The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-07
REPUBLICAN HOPES.
Expect to Make a Test Case
of the Camden Pc
lice Bill.
PROVISIONS OF THE JOKER.
Proceedings in the Assembly Last
Evening-Republiean Hypo-
crisy Laid Bare.
Special to the jersey City Ne,cs.

-
TRENTON. Feb. Z, 1s94.-In speaking of the
Republicans view of Governor Werts' posi-
ton on the Senatorial question yesterday,
Senator Stokes said that, if the Governor
returns the bills with the objection that they
have not been passed by the Senate, the
Republicans would treat the Governors OBJ
~jections to the bills which they had passed as
vetoes and proceed to pass the measures over
his head. If he sent them to the Secretary
of States Office with his objections endorsed
thereon, they would consider them laws and
let the courts pass upon their validity, The
test would probably be made, Mr. Stokes
said, on the repeater of the act, which Mr..
Stokes designated as 1.-The Camden Police
Commission law" The Republicans would
repeal the act and the city officials would
then refuse to pay the Commissioners ON the
ground that their offices had been vacated,
and the Court would then be called upon
and the verdict would decide the legality of
the Republicans acts.
THE POLICE COMMISSION BILL.
The Police Commission bill is avery
peculiar one and refers to Paterson and
Trenton as well as Camden, and OF the sur
face has a beautiful non-partisan hue. But
like a great deal of human beauty it is only
skin deep. 1t provides for a Police Board
consisting of two republicans and two demo-
Gratis appointed by the Mayor and a Police
Justice appointed by the Governor, who has
ali the powers of a member when there Is a
deadlock among the other four. As the
board is most likely to stand two to two on
almost everything. it can be seen how near
the Police Justice comes ito bosslng the
whole shooting match" as one of the Mercer
accidents expressed it today in the debate in
the House. 1t takes three acts to create this
huhri1 ONu-na rtlSan law and when The re-
pealers of those three measures carne up in
the House this afternoon, considerable in
terest was awakened by them because of Mr..
Stokes ~utterances. As usual, Mr.. Carroll
clamored for an explanation OF the first one
of the bills taken up. Mr.. Watson, one of
the new members from Camden, who stand
sponsor for the bill, undertook to comply
with the request, but he was attacked with a
bad fit of stage fright and made a sorry mess
OF the job.
SAILING UNDER FALSE coLoRs
This led Mr.. Beekman of Middlesex, who
is the leader of the Democratic minority, to
make one of his characteristic speeches. He
said that the only object of the bill was to
put democrats out and republicans into
office. 1t was all very well, he declared, to
talk about reform and the wishes of the dear
people, but it was plain to every one that the
Republicans were sailing under false coIors.
tsWea all know you have got the votes and can
pass all your partisan bills. All | can say is
that you are fools if you dc not go ahead
and pass them. but tell the truth. Do as
we did last year, and we will not kick. Why,
last year we made no bones of telling you
that this bill or that bill was a measure in
the interest of a democrat and the Democra-
tic party, aud that we had the votes and pro-
posed to put it through with bells on. Say
what you mean. and we will honor you
for it"
EXPLAINING.
A~ssemblyman Exton of Trenton, who
makes the famous crackers that go SO well
with oysters, and who is a far better cracker
baker than he is a legislator, next tooka
hand at explaining the bin, and tied himself
up almost as tightly as Mr.. Watson did.
Not profiting by these examples, Mr.. Ginder,
one of the Mercer accidents, who is an ordi-
nary ward politician, and whose chief occu-
patton Is keeping chairs warm in cigar
stores which are the great iounging places in
Trenton, undertook to help his cause along
by abusing the Camden police, who, he de-
ciared, were the most corrupt in the State
and a standing disgrace. In Trenton, how
ever, things were different. The police were
a source of pride and the police justice a man
far above party. Mr.. Thompson, who has
a great deal to say in the unnlng of the
Camden police, flew to the defense. He said
that they were objects Of attack simply be-
cause they held positions once held by those
who wereedying to get back to the old stand.
Mr.. Beeknan, who thinks that his duties as
Democratic leader are to answer everyone
who speaks, here made another speech, in
which he jumped all over the Republicans
hypocrisy. The old mans words cut them
up considerably, and Salinger and others
kept up a sharp fire of questions. i
HOME RULE.
Reformer Storrs. with his hands as well as
his head filled with law, replied to both
THOMPSON and Beekman. He said that the
object of the bill was to restore home rule to
the people of the second class cities, of which
they had been robbed by the people. The
Mayor, in whose lands the bill would
again place the power to appoint the commits
sion, was elected by the people and knew
much better what the people wanted than the
Governor. The people had a chance at frequent
intervals of changing the Mayor and they
could hold him responsible. He said that the
Democrats were too accustomed to autocracy
to appreciate what was right and just. In
answer to a question from Mr.. Thompson,
Mr.. Storrs replied that the Duke of Glouces-
ter couldn't understand OF didn't understand
what he meant. Mr.. Thompson thereupon
sprang to his feet.
THOMPSON U
81 don't think / am SO dull of comprehen-
sion as you think, Mr.. Storrs,' y he exclaimed.
land | may be able to prove that to your sat
i~sfaction later on. may have a better COM
prehension of New Jersey affairs than you
think. and I may be able to show you where
the Republicans, cost Jersey City as much
as SIG. 600, 900 through an act TO place them
in power. Why don't you hurry along
with your wiping out bill. We know that
you have prepared and have ready to intro
duce a bill to wipe out the entire judiciary of
the State. Why doesn't your Judiciary
Committee come out with that bill 20
MAX OBJECTED.
81 object yelled the energetic Salinger,
Chairman Of the Judiciary, springing to his
feet. "This debate has nothing to do with
the Committee on Judiciary or its bills"
Mr.. Thompson subsidized, and Mr.: Beekman
again secured the floor, and referring to Mr..
Storrs, who is a tall, handsome man, began
to talk of handsome young men who made big
speeches for the purpose of seeing them in
the newspapers. He said the trouble with
ers in the hands of members who knew
nothing about them and always made a spec
tacle Of themselves telling that nothing. Mr..