Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-05-09
HUDSON CoUNTY's DISGRACE

The report of the legislative committee ap-
pointed to investigate affairs in Hudson
county shows up a startling condition in NUM-
cipal and county government there, but it only
tends to confirm the opinion the public has had
regarding Hudson county for a long time. The
rottenness. crookedness and graft that is ex-
posed viii probably not be surpassed anywhere
in that f~ountry. 1t is a disgrace to our boosted
~civiliza ion, a reflection on our democratic form
Of gq ernment and a strong indictment against
eve/ self-respecting citizen of Hudson.
he fact that such a condition as has been
md in Hudson county can continue to exist
ean that the whole moral standard of the
Communities that make up the county is so
low that grating and crookedness is taken as a
matter OF course and that the average citizen
would do the same thing in Office if he had a
ehance.
Among some of the specified charges maze IN
the report are the following
sThat a man in the City Clerks department
in Jersey City sold 800 razors belonging 10 me
city and that this crime has never been brought
to the attention of the Grand Jury.
.That policemen in Jersey City have been
compelled to pay contributions to their SUI
.'That four policemen Of Jersey City were
bald $4,000 from the City Treasury Tor singing
"That on recovering stolen automobiles Jersey
{ City policemen have kept them and are now
priving about in them, refusing to return them
"That a clerk in West New York has made
a regular practice of pocketing fees which
should have gone into the public treasufg n.y. Of
the Director OF Finance in Jersey City has been
overlooked and never punished. 1t Is asserted
that the suspect is closely associated with GOV
.That Mayor Hague of Jersey City took two
nurses from the City Hospital to care for a
member Of his own family, although influenza
was raging at the time and nurses were greatly
needed by a multitude of patients at the City
Hnenita1 who were receiving 1nSuTuClenL care.
THAT official cars were used on an aliegee
road-inspecting tour which terminated at To-
1edo, Ohio, ON the day of the Dempsey-Wlllard
aThat Jersey City and Hoboken officials have
prevented other disclosures by a reluctant at
titude when called upon'to assist in the lnves-
tigation of themselves.
promotich from patrolman to detective, Jump
Ing oveY/the heads of scores of his seniors
It is/signifcant that as the probe got close to
the friends of Governor Edwards the COVER
: par<suGcaaasd in putting and end to the investl-
Astion by vetoing the bill making an addition
al appropriation in order that the work might
10 on. Naturally, the people Of the rest of the
Atate will draw their own conclusion from this'
The discouraging feature is that, with the
facts laid so plainly before them the people
will, at the municipal election in Jersey City
tomorrow, proceed to re-elect to public Office
the very men who at least countenanced, II not
lad a part in all this graft and crookedness'
And so the officials who so brazenly exploit
public office for their own private gain laugh
at the honest citizen and boldly ask, what are
you going to do about it?
Is it any wonder respectable, law-abiding
citizens become disguised with politics in gem
era1 and decline to dirty their hands in 1t?
Yet, II this respectable, law-abiding class OF
citizens should give up altogether and deilo-
erately turn the management of public affairs
over to the crooks and %grafters, what a picnic
the latter would have of it. Then, indeed
would the government go to the dogs. Instead
Of being discouraged, therefore, the honest citi-
'Aen must make up his mind more than ever
to do his fun duty and take more of an in
,e,est in public office. He must do so for his
own selfish interest. if not for the beneht OF