Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-05-05
IncapacItv or Worse.

There is widespread suspicion in regard
to the numerous blunders alleged to have
been committed by the Legislatures we
have nowadays in New Jersey, which
were attributed, as matter of course, to
irresponsible employees. Such mistakes,
people remember, did not occur when the
Democrats were in power at Trenton, al
though their political opponents claim to
possess all the intelligence as well as
monopoly of morality. The Camden
Courier an orthodox Republican organ,
simply gives expression to public opinion
in this matter when it says
The Union County Trolley bill middle
has been traced to dereliction on the part
of Clerk Jones, OF the Assembly, who,
through an oversight" failed to send to
the engrossing department the second re-
print copy of the bill, which contained
the amendment passed by the House pro-
yiding that no franchise shall be granted
until consent has been obtained from the
owners of one-half of the abutiDg prop
erty. OF course the Senate did not pass on
the amendment, and there is no way in
which the wrong can be remedied until
the next meeting of the Legislature. 1t is
remarkable circumstance that these
oversightsn and blunders always occur in
legislation for the protection of the peoples
rights, and there will be many who will
hold to the belief that they are not without
generalization. Until the people select
men for the Legislature who are above
suspicion, who will closely watch the pro-
gress of measures when in the hands of
subordinate officials, they may expect to be
cheated.
The obvious remedy for this evil, which
grows worse at every session, is to elect
Democratic Legislature. Those represent
ing the Republican party during the past
few years have been the most inefficient
and corrupt in the history of the State. The
lobby reigued supreme over both Houses,
debating the disposition of bills and doc
toring those which had to be passed Tor
political reasons. The Newark AdUertiser,
another prominent Republican paper. ex-
plicitly charges that the Gledhill resolu-
ton appointing the committee which made
such a puerile pretence to investigate the
administration of justice in Hudson county
was purposely rendered imperative after
the adjournment of the Legislature. 1t
remarks:-
Acting Governor Voorhees, says he coun-
selled the members to use care in framing
the resolution, and Mr.. Robert N. McCar-
ter, the committees counsel, AYERS that he
warned the committee during the session
that the resolution was defective. And,
notwithstanding this timely advice, the
resolution was unchanged. There were
private deals of all kinds with Hudson
Democratic members to get their votes on
pending measures, and the natural pre-
sumption is that the resolution was dis
abled in its purpose in accordance with
some private lobby arrangements about
bills The suggestion that the resolution
was blunder" is not tenable in the light
eff what the acting Governor and Counsel
McCarter say.
The people of New Jersey must decide
next Fall whether they are willing that
the lawmaking power of the State shall
continue to be controlled by the gang of
railroad representatives, corporation attor-
neys and professional lobbyists who have
held undisputed sway at the Capitol since
the Republicans carried the State in the
prostituted name OF reform, and this issue
will not be the least important of the
campaign. Democratic Legislatures in the
past had their faults, like all things human,
but none ever sank to the low level,
morally and intellectually, of that which
disgraced the State last Winter. Let us
have change Paterson Guardian,