Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-01-07

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SENATOR ROBERT WILLIAMS OF PASsAIC.
[Slated for president of the senate.]
ton the minority are trying to console
themselves with the thought that, in los
ing the honors and emoluments of the ses-
sion, they will also escape responsibility
for any possibly unpopular legislation
which may find it's way on the statute
books. The Republican leaders are not
unaware Of the dangers which follow in
the wake of such majority as is theirs
either, and they are getting their heads to.
gether to decide on the policy of the SOS,
sion. If they can have their way, the leg.
islature will get down to business from
the very first week of meeting, and, hay-
ing disposed in couple of months of what
seems essential in the matter of new leg
islation and annual appropriations, will
then adjourn without going home for vex-
atious problems to bob up. But, unhap-
PLY, the programme of the leaders is not
always carried out, for "the best laid
plans of mice and men aft gang aglee.
The Organization.
One of the embarrassments of large
majority crops out at the first stage Of the
session in the struggle Of an army OF
claimants for the few dozen positions to
which each legislative session gives birth.
Singularly enough, it is the smaller honors
that furnish most of the contention. There
is no contest for the chair in the senate OF
the assembly. In the former chamber Sem
ator Rob- t Williams of Passaic will pre-
side In the closing hours of last years
session President Of the Senate Thompson
resigned to accept the lucrative clerkship
in the court of chaneery, and Senator Will
iiams filed the chair for the balance of the
session. By courtesy he now succeeds him
self Senator Williams is lawyer by pro-
fession, graduate of Princeton, and he
has had considerable legislative experience,
having been in the assembly for two years
previous to entering the senate. In the
assembly the gayel comes to George W.
Macpherson, Trenton lawyer, who has
the unusual luck of seeing the office seek
him rather than he going after it. Like
Senator Williams, he is an affable, pleasant
gentleman, conscientious and impartial
and with the requisite ability to preside
gracefully and we'll.
The secretaryship of the senate will go
again to Henry s. Robinson of Union,
and the engrossing clerkship to Edgar VIII
liams of Essex. For the office of sergeant
at arms, which pays $500, there is the live
lest kind of struggle between William
S. Sharp of Mercer, Dick Star of Salem
and others, and the fur has been flying 80
lively that there is now talk of taking I'M
an entirely new man in the person of L.
W. Ashley of Mercer county. Several OF
the other senate offices are also being
sharply contested, and it will take caucus
action to decide between the claimants
In the assembly the olerkship is apt to 90
TO James Parker of Passaio, who has al
ready had two terms. Ex-Assemblyman
Charles Duncan of Essex is also hot after
the place and is using the argument that
Parker has already had his share of the
plums, both at home and at Trenton, and
that Passaic county has the lions portion
in state patronage. Still Mr.. Parker's eff
ficiency is apt to give him strength with
the assemblymen, who depend largely on
the clerk for the orderly and expeditions
transaction of business. One difficulty
with Mr.. Duncan's candidacy and that of
other Essex men for various places is that
the Essex representation in the Legislature
is split in two factions. under DR.. Herold
and Carl LEM respectively. and unless
these two succeed in combining on one
harmonious programme before next week
the county will exercise little force in the
caucuses.
There will, of course, be the usual
scramble for the positions of doorkeepers,
pages, committee clerks, etc.
immediately following the organization
Of the two houses they will each receive
copy Of Governor Griggs' message, upon
which he has just put the finishing touches.
The Work In Prospect.
The governors message disposed OF,
about 80 out Of the 81 members win arise
in their respective chambers, and as fast
as the presiding officer can recognize them
they will call out, Mr.. Chairman, I de-
sire to introduce the following billsl"
And before the little pages get q rest
they will have delivered to the senate and
assembly calendar clerks stacks Of legal
cap so high as to obscure the view and be-
wilder the brain Of the rural visitors in
the gallery.
What are all those bills about, and who
wants so much new legislation?
Many of the measures como from the
lawyer members, who want statutes ia
meet certain cases in their practice that at
present are unprovided for or are adverse
~ provided for. A few bills are wanted
By various municipalities to enable them
to effect reforms in their governments.
Many more are wanted by politicians &c
further their schemes The corporations
always have q few jokers' on the calen-
dar, too, though their energy is expended
rather In defeating than in creating new
legislation.
To Elevate the Tracks.
One of the important topics Of the ses-
sion win be that of equal taxation. A state
commission has been giving the subject
attention during the year, and the Hudson
members promise to present united front
in the legislature in favor of some amend
ment to the existing statute which win
compel the railroads to contribute more
literally to the treasury Of Jersey City and
other municipalities in that end Of the
state. There are, however, two sides to
the question, and the Hudson members
win not have all the argument to them
selves The representatives. Of the railroads
will show the immense sums they are pay
ing annually Into the state treasury, thus
selieying citizens from . state tax, and