The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-05
MAY Be TWO SENA2
Democrats Claim tt
overs Can q
BRADLEY'S PRIZES
Republicans Laugh
Scheme and Say The
Some Politics, 10
HOW IT IS TO BE
A Prominent Democrat Tel
Plan for Retaining Control Of
the Upper House.
Special to the Jersey City Nsss.

Special to the Jersey City Netss.
TRENTON, Jan 5. 1s94-Men about the
State House who are thoroughly acquainted
with current politics, declare that there is
no doubt that the Democrats propose to or
ganize Senate and that that movement
will be followed by the organization Of an.
other Senate by the Republicans. A promi-
nent Democrat, whose opinion as lawyer
is highly respected by republicans and
democrats alike said this morning.
'The Senate, unlike the House of Assem-
bly,, is a continuous body, and next Tuesday,
when the time arrives for its meeting it will
be composed of the nine Democratic and the
four Republican holdovers. The COM
stitution of the State distinctly says
that each house shall be judge
of the elections and qualifications of its own
members, and that a majority of each shall
constitute a quorum to do business Observe.
the constitution explicitly states that q ma
jority of each, meaning, of course, q major
ity of the House and majority of the Sem
ate, shall constitute quorum to do business.
When the Senate was constituted, under the
present constitution, it was provided that
the Senate shall be divided as equally as
may be into three classes. The seats of the
Senators of the first-class shall be vacated
at the expiration of the first year; of the
second-class, at the expiration of the second
year, and the third-class, at the expiration
of the third year.
A SENATE OF THIRTEEN.
ssNow the terms of eight Senators expire
at the expiration of the year which would
undoubtedly be at midnight next Mondays
and on Tuesday when the tine appointed by
the constitution for the organization of the
Senate arrives, there will be eight vacancies
in the Senate, and that body will then con-
sist of thirteen members, of which the nine
Democrats would undoubtedly be the major
ity to do business meant by the censtitu-
ton. There is nothing to prevent these thir-
teen men from keeping those claiming to
have been elected Senators last fall from
taking their seats until they have organized
the Senate The Republicans, you renem-
bel, once kept Governor Werts walking up
and down the corridors for couple Of weeks,
waiting to be given his seat as Senator from
Morris.
BRADLEY's UNDouBTED BRIBERY.
When this Senate of thirteen comes to
exercise its constitutional right Of judge Of
the elections, returns and qualifications of its
own members, what is to hinder it from
refusing to seat Mr.. Bradley on the ground
of bribery? There is not the slightest doubt
that his acts and doings in the last campaign
constituted bribery under the law. 1t makes
no difference whether man buys votes by
giving scrubbing brushes to women and
dimes and quarters to children or gives
nuUuTeO duu tuOuSdAL OOA1aA DAAAs W uA4S
men"
s'Oh, that's all right" laughingly said a
prominent republican to whom this opinion
of the democrat was shown, "but why didn'n
your friend go further and quote a little
more of the constitution. After saying thai
a majority of each shall constitute quorum
to do business that much misquoted and
misunderstood document goes on to say
But smaller number may adjourn from
day to day and may be authorized to compel
the attendance of absent members in such
manner and under such penalties as each
House may provide Don't you see that that
plainly indicates that majority of each
means majority of all the members of each
House. Otherwise what would be the use Of
this latter clausem
"But could not the part you quote apply to
Senate of thirteen as well as Senate of
twenty -oner' asked the reporter.
"No, sir; it means that the majority of the
New Jersey Senate, which constitutes q
quorum to do business, must be composed OF
eleven Senators. The greatest mistake the
Democrats are making in this matter is
hugging the delusion that we are all children
in the Republican party and don't know
opvtbipo q hont raoliticS