The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-08
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
Progress of the Movement
in New Jersey-Absurd
Raid on Salaries.
fpecialio iAs Jsrseg e. vs.s..

TRENTON. Jan. 5. 1spI.-C. p. Atkinson,
the State organizer OF the Farmers Alli-
ance. makes the statement that he has
perfected plans to organize an alliance In
every county In this State. and not until
that Is done viii a State Alliance be
formed. The New Jersey Alliance. how
ever, is represented in the Industrial
Senate. and its delegates are committed
to labor principally to secure a reduction
Of the salaries paid to the State officials
and favor q revision Of the constitution
The association believes that the Gov
ernor should not get over 5000, in fact
the members think that no State official
should be paid over that amount. The
Alliance will cooperate with the Indus
trial Senate in an experiment to secure
that reduction What will be done has
not yet been decided and is left TO the
Legis alive Committee Of the Senate,
who will open headquarters in Trenton
next week. IL Is question with them
now whether TO make the test on the
Governors salary or make the Offices
OF the Clerk of Chancery and Supreme
Court, salaried offices. No positive re-
suits are expected this year, but by
autumn the alliance expects TO have q
through the twenty one counties and they
Will exact pledge from every candidate
for Assembly and Senate to vote for a
uniform salary test for State officials and
particularly for a change in the fee
Offices now on the second floor of the
State House. They want the State to
have the benefit Of the enormous income
or these departments The organized
support OF the alliance will only go 10 the
men who are pledged TO secure this re-
form.
The Supreme Court Judges and the
Chancery Judges are classed as State
officials. 1t win be shown by the alliance
that If the salaries of officials and Judges
are cut down to s. 900 each aud the fees
of Chancery and Supreme Court Office
turned over to the State Treasurer, that
$4,000 will be saved TO the State of New
Jersey each year. 1t will be on this basis
OF economy In public offices that they will
attempt to make campaign in the fall.
Ihey do not care TO make State organ
ization until every county Is organized
and these issues can be made their plat
form.
The Alliance as a body favors the idea
OF general revision of the constitution
They see a principal defect in the fact
that the Governor has entirely too much
power In his hands and the people not
enough. They want the Judiciary simpli-
fed BY the blending Of the equity and
law courts In this State as In other States,
They want the selection of judges and
prosecutors left 10 the people of each
county and the State officers To be elected
by The people of the State. AS it is now
the voters only nave right to say who
shall be Governor and members of the
Legislature.
The exact strength is not given by Or
garizer Atkinson. Tne strongest aln-
ance is in Cumberland county. ana the
next is in Hunterdon. where the matter
Of the reduction OF official salaries is the
uppermost theme of discussion. Salem
and Atlantic come next, There are grow
ing organizations in Monmouth and Mid
dlesex. New alliances are about TO be
organized In Morris. Sussex and Union
counties. Literature Is being circulated
in Essex, Bergen and Burlington coun-