Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-02-25
OUR TRENTON LETTER.
Legislative Wheels Not Moving
Very Rapidly.
NEXT WEEK IS INAUGURATION.

The Militia, the Statesmen and Many Pa-
triotic Jerseymen will Witness the Hon-
or to Be Done an Illustrious Son of the
state-Governor Griggs Still Holds Back
Important Nominations.
Especial Correspondence
TRENTON, Feb. 24.-The adjournment
of the senate this week without action upon
the Jersey City and Newark election bill
probably settles the fate of that measure.
There is consequent crashing of teeth
among the practical politicians of the up
per end of the state and great joy among
those who believe Republican ascendency
is to be maintained by other means than
partisan legislation Major Carl Lenz OF
Newark and Colonel Sam Dickinson OF
Jersey City are the two political warriors
who conceived the election bill, and, though
they at first talked loudly of the economy
and general elections together in the tall,
they admitted when cornered that it was
chiefly a game of politics. The purpose
was to prevent the slaughter which the in
dependent voter sometimes occasions when
he goes to the polls at purely local cleo
ton. On such occasions politics with him
is secondary consideration. What ne
wants, first of all, is to have the affairs oil
his city or town managed by a set of Off.
Gals who are above reproach. This state
of mind is very aggrayating to the ma
chine" and upsets political schemes every
now and then. At the general election, in
the fall, the voter does not scan the indi-
vidual character of the candidates so close.
ly. He is more of a partisan then and is
apt to go his party ticket blind. 1t was
with knowledge of these facts that Colo
mel Dickinson and Major LEM framed the
pending bill, and they rushed it through
the assent bly, with but little fuss. On com
ing to the senate, however, they found
their economy argument smiled at and
their political pressure frowned down. The
hearing before the senate committee show
ed plainly that Senator Voorhees, was op
posed to this class of legislation, and Other
Republican senators have since followed In
his wake. The failure to get the bill out
of committee and passed this week is I'm
derstood to mean that it is dead cock in
the pit.
Legislation Still Drags.
The senate again adjourned Tuesday
afternoon this week. despite the protest Of
4 -. ~ NOR, f +I,o ~, o,.o nd II ctrio11c mann
bers. Although the assembly stayed day
longer little work was accomplished ther'
either. Next week will be another water
haul doubtless, as many of the lawmakerI
will be off to Washington to attend the in
augural That will make eight weeks o.
the session, with next to nothing done by
the legislature How much longer viii
the session last? is beginning to be the in
quiry. The prospects are that 10 or II
weeks at the outside will wind up the win
ter's work and that the sum total of new
laws will be smaller than for any session
in long number of years.
This week Senator Kuhl introduced by
request constitutional amendment pro
viding for the initiative and re .erendun
in New Jersey. Thepurpose is to give the
electors the right to suggest new laws di
rectly to the legislature and to pass upor
measures that have been enacted by thu
legislature This amendment involves {
scheme that has been freely discussed ant
rejected by past legislatures.
Senator Johnston's railroad commission
bill was reported with amendments thii
week. The amendments make no materia
change in the bill.
There was a spirited scene in the senate
Monday night when Senator DAILY tried tt
have a resolution adopted censuring Judge
Joseph H. Gaskill of Burlington county
courts for appearing in the character o.
lobbyist and counsel for the Pennsylvania
railroad at a committee hearing last weeE
on the bicycle baggage bill. President
Williams did not permit more than two OF
three lines of the resolution to be read
when he declared it out of order Senator
DAILY claimed that the president, not hav
ing heard the resolution read, could moi
properly say it was out of order, and hi
therefore appealed from the decision of the
CDh1I. 0outUOT fOOIu6CS uOOh Cl6 CIlt1LI u
put the appeal, when Senator DAILY tried
to work in a speech but was outgeneraled
by the parliamentary tactics of the Repub
lican majority. The chairs decision wa:
sustained, with only Senator DAILY in the
negative.
Tire Inaugural Bill.
Those who favor a Jersey military rep
resentation at Washington on Inauguration
day rallied their forces this week and
routed the champions of economy horse
and foot 1t was great triumph for Sen
ators Parry, Kuhl and other rural repre-
sentatives last week when they accom-.
plished the defeat of the 81, 500 appropria-
ton for the trip but Monday night Sen
ator Voorhees, put in new bill for the
same amount, and on Tuesday he called il
up for final passage. Senators Parry and
Kuhl spoke against the expense as nnwar-
ranted and unprecedented. When Senator
Voorhees, reminded them of the fact that
Jerseyman was to be the coming vice
president, Senator Kuhl replied that other
states had been similarly honored in the
past, and yet he defied anybody to show
that this had led in any case to sending
state troops to the Inauguration.
Senators Ketcham, Reed, DAILY and 9TH
ers favored the bill on the ground of state
pride and explained that it was not ex-
pressly as bodyguard to the vice presi-
dent that the troops were going, but as
Jersey representation at the inaugu-
ration of President Elect Mckinley. The
bill thep passed, with only Senators Bar
Der, Kubl and Parry against it.
Later in the day it was taken up in the
house under suspension of the rules and
was passed, a6 to 49, Those in the mega
tive were Messrs. Bowers, Crispen, Flum-
merfelt, Harrison, Lawshe, Lloyd, MAG.
Arthur. Nelson. Powers. Van Doren, Wat
kins and Wildes. Mr. Wildes wanted the
bill amended SO as to provide that the ap-
preparation should be deducted from the
annual appropriation for the Sea Grit en-
campment Mr.. Derousse warmly sham
pioned the bill.
The governor is to select the companies
which will make up the Jersey contingent.
The Essex troop and one of the companies
ct Paterson, the vice presidents home, will
be included. About 300 men will GO
along
Gossip About Onioes.
The senate, in executive session this
week, disposed of all the remaining guber-
material nominations which had been pend
ing since Feb. 7, when the governor sent
In his last batch. Judge John s. Jessup Of