The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-09
MUST WAIT A YEAR
Constitutional Amendment
Can't Come Before this
Legislature.
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES.
Hobart Considered in the Field
Prominent Democrats
Talked Of.
speeial to the Jsrseu CITY Ne,rs.

"a
bG Special to the Jersey City Netrs.
TRENTON, July 8, 1s94.-It has been gener-
ally believed that the Constitutional Com
mission could conclude its work in time to
present amendments formulated by It to the
Legislature that r%econvenes in October, and
by such action gain a year and make it pos
sible for the people to vote on the amend
ments at the spring elections, but the COM
mission will not be able to conclude its work
in time. They have in mind on Tuesday to
appoint the committee that is to draft the
text of the amendments and give them until
September to do the work. many Of the
members contending that they are not bound
by the joint resolution to complete the work
within the sixty days.
By taking this recess the work will not be
completed by the time the Legislature recon-
venes, and even should it be completed at
once it could not be considered by the Leg
| islature in October, because the article of
the State Constitution governing amend
ments to the Constitution requires that the
proposed amendments shall be published for
three months previous to its consideration in
the Legislature, and must be published in at
least one newspaper Of each county, SO that
action could not be taken by the Legislature
/ unLll JQ6 new DOQy COMES lUbO 0AlSBeuC6 al
January, unless the Legislature takes an
other recess.
Then they will have to be held over until
| the following year or for the second passage
through the Legislature and could be sub
mitted to the people at an election in the
spring of that year. The Constitution re-
ouires that it must. be a special election held
i for that purpose only. and it must be held
within four months after the adjournment
of the Legislature, as the Legislature shall
| prescribe.
TINE FOR DISCUSSION.
There is opportunity for a frank and gen.
| eral discussion of the amendments that will
| be agreed upon by this commission, and it is
| already indicated by editorial comments in
the State journals that there is a great diff
ference of opinion in reference to some of
| the propositions that nave already been
passed. Judge Forts proposition, adopted
during the last week, which makes the
divisions of the courts, is generally acceptable,
| but the passage of the proposition to make
the Chancellor, Judges and judicial offices
! appointive instead of elective has been freely
| discussed by the advocates of both sides, ,9
There was very little or no expression on
| this poiGt by the lawyers who wrote to tile
Constitutional Commission, d was taken
for granted that the Indifference meant the
| lack of opposition ~ - lefsa io{1
Much of the 7patronageof the Governor of
| New Jersey comes from his power to appoint
| the judiciary. It. is well known that no
| other Executive, and in fact, no other per
| son, excepting the President of the United
| States, has as much patronage within his
control as the Governor of New Jersey and
no Commonwealth has SO little to. say in the
selection of its State and judicial officers as
the people of News9JerSey.. ioi2 6 Z
Allan McDermott, taWho introduced the
proposition for the appointives Judiciary and
| led the argument in its favor, did not dwell
-. kl.. ,la ~ +ho Nt,N.kfaa 1-,% .~o+aol
he dwelt largely upon the theory, avoiding
any discussion of the practical results.
oPULA AMENDMENT
The discussion on the Justices of the Peace
| is certainly timely. They are under indict-
\ ment for extortion in Hudson County, have
been very emphatically denounced in Cam
| den, and in a few other counties the records
\ show where a number of them narrowly
| escaped State Prison for the abuse of power
and for extorting money from the unsus-
| pecting and the unfortunate.
The Justice of the Peace is a constitutional
office and. in fact, he figures very largely in
Section 2 of Article Z. The Constitution
| gives him considerable power. He is a relic
| Of the Colonial period when Justices of the
| Peace constituted the local courts and were
quite numerous. They sprung up like mush-
rooms everywhere, and in both revisions of
| 1876 and 1884 their powers had to be re-
| stricted, and now it is found expedient to de-
4 DIN VI bh0LA GIUDuOl1 T..
| The proposition is to eliminate from the Con-
| s~titution all reference to them. SO as to make
them entirely subject to statutory law.
The Legislature from year to year could
pass such measures that would more ac-
.~crrately define their duties, jurisdiction ana
| charges. There are upward of 10000 J Justices
in the State and the fear has been ex-
pressed that as there are more or less
celebrities with an influence within a given
area. they could do much toward defeating
the adoption by the people of the constitu-
tional amendments.
E-M r. HOBART ILLING
Ex-Chairman Garrett A. Hobart is still
keeping the Republicans OF the State CUES
sing. and those who know him well say that
Instrumentation and his correspondence in
dictate that he is a "Barkis's Willin'n He
has admitted that it is a long time between
this and convention day and he knows quite
well that it is not the bird that crows the
earliest that is the most successful.
Sufficient, however, was developed in the
| Guhernatorial campaign to furnish q very
pleasant theme of discussion when poll
ticians meet, and although there is much
gossip there is very little news. The woods
4 are full of candidates. Ex-State Treasurer
John +. Toffey of Hudson is among the
available men with quite a number of en-
thusiastic friends behind him.
Foster M. voorhees,, of Union, and John
Kean, of the same county, are watching each
other as aSSluu0uSlY as Cnelf warm friend
sbin will allow. Senator Maurice Rogers
and Chairman Franklin Murphy are also
studying the political horoscope from day to
day. 4
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES. ;sl
1T is intimated that IN attempt will be
made to have Attorney General StockfSn
become a nominee this time. The Demo
Gratis have been trying for several years, to
got the Attorney General into a campaign,
but he always declines on the ground of his
age and health. Next year it iYco be res
presented to him that he alone can be the
Moses of the party and he must suffer the in
conyeniences incidental TO a campaign be.
cause his party chooses to call him.
After the name Of General Stockton is
mentioned that of General r. A. Donnelly.
He is now the Quartcrmaster General of the
State. He figured in the last Gubernatorial
convention, and was the first of the several
nominees that threw his force over to George
r. Werts, aud broke the contest that was
then going on between Werts and L. f. g.
Young delegates. =.
It is also understood that Mr.. Young will
be a candidate again this year. or will at
least accept the nomination If it is rendered
to him.
,rEeir Medicincs Worse.
II is true that doctors disagree, but then they
| don.t disagree half es much rs their medicines do