The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-30
THE PEOPLE IGNORED
The Legislature Just Ad-
journed Did Nothing
for the States
Welfare.
TRUSTS POPULAR WITH IT
Presidential Campaign Through
the state-Race for
Delegates.
rDcciaz to the .Jca,scu cir, Vcsrs.

/ TRENTON, March so, 1S96.-Now that
the Legislature has been dissolved, the
| politicians will have more time to look
after their fences and prepare for the
nlttionsI cam npaign. From all appearances
the record made by the Legislature is
| not one to which the Republicans can
point with pride and it is safe to pre-
/ dict that it wiz not help them any to
carry the State for the Presidential
tfcket
While the Legislature has not done
much in a partisan line, yet that cannot
be said with regard to corporation in
terests. The powerful corporations OF
the State could not possibly have had
a better friend. The proceeding that
/ brought some criticism was the hang
Ing UP of the bill which provides
method by which the Attorney General
should proceed against coal and other
combines. During the session there was
much fuss and feathers over this bill,
| and the Republican leaders boasted that
e would become law. The House Ju
aiciary Committee gave the matter much
! consideration, with the result that Chair
man Skinner made very elaborate re.
| port IN denunciation of trusts and COM
bines in general, and presented a very
i strictly worded bill, with a recommenda
tlon for it's passage With a flourish of
| trumpets, seldom equaled during the ses-
sion. Mr.. Skinner had the bill putsrhrough
the House, and he had a resolution adopt,
led that the Speaker laoulde sign it at
onoe and have it sent TO The Senate for
Immediate action. All this took place
a Gay or two before final adjournment.
1 h'or some reason or other, known only
70 those who were in possession of the
secret the bill never reached the Senate
in time for it's consideration. 1t died
an unnatural death, thus giving the Re
publican Legislature an unenviable rec
ORD on the question of the coal combine
and otner trusts.
One of the most ungraceful acts of the
LEGISLATURE was the passage of the bill
retiring from Office all the Lay Judges
| Of the Courts of Common Pleas on only
4 in the person of the Law Judge will
! from April / administer all the justice
4 of each county court of the State. He
| Will have most autocraltic power in al.
4 Already it is stated that under this new
! law the Judges in the upper end of the
State will find it almost impossible to
transact all the business which comes
4 great stress on, the fact THAT this piece
/ OF legislation alone will save the State
i about $4,000 a year. But the criti-
/ cism Is made that it is merely d saving
bunghole, the s2,5O0,000 appropriation
! bill being pointed out as an example of
such false economy The Lay Judges
! and their friends say they did not ex-
which all the way through has displayed
such marked affection for the interests
of the lawyers and the corporations.
This Lay Judge enactment will be
| contested in the courts on the ground
1 of unconstitutionality Already some
of the brightest legal minds of the State
| have been engaged to fight the battle
for the representatives Of the common
the grasping limbs of the law Allan L.
Stevens, Richard Y. Lindabury and
Judge Chauncey H. Beasley will be re-
tanned as counsel for the deposed Lay
Judges, and proceedings will be com
menced at once before the proper tribu-
/ nal to have the law declared unconsti-
tutionaL
Article Z, section 2 and paragraph 2 of
the State Constitution says with regard
| to Judges of the Courts of Common Pleas:
They shall hold their offices for five
years; but when appointed to fill va
! cancies they shall hold for the unexpired
/ term only 1t is contended that the
Judges cannot be deprived of their offices
under this provision of the Constitution,
! is. only one of the many arguments which
VIII be made against the validity of the
new law There is every promise of
! not hSnt in the Courts over the question,
and If the contention of the Lay Judges
/ is upheld the consequences will be of
! grave import
The old pipe line bill. which ex-senators
Emery and. Lee. of Pennsylvania, SO
! warmly and earnestly advocated, was
| buried in the graveyards Of the Senate
| and House Committees on Railroads and
Canals. AND that result had not been
unexpected. because of the commanding
influence Of the Standard Oil Company
ana the railroad companies over the
Legislature. Counsellor Roseberry, who
is prominent Republican politician, and
who appeared in the interest of the in
A tItan 0nrV1,1
the committees having the bill in charge
that unfavorable action would prove as
much Of z disaster to the Republican
| few years ago affected the Democratic
party. But his warning went unheeded
About the only real meritorious act
fixing of stated salary for the clerk
Of the Supreme Court and the clerk
in IN C1h3ancery This legislation will save
Nearly one-third the number of bills
| introduced have been enacted into laws
50 that there will be about 220 chapters
altogether. AS far as personal character
is concerned all the nominations made
by the Governor were faultless. From :
generally believed that the Governor has
| not helped his party much by the appoint
ments he has made He ignored the pro
/ fessfonal politicians altogether and hence
there is loud waiing and gnashing Of
| teeth in that fraternity. South Jersey did
not fare well because the only Offices
| ship and Judge of the Court of Errors
and Appeals But it is reported that the
Governor viii make up for that unin-s
ltentional slight next year by appointing
| Senator Edward c. Stokes, of Cumber-
| land, as Secretary of State.
| The Republican State Convention for
| the election of delegates to St Louis
| will be held in this city on Thursday
| April 49, 1t is almost definitely settled
1 that the observation-disclosures will be Sena-
| tor Sewell, Garret A. Hobart, Franklin
| Murphy and John Kean. For district
/ delegates the candidates are numerous.
| In the First district it is generally
conceded that either F. F. Patterson, Sr.,
| of Camden, or ex-Congressman Hires of
/ Salem, and ex-Sheriff Hand of Cape
! May will be chosen.
/ In the Second F. W. Roebling of
| Mercer and A. M Bradshaw of Ocean
| have been slated for some time, and they
| seem to be without opposition
/ The Third district will probably be
! represented by John W. Herbert Of
| Middlesex and "A. G. Thompson Of
4 In the Fourth district the candidates
| are John I. Blair Riley, OF Warren Ste
! phen K Large, of Hunterdon, and G. w
/ Sickle, Of Morris.
| It is about settled that the Fifth district
| Will be represented by Joseph Quacken-
| bpshs of Passaies and William Barbour
| Of Bergen although c. T.. Breclxinrdge
| a member of the State Committee, Is q
formid able candidate from Bergen coun-
There is war to the knife in the Sixth
/ district between the Murphy and Ward