The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-10-31
Winpenn's Record

As an autnorlty on munlclpal IMAM
ces the opinion of Arthur N. Pierson,
assemblyman from Union county, and
chairman Of the commission to inves-
tigate municipal finances, is of value.
In his capacity as head of this COM
mission he has made a careful study
Of the subject, and he ridicules the as
sertion Of H. Otto Wittpenn, the Demo
cratic candidate for Governor, that he
is entitled to the support of the voters
OF New Jersey on account OF his record
in Hudson county. Mr.. Pierson in an
interview gives his reasons why he
thinks Mr.. Wittpenn should not be
elected, when he says:
"Our Democratic friends ask us to
vote for Mr.. Wittpenn, for Governor,
because of his record in the public ser
vice Of the people Of Hudson county
and Jersey City. That does not mean
much to US over here in Union county,
but let us analyzs what he has done
for, or possibly could well say done
to- the people of Jersey City.
He was mayor of that city from
1907 to 1913. The people of Jersey City
became 30 Disguised with the admins
tration of Mr.. Wittpenn flor he con-
trolled everything at the city halD
that the decent thoughtful people Of the
city voted for change Of government
in order to get clear of Wittpennism,
and to show clearly that it was the
kind Of administration that Mr.. Witt
penn had been giving them, that they
wanted to get clear of him, would call
the attention of the voters to the fact
that only one Wittpenn commissioner
was elected and this man-Harry
Moore-a man of high standing whom
Mr.. Wittpsnn was fortunate enough tt
get on his ticket, was the sole Witt
penn man to be elected. A year late
when James ]. Ferris died, the people
again defeated the Wittpenn candidate
and elected Henry Byrne, an anti
Wittpenn man, so you can see clearly
that the people of Jersey City remem
bered Mr.. Wittpenn and his extrava
giant administration for at least year
I'm the 19l3campaign Frank Mague
q prominent Democrat of Jersey City
said: Il have been member OF tn
streets and water board under MI
Wittpenn's administration and hav
always stood by the people as agains
the corporations. exposing graft AM
extravagances in his department
whereas Mr.. Wittpenn favored corpol
ate interests, which was the reason TO
my seysring political and personal rt
lations with him.
I'm the same campaign George Brsr
singer, now commissioner of revenu
finance OF Jersey City, stated over hi
signature that Hudson county unds
the term Of Mr.. Wittpenn as its supe
visor was the worst run county in th
entire state, that pay rolls were padded
. and that unbusiness like methods wei
employed in purchasing supplies, {
that the tax rate increased forty p,
; cent. while Mr.. Wittpenn held offic
So bad became the affairs of Hudso
county under Mr.. Wittpenn that Pres
dent Wilson, while he was Governo
ordered summary investigation
these affairs, in 1912, which revsale
gross irregularities in almost every d
partment.
This is the man that they have pi
ted against Mr.. Edge, and this is tt
record that we are asked to accept as
|, guarantee of his qualifications for OIL
chief executive. While this sort
political manipulation may go on
Hudson county, we want differer
and higher type of man at Trenton
Our present Governor is one of thes
Hudson county politicians, and th
! people know how in two years previor
to 1914 free balance of more tina
$1, 100000 was turned into deficit {
more than $3.50. 900, and if this il
sample of Hudson county's way OF d,
/, ing things let them keep them in Hue
son county. 1t has cost the people /
5 New Jersey entirely too much alread
for their experiment and we do M
want any more of it.
II note that Mr.. Wittpenn has sal
that Mr.. Edge is corporation mar
While this seems hardly worth al
) swering, 1 would just ask you to rea
. the corporation tax and home rul
plank in the Republican platform. Nj
Edge was largely instrumental in ha'
7 ing these planks put in the platform
and we do not find anything of til
kind in the Democratic platform
(which believe it is fair to assume NJ
Wittpenn had hand in drafting.
: "At best, Mr.. Wittpenn is only th
t political boss of Hudson county, wit
8 q pull at the White House. If til
people of New Jersey want the affail
of the state run by Mr.. Tumulty froI
Mr.. Wilson's outer Office, all right, bl
3 / do not think thev do.n