The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-09
THE GOVERNOR AGAINST
He Thinks the Proposed
Constitutional Amend
ment Dangerous.
From tie Nel0 York World Of To-day.

When the votes cast at the special cleo
tion on September so are counted, after
the closing of the polls, there will be
found at least one ballot with nm ink
mark through the printed proposition to
amend the Constitution SO as to permit
special legislation for municipalitie s..
That ballot will be in Hudson county
box, and it will be tine vote of Leon ABB
Dett. The Governor does not think the
amendment is either wise or necessary.
AS private citizen he hopes that enough
people will vote against i5 to prevent its
adoption. He believes that the right way
for city TO secure legislation which it
alone desires, and which other cities do
not want, Is to embody in bills presented
to the Legislature a clause that they shall l
be operative only after approval by a MAJ
jority vote of the people of such city.
His Excellency expressed himself very
forcibly in regard to the coming election
when World reporter called upon him
in his office. Before HIM on his desk lay
pile of the ballots which it is now be-
lieved must be destroyed. The Governor
had drawn ink lines through the first
amendment on each of them.
Il am opposed, " said Governor ALBEIT,
looking up, ito opening the door again
for special legislation. 1t is a dangerou S
step to take, and ! do not believe tina
there are any circumstances to warran t
it, In my messages to the Legislature of
1854 and 1885 pointed out how grants of
power might be made to Individual mu-
inequalities without affecting the condi-
tion or powers of other cities or towns. l
believed then as / believe now that sue b
grants should be made through a vote of
the people. l can see no objection, in q
Democratic form of government, to se-
curing. on any subject important enough
for legislative action, an expression of the
popular will. Local self-government is
what all municipalities desire and under
the plan that have suggested it may be
had absolutely and entirely.
II do not think" continued the Gov
ernor, "that under the Constitution as it
stands now there is the slightest difficulty
in securing desirable legislation. If bill
be offered by a member, the passage of
which is desired by his constituents and
which is not desired by some other town
or city to which it implies, it is a simple
matter to insert in it clause that it must.
before becoming operative, be approved at
the polls in each city. Some of the best
laws on the statute books were enacted in
this way.
What this proposed amendment really
does is to take from the people chances
that they would otherwise have to pass
upon Jaws intended to effect their inter
ests. was a member of the Legislature g
between 1865 and 1871, during and after
the period of special legislation, so that
have had chance of studying the effect
of the two systems Under the old plan
of special legislation it was very easy for
schemers to secure the cooperation of
the representatives of a city, and when
| these men asked for the passage of law
it was pretty sure to pass, whatever the
judgment of the rest of the Legislature
might be on it. Members from another
locality feared to vote against such meas
ures because they feared retaliation. In
no orfi NOV "a hn rxrnc 8
| abused. The chance was given for Q
| minority party in a city to force upon the
majority government of the formers
choosing. Whichever party happened to
| be in power in the Legislature took ad-
vantage of that power to change for its
| own benefit the government of the cities
| where the minority ruled. That kind of
| legislation entirely bankrupted some
| icties and nearly ruined Others
"What the people want who have led
| this move for special legislation," con-
t1nued the Governor meaningly, sis to
| get rid of the courts. They do not want
acts that they are interested in scanned
| by the judiciary. Now the courts have
very great power. If an act be bad they
have the opportunity to prevent harm
being done under its authority. do not
believe" His Excellency said decidedly,
that the courts have set aside any good
Legislation because 1T seemed unconStltu-
tional. They have, however, declared
against much iniquitous legislation.
There are whole lot of people who want
to get some schemes and jobs through.
and who know that the courts bar their
way, who are urging the adoption of this
amendment"
'It has been urged" suggested the re-
porter, 'that under the present system
laws are passed for one city which other
cities do not want, but which they are
Obliged to accept, though they are adj
versely affected"
"That plea falls" replied the Governor
quickly, ''if the plan that have always
favored be followed. Let no act objected
to by any city which it affects be opera
tive in such city until it is accepted by a
vote of the people. There is then no
longer any argument in that objection"
The Governor said that he saw no OBJ
lection to the second proposed amend
mont which provides for a correction OF
technical error made when the new con-
stitution was drafted, though he saw no
particular reason for it,
Everybody ought to be sure" said he,
"that his ballot is correctly prepared be-
fore he puts it into the ballot box. To
vote against special legislation he must
cross out the first printed paragraph.
The newspapers ought to explain this
very fully"
HOW I'll HAPPENED.