while the high
ways in the upper portion are apparently
neglected. There is much justice In this
complaint. Since the advent of the Roeb-
ling Industries into this county the
assessed valuations have advanced to a
great amount, the majority of the increase
coming from the neighborhood of Flor
ence. The owners of property In that
locality naturally inquire what they are
getting for their money. 1t cannot be
denied they are getting little. When
Oscar Donnelly was member of the
Board of Freeholders he never missed
getting in an application for road in
that township and there were those who
considered his efforts in the nature of a
joke. But there was nothing funnyin the
case. If any locality is entitled to a road
1t Is that portion of the county from
Florence to Bordentown. There is not a
single argument to advance against this
proposition; there is everything to be said
In Its favor The members of the Board
of Freeholders would be justified in
straining point In this direction. With
all the increased valuations, with the
large amount placed in the county treas
ury in taxes by the Roebling plant, there
certainly should be something going back
to Florence. The demands of the resi-
dents are not unreasonable. They want
one good road and they ought to have it.
In 1907 the total amount of assessed valu-
alton Of real estate in Florence township
was $685., 1850, and In 1911 it had increased
to 81, $50. 400, and this year 1t will go still
higher, as many new houses have been
built These figures apply to real estate
alone. The valuation of personal property
has also advanced very materially. II
these facts are not sufficient to show that
Florence township has right to request
recognition on the subject of new roaC
we do not know what arguments can bt
advanced.