Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-12-15
THE covERNoRsIAP.

In the case of q condemned murderer
the Supreme Court Of this State is called
upon to decide whether Speaker Watkins.
who signed his death warrant as Acting
Governor, possessed the requisite authority
to perform that act. 1t is claimed by Cliff
ford's counsel that Foster NJ. VOORHEES,
became Governor upon the resignation of
John w. Griggs and still holds that Office,
having only resigned the Union CouutySena-
torship. which had already become vacant
through his accession to the higher posi-
ton. The Trenton True american eviden-
tlg reflect their views when it says:
The resignation of Governor Grigga
vested in Foster M. voorhees, the powers
duties and emoluments of the Office, and
he embraced them in every element and
function. He became Governor: he be-
came member of all boards of which
the Governor is an er 06ici0 member; he
drew the salary, he made appointments,
he considered and approved or rejected
legislative bills; he became commander
in-chief and issued military orders and
made military appointments. He exercised
the Office of Governor. The State Consti-
tuition provides Art. ", par. 8, that mo
member of Congress or person holding an
Office under the United States, or this State,
shall exercise the Office of Governor = and
in Art ", Sec. 5 par. 3, the Constitution
provides that mo Justice of the Supreme
Court, nor Judge of any other court,
Sheriff, Justice of the Peace. nor any
person or persons possessed of any Office
of profit under the Government of this
State shall be entitled to a seat either in
the Senate or in the General Assembly"
Art. Ill, par. 1, of the Constitution de-
clares that 1.-THE powers of the Govern
ment shall he divided into three distinct
departments, the legislative, executive
aud judicial; and no person or persons be-
longing TO, or constituting one of these
departments shall exercise any of the
powers properly belonging to either of the
Others, except as herein expressly pro-
videdn Here are three separate pro-
visions of the Constitution which declare
unanimously and emphatically that the
Office of Governor should not be exercised
by any person holding any office of profit
under the State or belonging to the legis-
tive department of the Government. When
Foster M. Voorhees, accepted the Governor
ship his holding of a seat in the Senate
became inconsistent with the exercise of
of the duties of his new Office, and he
ceased to be Senator. His resignation OF
the seat in the Senate, when he made it,
was unnecessary and futile and did not
even create vacancy in the Senate, much
less in the Governorship, from which the
Senate seat was wholly disconnected by the
Constitution. This being the case, he is
still entitled to the powers, duties and
emoluments of the Office" and will sue
coed himself on the third Tuesday in
January if the Supreme Court will say
that such succession is constitutional and
legal.
We publish in another column an in
structive article on imperialism" from the
pen of L. N. " who is known to our readers
as a graceful and forceful writer on local
topics. In this contribution he enters a
broader field, yet with not less force and
clearness than has characterized his former
contributions.
The venerable old Republican Provi-
dence Or. L. Journal remarks:
"If We are to believe all the testimony
before the Commissioner of Inquiry regard
ing the excellence of the arrangements
made for comfort of the soldiers in the
field and camps, we should have to turn
around and hold mass meetings to sing the
praises of Secretary Alger and denounce
the thousands of soldiers who persisted in
dying of disease and starvation as migrate