The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-08
This paper Is Democratic IN prsnctples
and Is Independent IN its Uieacs on all
local questions.
Who Is in Earnest?-Ballot Reform

n IS d~nQepgnucHt III US UtetpS w Ut
local questions.
Who Is in Earnest?-Ballot Reform
Trickery.
Now, who is in earnest? Who is
determined to give the people of New
Jersey a clean, pure ballot? Is it the
Republican Senate with its willful
obstruction or is it the Democratic
Assembly with its prompt and honest
action.
The Non-partisan Committees bill
has been passed by the Assembly. 1t
has been endorsed by the ballot re-
form organizations Of the State. The
labor organizations have accepted it
as satisfactory. The whole State
is content with it, and the
majority of the people regard
it as by far the best law
that a be framed in the premises. 1t
only needs tine consent Of the Senate
to make it law. II that body should
vote for it, it would be a law within
twenty-four hours, for tits we'll known
that Governor Albeit stands ready to
approve it or any other good bill to
protect the franchise.
But in the face of this state of facts,
the Senate declines to pass the bill.
1t thinks fit, instead, to pass the
so-called Carter bill, a highly OBJ
jectionable measure. and one which
by no possibility can pass
the Assembly. The objections to
this bill are obvious. Some of them,
as pointed out by Senator Werts in
his very able speech on the question,
run counter to all the theories Of the
ballot reform movement. The Repub-
licans only assume to defend it on the
strength Of one mechanical detail,
that of the blanket sheet ballot. 1t is
impossible for the Assembly to CON
sent to its passage, and, even if there
were a chance that it would do SO,
needless delay would be caused, seeing
that the Assembly has already passed
an acceptable bill which only awaits
the Senate's action.
The curse pursued by Gardner &
Co. proves what we have often
charged-the hostility of Republican
ism to true ballot reform. The party
pretends to advocate various absurd
fads because they have no reality in
them, and because they give it an ex-
cuse for NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., injuri-
u to itself. Republican leaders are
well aware that the abolition of bull
doing and bribery will be the death
of all their prospects.
The course now to be pursued by the
Assembly Is obvious enough. 1t
should absolutely refuse to touch the
Senate bill. 1t has done its part in
passing the Non-partisan bill, let the
Senate take the responsibility, If it
chooses, Of killing that measure.
In is amusing to see Senator Gard
mel advocating an official ballot, when
the heelers in Atlantic City, under
his direction, flung out the official
ballot box and ignored the law, in
order that election frauds might the
easier be committed in the interests Of
the railways and the G. O. P.
THIS is a queer story about the sale
Of the Paulmier property to the Young
Mems Christian Association. The
story told by Mr.. Cowles of the graz
dual shrinkage Of the lot is amusing
II not edifying. Probably the story
has another side-most stories have;
but the association plainly feels its
ease to be a strong one when it re-
fuses to pay the purchase money and
takethe title offered.
The dispute is principally to be re-
GREETED as unsettling the affairs of the
association in the midst of its boom.
In its new and handsome house, with
building and decorative projects on
hand, the association seemed to have
a season Of unexampled prosperity
ahead Of It. Now, OF course, every
t hing will stand still until q long and
tedious litigation is settled.
Let the young men beof good heart,