The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-23
AS A RBF0RMER
Advocates the Referendum
Thomas MeEwan's Little
Speech.

-. - $685.
ASBURY PARK, Aug. 90, 1S94.-The
Direct Legislation League of New Jersey
held its second annual convention Tues
day. The sessions were held in the au-
ditorium and began at three o'clock in
the afternoon.
William A. Cotter of Pennington, Presi-
dent of the League, occupied the chair.
Rev. H.. D. Opdyke, State Secretary
of the New Jersey Farmers Alliance,
was the first speaker. His subject was
THE Farmers and Direct Legislation
Mr.. Opdyke prefaced his speech by say
ing that the farmers were the most OPP
pressed people in this country, and that
they were getting poorer every year.
They were in favor of referendum. The
question of the hour is, Shall we have
plutocracy or democracy? Tariff reform
had found more enemies than friends.
The United States Senate did not repre-
sent the bill when it passed the tariff
bill, modified as it was. If he question
had been submitted to the people there
would nave been a different state of
affairs to chronicle. A government of
the people, by the people and for the
people is more of a myth than a reality.
Many of the Objectionable laws that
have been passed by the New Jersey
Legislature would never have been
adopted had the referendum scheme
been in operation.
PEOPLE LOSING FAITH.
People are losing faith in the present
manner of representation. The lobby,
the curse of all legislative bodies, could
not live with the referendum. The liquor
traffic would be abolished with the in
auguration of direct legislation.
w. d. McCracken of Boston, author
of THE Swiss Republic" spoke on 'Di-
rect Legislation and its Methods" He
defined the referendum as he had stud
led it during a two years soJourn IN
Switzerland. Referendum, he said.
meant the referring of all legislation to
wide. The speaker advocated proportion
ate representation.
A strong argument in fovar of refer
endum was found in the letter OF George
L. Smith, a manufacturer of Newark.
Mr.. Smith said:-"Give us adfrect leglsla-
ton and the play will be fair. Anarchy
will then be driven out of the country"
The following officers were elected for
NEW OFFICERS ELECTED.
President-William A. Cotter or Elem
smith of Orange; George Fl. Strobell,
Newark; Rev. H. d. Opdyke. Stanton;
J. P. Mcdonnell, Paterson; Frank Nc
Lees, hll1GTIOTu, u lllC - =
ton; George Spottiswood, Orange: R.. w.
Guthrie, Englewood; James Fleming.
Jersey City; John G. Mccormick. Tren,
e. Potter, Port Dram; Rev. J b. Gal
loway, Paterson; DR.. c. P. Atkinson,
Salient; William B.. McMartry, Somer.
Z. j. Whitehead, Westdeld: DR.; G. II.
Griffith, Phillipsburg; Ralph w. Pope,
Elizabeth; B. E. Chaplin, Newark.
Recording secretary-E. P. Kneppen OF
Corresponding Secretary-Eltweed rom
eroy of Newark.
observation-disclosures Condit of Verona:
The evening session was better at
tended than that of the afternoon. Sam
uel Gompers, President of the American
Federation of Labor, spoke on The
said that we are still in doubt as tc
whether the people desire tarltf reforE!
or not. This question could only be de-
termined by it's submission to the people
for a vote. The agonizing suspense dur
ing the last industrial depression could
have been avoided if we had the refer
endum. The action OF Congress SHOWS
the people, nor could the people con-
troll them; hence our representative sys-
tenn is a delusion. 1t represents notnlng
but the lobby of corporate wealth and
power. 1t is said that the people cannot
be trusted to take care of their interests
directly how can they trust any one
else, particularly those who DO not trust
M'EWAN AND ADRIAN.
Thomas McEwan of Jersey City, mem
Der of the House from Hudson County,
addressed the convention on the sub
ject. He said
"Now is the apt time to enact a law
of hits kind. We stand on a depressed
volcano. Unrest is on every HAND. IT
is in dangerous evidence everywhere.
The Referendum and Initiative will serve
as a safety valve. By them expression
can eb given to the inner feelings OF
the dissatisfied masses. Legal action
will curb the desire to seek repIlsat
viii serve as an effective protest against
present injustice and inequality and
against the tendency of legislatures,
courts and in fact, every branch OF the
government, seeking to reverse the law,
ful and historical arrangement, which
was the right of person and then the
,iebt If property. Now it is the right
Of property that has the precedence,
and the right of person s4considered "a
long distance behind. The latter is
saemin civ held to be a minor right3' . .
THE third speaker was Robert, Ad1 am
Of New Brunswick. and he declaredI
himself emphatically in favor OF the
cause. All the people ask5of the1iLegis-
mon the Initiative and the Referendum.
IF New Jers eydoes not want 1t she can
saw so at the polls. The petition being
nv hut a ~smallnumber, may be unWise,
but it is guarded in the REFERENDUM pv
n universal vote of the State ana 10
cality to which it may apply. In Oc-
tober This amendment must come TO the
front for passage. 1t was delayed py
an assertion that it was defective; II tnls
was 50 why did notsthe Legislature give
Nc I1iracf League an opportunity, before
adjournment, to amend VIZ,
other speakers were A~SsemblYman VIII
liam Harrigan of Newark, Joseph =:
KLEIN of Railway, and Samuei y sloan