The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-22
GOVERNOR CRITICISED.
Many Have Doubts as to the
Sincerity Of His Special
Session Call.
Especial to ..The Jersey city News"

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News"
TRENTON, May %, 1S97.-It is now
openly stated that the special session of
the Legislature that is called for next
Tuesday is not convened in all sincerity
to correct the typewriter error in the
original bill providing for the special
constitutional amendment election. There
are those who claim that the error was
-unimportant and was made the motive
for the calling of an extNwsession.
1t is claimed that an effort is to be
made to get the biennial session amend
ment passed, so that 1t can be submitted
to the people at the same time. The
friends of the Voorhees, judiciary amend
ments are reported as willing to let
them go through providing the members
will take action on the judiciary amend
ments.
Those back OF these two amendments
are at present at daggers' points, and
any consideration of the two amend
ments must be accomplished by compro-
mise. 1t leaks out that there was a diff
ference of opinion as to whether a special
session was necessary to correct Miss
Williams mistake.
The Attorney General took the view
tioi ~ noo NV VS. ttA0 -
ernor was for some time in doubt. It
was Senator Voorhees, who settled the
Governors doubt by urging the special
session.
The error of the fair typewriter clerk
is not of itself serious, because it would
not have prevented an election for the
adoption by the people of the three con-
stitutional amendments. The Secretary
of State under the law would have used
the certified copies of the amendments
that had regularly passed the Legisla-
ture which are correct and which are
on file in the Secretary of States office.
He would nave taken no notice of the
amendments as copied in the bill when
preparing the ballots, but used his own
certified copies.
The Governor, in considering the error,
was suspicious that 1t might invite legal
action on the part of the race-track peo-
pie, who have entertained a hope of
race-track legislation within a few years,
but who would be shut out if the anti
gambling amendments should be adopted.
To cut off any possible action in the
future the special session was deemed
necessary. The Governor discovered the
error and could have held his own coun-
sci and have passed the mistake on the
presumption that it was not likely to
be discovered, but should it be, the adop-
ton of the amendments might be avail
dated by legal action and the Governors
responsibility would then be tremendous.
DR.. Eyerhard Kempshall and prominent
citizens of the Citizens League were not
willing to take any chances of the kind,
for they felt confident that the horse
racing element would sooner or later find
the error and would not hesitate to use
it to their own advantage The Citizens
League officers magnified the possible
evils to such an extent that it became
imperative that a special session be called,
so as to put the whole matter beyond
doubt.
This is the explanation offered by the
| personal friends of the Governor in de-
| Tense of the charge that the Governor
is insincere in calling the Legislature to-
gether, and using the error of a type
writer as a motive for the special ses-
sion, so as to give some friends a chance
to secure much-coveted legislation.
1t is claimed by some tina the Governor
| was induced to acquiesce in the scheme
to pass the biennial session and the
judicial amendments because of the
enormous expense. 1t is urged that the
special election will cost 800, 600, and that
the more amendments that are passed
and adopted the more the taxpayers will
get for their investment.