Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-13
COLBY ANSWERS
BUGBEE ATTACK
Denies He Was Counsel for the
"Water Snake"-Tells
Stand on Labor.

The attack on Gubernatorial Candi-
dates Everett Colby, Progressive, and
James F. Fielder. Democrat. by New
ton A. K. Bugbee. chairman of the
Republican State Committee, was an
swered today by Mr.. Colby during his
speech In Passaic. Mr.. Colby's speech
in part was as follows:
Before closing, I want to say a
word about few remarks of the
chairman of the Republican State
Committee, which I saw in the news
papers this morning. In fact, they
We're put in the form of. questions,
which I shall be very glad to answer.
| might suggest in passing that the
attack does not come from my oppo-
nent, but from his friends. This ] ex-
pect If there is any rough work to
be done in this campaign, it will not
be done by the Republican candidate
for Governor. Mr.. Bugbee wants me
to explain why / was associated with
counsel for. the water snake" The
answer is that | never was counsel for
the water snake and never asked
the Legislature to take a drop of
water that was being used by the peo-
pie OF New Jersey OF ever would be
used. l represented a bondholder of
the company, who had accepted bonds
in payment for water pipe sold to the
water company, and my firm request
ed only that the Legislature pass bill
to enable the water company to take
water that was not being used, but
was going to waste, for a limited
number of years, SO that these bonds
might be retired without loss either to
the State or those who held the secur-
tiles of the company After the pas
sage of the McCran act and we were
requested by one client to attack the
validity of the law in the court, 1
sent the following letter to our client,
which clearly sets forth not only my
position, but also the position of my
firm:
"Deak Mr.. Gillespie:
II have your letter of the 25th inst.
asking us to represent you in the pro-
posed attack upon the constitution
atty of the McCran water act.
This letter was received during my
absence and my partners. remember
ing the agreement at the time you re-
tained us to look after your interests
TO represent you in court as well as
before the Legislature, felt in duty
bound TO comply with your request.
and so wrote. l have since made it
clear, however, to them that l notified
you of our, attitude toward the Nc
Gran bill before accepting your re-
tainer, and now that the litigation has
taken the form of an attack upon the
of the act we feel justified,
in view of such notification, in stating
that we cannot. consistently take part
in such a contest.
I'VE gladly appeared before the
Legislature committees in your be-
half, believing that the McCran bill
could be so amended as to protect the
State and yet not work a private in
justice, but our own views are so
strongly in favor of public conserva-
ton that they would probably be out
of harmony with those of other coun-
sci and SO feel it to your best interests
that we refrain from participating in
this litigation.
II thank you for your letter, which
out our files. Do try and
come down to the Bar Association
dinner with me, if you can.
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed) "EVERETT COLBY"
"As to the charge that I opposed
an equal tax bill when I was leader
of the House in 1904, l have never
attempted an excuse. This charge
was made by Major Lentz when we
first began the fight. I have never
attempted to defend my attitude be-
cause I knew that ignorance of the
subject of railroad valuation was not
a good defense. I accepted the data
given me and the position taken by
the party leaders and this also was
no defense either. At the CLOSE of
that session of the legislature made
an exhaustive study of the whole
subject and introduced a bill calling
for the equal taxation of all rail-
road property and bolted the party
when they applied the local tax rate
to second-class property. only.
"As to the attitude of my firm in
the hatters' strike / need make 10
defense. as my position on labor
questions is too we'll known. If Mr..
Bugbee Is so deeply concerned for
the welfare of labor, | would ark
him if he approves of taking from
the courts the power to issue injunc-
tons in labor disputes before a hear
ing has been granted both sides.
do, and the Progressive party does.
81 should be pleased to have Mr..
Bugbee address any questions he
likes to me. but would urge that he
encourage his candidate to answer
some of the questions have put to
him."