The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-06-03


MUCH interest has been awakened In
county affairs during the past two weeks
and the developments that led to the IN
dictment of members of the Board of Free
holders have been the cause of much dis
cussion. Speculation has been rife upon
the possible or probable punishment of
the men who have practically acknowledge
ed their guilt but that part of the subject
may be safely left with Judge Horner 1t
ID not proper at this time to make any
suggestions touching upon that point. 1t
will not do any harm, however, to COM
ment upon other items. Many who are
opposed to the new system and who are
very friendly to those who have been
brought to justice are loud in their cries
of persecution. spite work." and other
like remarks. Such talk is very ill-advis-
ed. II the question of political enmity"
were to be taken up and analysed it would
be found that at least two of the indicted
men haYe been deeper In the mire of dirty
politics than those against whom aspersion
OF getting even" for political reasons Is |
cast. The small amount taken Is urged as
s'insignifcant, yet the chicken thief who
takes fowls worth $16 to $50, must need
go to state prison. He is generally unable
to return the goods-theY have been eaten. |
So that all argument that restitution has
been made does not lessen the charge In
the indictment. Nobody wants to perse- |
auf a h,lti 70 he
Is the defendants. is demanded. tits per-
fectly proper to discuss In this item many
of the things that have been brought out
by the proceedings which have awakened
the county to the fact that there has been
looseness and carelessnessif nothing worse, |
for years. 1t will not do to decry the eff
forts of those who have attempted to give |
the people of Burlington county some idea
OF what has been going on without any
apparent means of securing better state
of affairs. 1t is all nonsense to declare
the taxpayers of this county are willing
to return to the system of large boards of |
freeholders when we have before us the |
array of testimony that has been presented |
to the court, and the acknowledgment of |
learned counsel that not one of the ten
men indicted-nine of them members of |
the board, the other the man who pulled |
the strings and kept the dancing going
were ignorant, unacqua.nted with figures
and not competenG to attend to business.
Those who are now 10 the office must not
be branded as incompetent" until they |
have been given fair chance. So far at
least they have shown themselves
capable of doing as we'll as those
who have been deposed and there has not
yet been any necessity for presenting them
to grand jury. THE News does not
agree with its friend across the street that
the members of the small board had a
chance to make good and failed There
Is nothing to support any such statement,
and continual casting of slurs upon the
members of that body or any individual
member will do more to gain them
sympathy and support than 1t will to put
them out OF Office Especially is this SO
In the case of DR.. Lejambre. He has
worked hard on the task that has shown
things In their true light and he is entitled
to the thanks of the county at large.
With perfect knowledge of the criticism
that would be heaped upon him he has
kept right on In the course he started.
Without his acts how long would this
county have been kept In the dark and
have been mulcted through ignorance of
men who did not know how to keep &C.
counts" to the tune of several thousands
of dollars MANY a nickel makes a
muckel," and the $16. $50, aud $50, to say
nothing of the g., 200. counts up fast In
the grand total of period that has pos
sibly extended over a period reaching
back for years. Grand jury after grand
jury has warned the freeholders that they
must watch their ways more carefully,
but the thing went right along. No mat
ter what system is used-whether the
large boards are restored or the small
boards continued, the work that has been
accomplished has been worth the trial
that has been given it. and the day of
mistakes" In conducting county affairs
ia over