Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-10-28
Former Governor Accused
Of Doing Nothing to Prevent
State Being Robbed
REPUBLICANS OPPOSED
EVERY MOVE
After Colby and New Idea
Republicans Took Seats
Laws Were Passed


lican candidate for governor, George
L. Record accuses the former COVER
nor of making false claims Of having
brought about the increase Of rail-
road taxation. Mr., Record insists
that Mr.. Stokes, during his whole
public career as an officeholder and
leader of the Republican party, en-
deavored to protect the railroads
from being forced to pay their just
share of the tax burden.
The letter, which was made public
today, declares that the "Belshazzar
feast" held in the Railroad Club in
New York on October 10, shows that
Mr.. Stokes's friends ARE the enemies
of progress" The text of the letter
is as follows:
'In my last weeks letter I attack
ed your claim that the Republican
party was entitled to the credit for
the passage of the Geran law, by
showing from the record that the
Republican assemblymen opposed the
bill, that the Republican and Demo-
cratic machines joined in the legis-
lature to beat the bill, and only fail
ed because enough Republicans dis
obeyed machine orders and gave
Wilson a majority, and that these
Republicans were virtually driven
out of public life by you and the
other party leaders. In your answer
to this indictment, you dodge my
questions, ignore my facts and attack
me personally. This Is not only ir-
relevant, it is unworthy of your abil-
ity. l thought you could do better.
"Now l consider your claim that
the Republican party is entitled to
credit for the passage of the equal
tax laws. You say that you as gov
ernor urged upon the legislature the
passage of the railroad tax law, and
that it was passed by Republican
votes in your administration, and
that the result was an increase of
taxes paid by the railroads OF nearly
$4,000, 900. These are the facts:
The unjust special privilege enjoyed
by the railroads in matters OF taxa
ton has been a prominent issue In
New Jersey politics since 1888, when
Governor Albeit was elected COVER
nor. Under his attack the Republi-
can legislature passed the railroad
tax act of 1884. This act was a step
In advance, but still left the rail-
roads in the possession of an unjust
privilege, in that they were only re-
quired to pay $5 thousand on their
main stem property and SIS thou
sand upon their other property, as
against an average of $22 thousand
paid by the other taxpayers of the
State. This meant to the railroads,
as you now confess, an annual saving
of several millions of dollars and
was therefore robbery of the public
to that extent.
Fagan's Letter to Murphy.
Governor Albeit ran for election
again in 1889, upon the issue that
this glaring injustice should be re-
moved by further legislation. After
election he never pressed the point
1t came up again before a commits
sion in Mayor Wansers term, where
the whole subject was threshed out
but the Republican legislature again
deliberately refused to impose any
further burden upon the railroads.
Charles c. Black, as member of
this commission, In an elaborate re-
port, set out the glaring injustice Of
the railroad tax privilege.
''The real fight which eliminated
in your administration was begun by
Mayor Pagan and myself when l was
corporation counsel of Jersey City In
1902. We took to Trenton bill to
remedy this outrage, and were un-
able to get a single Republican mem
Der even to introduce the bill, and
had to have it introduced by Hud-
son Democrat The bill was prompt
ly smothered in committee by the
direct orders of the Republican State
nnrcnna1lu known tn
you. Mayor Pagan and / Immediate
Iy became obnoxious to the Repub-
lican leaders-the same ones who
control the party now.
FINALLY, when it was evident that
we could not get this bill even re-
ported from committee, l drafted the
letter to Governor Murphy which
Mayor Pagan, as mayor of Jersey
City, signed and published, setting
forth in blunt language the fact that
the Republican State leaders deliber-
ately refused to make the railroads
pay taxes the same as private in
dividuals were compelled to do, and
dcnouncing this attitude of the Re-
publican leaders as betrayal OF the
party and of the people to the pri-
vate and special interests. This let
teF dIOuSGu Lu0 puUllC, duu bOu6-
thing had to be done; and SO COM
mission was appointed by Governor
Murphy to Investigate the subject.
This is the usual device for delay
practiced by the representatives of
privilege in the hope that the agita-
ton will blow over and that the agl-
tators can be intimidated, bought off
or tired out. The commission was
composed of the then State Board OF
Taxation, the members of which were
machine men, except Charles c.
Black, to which were added Ex-Goy-
ernor Werts and Chandler Riker.
'The whole fight before this COM
mission was mainly made by me, al
though Judge Minturn, then corpor-
alton attorney of Hoboken, and State
senator from Hudson county, aided
in the fight. Not single Republican
leader gave any assistance. While
this commission was sitting the State
Il n