The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-02
THE SENATE.
THE BAD PRESIDENT.

One Of the most condemnaDle members OF
the Upper Chamber was the President,
Maurice Alexander Rogers of Camden. Mr..
Rogers is a native of Philadelphia, but he
has lived in Camden since he was ten years
old He has always been Identified with
Camden politics, which are said by those
who know to be to those of Hudson IN the
palmy DAYS of Bob Davis bossdom as Is the
moon to the sun. Mr. Rogers has held
several offices in Camden county, and this IS
his second term Ia the Senate He was al
ways considered Sewel man, and 1t was
generally understood that it was the Cen
erals inference which secured his election,
both as Senator and President
Much to tho success OF everyone, however,
bu. of none more than of the Sewell men. he
began early in the session to antagonize the
Generals interests, and finally openly joined
the arti-SewelIites. When taken to task for
his apparent treachery, he is said to have
declared that be wasn't going to stick TO
sinking ship, but was going to get out be-
fore the craft went down.
MR. ROGERS QUEER RULING.
IT was not to be wondered at then that
such a man should lend his official position to
all sorts of evil 1t was he who killed As
semblyman Eiseles paid up policy blllswhlch
was plainly in the interests of the poor work
ingmen who are insured in the great wealthy
industrial companies. Ills ruilng that the
Senate had no control over its committees;
tor, that when the Senate once committed
measure to a committee, its own creature 1t
lost complete control of tAat measure-this
ruling, indeed, caused even some OF his rabld
fellow reforiners to look aghast. The rule
stood. nevertheless, and the people, the poor
down trodden wage workers, whom the
Republicans love so dearly, must still toll
and sweat that the great industrial compan-
les may erect more massive piles or gfaitlte,
and give more Lucullian banquet to visit
ing officers and directors.
One of the most infamous acts attempted
by this infamous Legislature was the petty
larceny of an Assemblyman from Hunter-
don county to give it to Camden Even the
Constitution, which your reform" republi-
can pretendS to revere as his souls salvation,
was violated in this unwarranted outrage
upon the people of Hunterdon county This
was a little scheme OF MI nj. Alexander
Rogers fertile brain and one which he IN
sisted on putting through, despite the pro-
tests of some of the wiser men in his own
party. He would not listen to remonstrances.
1t was Camden county politics and that was
enough for Mr.. Rogers.
THE JUDICIARY RAID.
President Rogers is also responsible for the
new County Courts bill, which kept the
House in session all night last Friday and
caused serious dissension in his own party.
There NAV be good and sufficient reasons
why the county Judiciary of the State
should be reorganlzed and the Lay judges
abolished; but it is a matter that requires
careful and deliberate consideration. Such
reorganization should be by constitutional
amendment, prepared by lawyers whose
standing at the bar and practice throughout
the State would warrant them in undertak-
ing such a momentous resolution. TO essay
it by crude bill, hastily drawn by mex
perienced legislators, was an insult to all the
traditions of the State. In fact the -Legisla-
ture has provided for constitutional conf
mission to prepare an amendment upon this
subject
The advocates of the measure have their
doubts of its usefulness themselves. 1t lay
dormant for long time after its introduc-
ton, and was only revived in the last mo
nnents of dying legislature The men who
&ragooned it through frankly admit that
they expect the Governor will veto it. 1t
was forced through only as a piece of bun-
combe to be used as campaign thunder-a
measure OF economy, you see, to dazzle the
foolish voters.
Several times during the session the Presi-
dents zeal for his pet measures so far over
came his sense of propriety that he debated
them from the chair. Often he surrendered
his gayel TO the keeping of another and go
ing down upon the floor, advocated the pas
sage of some iniquitous measure in which he
was interested