The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-02-02
FOR NEW PRIMARIES
County Democratic Com
mittee Adopts the Amend
ments to the Con-
Stitution.
WHAT THE CHANGE AoCOMPLIsHEs
Candidates Hereafter Will Be AS
sessed According to the
Office They Seek.

The Democratic County Committee met
last night in Roche's Hall. The attend
anoe was unusually. large owing to an ear
nest appeal which had been made by Sec
retary Mulvaney to every one to appear
and discuss important amendments to
the Constitution. Ii was first decided to
hold public enrolment on February
IA and primaries on the 18th. The amend
ments acted upon were published in THE
Jersey City News ore week ago yes
terday. They were discussed at length
and were all adopted, with the excep-
ticn of one which provided for the hold
ing of primaries on the same day as the
enrollrnent. 1t was believed that such a
rule would only result in confusion. 1t
was beaten by unanimous vote
The amendment was referred to the
Revision Committee Detailed rules to
govern enrolment will be prepared and
submitted at a meeting 10 be held next
FIR day evening Some of the most i'm
por.ant amendments adopted are given
below. The first prohibits any man from
holding the office of County Commit
teeman for two consecutive years.
DATE OF PRIMARIES.
Another provides that the committee
maries on February 10 for the election
of committeeman from each voting pre-
cinct. except the ones now represented
by members elected in October last. The
members elected this month are to take
Office on March l. The newly elected
members are to be divided into two
classes. One-half will hold office until
the first Friday in December, 1885, and
If it should happen that an odd num-
Der of members are chosen from any
district, the odd numbered members will
serve until 1896. Thereafter members
will be elected for terms of two years
at the primaries held in November for
the nomination of candidates. The plan,
which it is believed will strengthen the
party most throughout the county, pro-
vides for the election of five Democratic
voters from each polling precinct, who,
with the precinct committeeman, will
constitute the precinct committee. These
members will also be reelected at the
primaries to be held this month. The
the members of the Precinct Committee
TO organize within ten days after their
ksessssssssss "a to district crgantza tom
N 1t is Expected that the districts will
all be well oEGanized by this plan, and
that everythiII win go Democratic at
the spring election, If the members get
will all have to report TO the County
COMMITTEES and cooperate with it in the
TO GUST WILLARD FISK.
The amendments provide for the cleo
tion of new officers for the County Com
mittee in March. 1t has been said that
to get Willard c. Fisk out of the chair
Mr. Fisk has made an efficient chair
man, and there is a possibility OF his
reelection. The Executive Committee is
to consist of twenty-five members, two
from each Assembly district, with the
chairman acting as an ex-oficio MEM
Der. For the purpose or creating cam
paign fund, without levying an assess
ment, It has been decided to tax members
of the county and precinct committees
s. per year dues. In addition to this
man wishes to have his name appear on
the regular ticket as a candidate for any
Office he shall pay-S2 if running for the
district, town or township office, $40 if
for city office, and $25 if for county
Office.
decided, when primaries for the election
of candidates are held, to hold a primary
in every voting. precinct. THIS does
away with the old Joint primsa1ry plan
be held in conformity with the election
laws of 1878 and 1884. The section which
Is most important IS as fOllOWS:-
''Thst no person who is not, at the
time being, entitled to vote by the laws
of this State, at the special, general and
local elections, shall vote at any primary
meeting or caucus called or held by any
political party or organization of this
State fer the nomination or election of
persons to be voted for at any such cleo
ton, and unless such person is a legal
resident of the ward, township or Alder
manic district in which such primary
meeting or caucus is held"
HEAVY PENALTIES
Another section makes it punishable
by a fine of $500 if an election officer
does not take an oath to perform his
duties faithfully and honestly.
Other sections which will probably in
sure honest primaries are as follows:-
For knowingly rejecting the vote
of any person entitled to vote under the
rules of the party, or knowingly receive
the vote of any person not qualified as
aforesaid penalty $500.
ing or defacing ballots. adding ballots
to the poll false counting or false re-
turns, penalty $500 or one years i'm
prisonment, or both"
The Executive Committee will be con-
stituted as the Nominating Committee
only naming as the partys candidates
the men receiving the greatest number
of votes.
The plan IS regarded as an excellent
one, and it is believed it will tend to
patch up all differences which now exist
in the party. The amendments give
everyone a fair chance to become a can
didate and prevents the possibility of
bossism.