" A LEGISLATIVE TEAVESTY 273 



board as fast as the votes could be taken, and against the 

 earnest protests of the minority members. They openly 

 charged that the ordinance had been drawn by, and for, 

 and in the interests of the traction company. The charge 

 was not denied. It also transpired that the Eailroad Com- 

 mittee, Councilman T. W. Jackson chairman, had, "with- 

 out any right or authority'' from the council, eliminated 

 the twenty-year term limit to the franchise previously 

 agreed upon. 



On June 13, 1904, the ordinance was before the East 

 Orange City Council for final action. The council room 

 was packed to suffocation. The exciting scenes of the pre- 

 vious meeting were repeated. It was a repetition of the 

 old, old story of the conflict between popular rights and 

 the exercise of mercenary corporate power wielded by the 

 few. For six hours, until nearly two o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, the struggle went on. [^'either the logic of facts, en- 

 treaty nor appeal to protect the city availed. When the 

 committee of 100 found it useless to consider the parkways 

 matter, and that every indication pointed to an agreement 

 having been made before the meeting to pass the ordinance 

 on the corporation's own terms, G. S. Hulbert, in speaking 

 for the committee, after reminding the council that not 

 a single organization representing public opinion had fa- 

 vored the railroad, while the reverse was true as to the 

 parkway, urged that the experience of other cities, in lim- 

 iting franchises and securing fair compensation,, be con- 

 sidered before action be taken. The official records, showing 

 the suicidal policy of giving away a perpetual franchise, 

 such as the one under consideration, were quoted from at 

 length. Expert estimates Avere also given as to the present 

 cash value of the Central avenue franchise, which a ma- 

 jority of the city representatives ( ?) then evidently pro- 

 posed to grant for the insignificant (compared with its 

 value) sum of $1,000 per year. "Solemn protests" were en- 

 tered by a number of citizens. About midnight a motion 

 to postpone consideration of the subject until June 27 was 

 defeated. The majority were manifestly determined to 



