The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-28
JOHNSON AND NEW LAWS
Bergen's Senator Talks
About the Work Of the
Coming Legislature.
OPPOSES BALLOT LAW CHANGES
He Questions the Wisdom of
Seven Other Proposed
Enactments


Senator w. NJ. Johnson, Of Bergen coun-
ty, will begin his second term as State
Senator with the approaching session Of
the Legislature, says the Newark sunday
Call Senator Johnson's three years ex-
p~erience in the uppe branch of the Legs
lature will Enable him to take a prominent
part in legislative matters during the
three years to come. Senator Johnson is
a lawyer. but this is not held against
him. as he practices in New York. While
in the Senate he has served on the mcst
| important committees, and at the last
| session Mr.. johnson was the leader Of the
| majority on the floor. He is a leading
candidate for the presidency of the Sem
ate.
A reported Of the Sunday ..Calp, had an
interview with Senator johnson last week
to obtain his views on questions to come
before the Legislature at the approach
ing session. Il really know of no isad-
ing question to be disposed Of said Sem
| ator johnson, in response to the report
ers inquiry. 1--WE have had no formal
eonferences-in fact. I don't know of any
necessity existing for a conference. These
matters usually give me little trouble IN
| til the time OF, the session, and then | an
able 10 devote my whole attention TO
them.
..The Passaic pollution question is an
! important one. Probably some action
win be taken in regard to it, but in just
what shape it will be presented I cannot
say. Outside Of the four or FIVE counties
affected there isIittle interest in the mat
ter. and until recently there has been sen
eral interest even in the communities
1 most directly concerned. The present
! commission has gone at the work proper
ly-that is, in arousing public sentiment.
Every man who informs himself on The
question must arrive at the conclusion
| that something must be done
sWill there be any legislation on the
question of State control of the water
sheds2'f asked the reporter.
II know of nothing in that direction in
contemplation. was the reply. The pre-
symptoms that if Jersey City needs leg
~islative assistance she will ask It. ! am
not at ali familiar with the situation
there-have had so many other things on
nv mind that / have had no time to study
it. There is one thing that has been
brought to- my attention, Ine state
Board of Health has given me q bill to m
troduces providing for control OF the
watersheds by the board for the purpose
0f preventing pollution. ! think this is a
very important matter, and one that
should receive legislative sanction
How about the election laws?1 asked
the reporter.
Il don't know Of any important revis-
ion that should be made, was the reply
s.It seems that there was a triiting omis-
son in the law r~e-enaeted at the last ses-
sion-the clause relative to the swear
ing in Of voters by the district election
boards. / think the original law. only
provided for this in cities of 10000 popula-
ton or over. There was no general pro-
vision. The omission was the fault Of the
mefl engaged in performing he clerical
work Of copying the various sections OF
the law. II may be necessary to make
an amendment embodying the feature
spoken of.
N see in Newark there is ak Of pro-
viding for the blanket ballot. This dues-
ton was thoroughly canvassed by the
commission having in hand the revision
of the law last year. For one, | am vet
to be convinced Of the advisability Of IN
cooperating in one law a provision for the
blanket ballot. / nave not, it is true,
great familiarity with election methods
IN the IafSGFClllCS, I'm 4 AiAy ~ g ANe'
but from my present understanding OF
the matter I am not disposed to favor a
change.
The election laws. as they are now
framed and executed. have a tendency to
curtafl the action of the independent
voter. A man should be free to vote as
he desires. The machinery of the cleo
ton should not be so complicated as TO
II. fuoal11. Saf 4antian II
seemsEto me that the substitution Of the
blanket ballot for the present form OF
ballot now in use in this State will tend
more than ever to curtaii the acton OF
the independent voter.
THE matter was clearly illustrated to
me during the past fall. l was in COM
spany in New York city with three or four
gentlemen, one or two of them lawyers.
and the others business men. They were
all men Of more than the average INTEL
ligence. bright and quick to understand.
We were discussing this question of the
blanket ballot. and one of them. a New
York business man. and a voter in New
York city. said that he was greatly con-
fused by the form of ballot in use in New
York; This, as you know, Is the blanket
ballot. He said thai at the last eleSsioa
he desired to vote for ali the candidates
Of one party, except as to a single candi-
date, to whom he objected, and wn0nl ne |
wished to scratch and in his place sub
stitute q candidate for the same Office
studied the thingsfor some minutes while
in the election booth, but he did not know |
how to go at It, without running the risk
en- method. and so he did not make the
Substitution. If this is the case with a
man well yersed in ordinary matters, how
must il be with others-the great major-
ifv-who are less fortunate than the msn