Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-11-03

C1nOl w Oh U.s.
that was entirely too much money to ex-
ipend to administer the affairs of this
State honestly, and yet when they got
control of the Legislature, in 1894, they
expended $72,272 more than we did in
1898 That was prior to the campaign
made by Mr.. Griggs. In 1898, the fiscal
year ending Oct 81, the State Treas
urer's report shows that the Republicans
expended in this State $4,000 more
than the Democrats spent in 1893. Now,
those figures alone, without further
proof, it seems to me, demonstrate that
the charges made against the Demo
cratic administration are untrue in every
particular.
Mr. Griggs, in the face of the fact
that his party had spent a much larger
sum than the Democrats, when he made
his campaign, claimed that we were ex-
travagant, and said if he was put in con-
troll you would have a really economical
government Yet we find in 1896 his
party spent $294,66S more than we did
III 1898. And in 1897, when he was still
| the Governor of the State, his party
spent $621 ,O7S more than we did in 1893,
and in 1898 their appropriations exceed
ed ours by large amount. In 1898, al
though they have claimed that they have
| kept the expenditures of the State de-
| par Wlt1llu elDIfIOliIlSttlOi1S3 t1cy
were obliged to pass deficiency bill of
almost 100000 Mr.. Griggs, who made
so many pledges and promises to the peo-
pie, was in charge while this exceeding
| of the appropriations was going on.
THE pledges which he made to the
people in 1895 | believe had this effect:
! There We're many citizens in our State
who did not know how much the Repub-
licans had spent in 1894 and 1895. They
believed what Mr.. Griggs said The
State is a Democratic one, yet they put
| him in power by big vote. To-day Mr..
! Voorhees, and the speakers accompanying
him throughout the State are giving you
the same promises in regard to an eco
| nOmical administration of affairs. Mr..
Voorhees, is doing that, and yet when
| these enormous appropriation bills pass
ed the Senate of this State, showing
upon their face that the expenditures
were increased at startling rate, he was
Il member of the Senate and took part
| in their passage. He never said one
word in opposition to them, and yet he
goes around the State telling you that if
| the Democrats get back into power you
will have an unbusiness-like administra-
| ton. | fail to find where he has any
where explained the expenditures of
these enormous amounts.
Last winter he was President of the
Senate, and as such officer he had the
power to make up the Senatorial com
mittees. He claims to be a fair-minded
man; he claims that whenever he has
occupied public office he has acted for the
people; in other words, he claims that he
is opposed to anything tainted with par
| tisanship. Yet, last January, in making
up the Senatorial committees, he made
an Appropriation Committee to consist
entirely of Republican Senators, although
the Democratic party had seven members
1 IL +h.,< ffrAD
up. without minority representation, al
though he was personally requested to
give Me Democrats representation. Ii is
| the most important committee i'll the Sen
ate. and notwithstanding the request of
the Democrats he made it strictly partl-
san. Why did he do it? What necessity
was there for making a partisan COM
mittee out of the most important com
mittee-the one that had to consider all
items which went into the appropriation
bill? Although he has been charged iii
public with this, he has never told the
people that there was any reason for
/ his action. What right, / say to you,
gentlemen, If any of you claim to be in
dependent of party-what right has he to
your support? A man sent by the
county of Union to represent the people
in the Senate, and when he got there,
Notwithstanding his claims of non-partis-
anship, commits an act which stamps
him as being a bitter partisan. Not only
| that but we have a right to infer that
| his refusal to give our Senators repre-
sentation was for the purpose of covering
up something which the Republicans don't
want the world to know"
I '1n this campaign the Democratic party
having been out of power three or four
years in this State, having had no charge
| of State affairs, comes before the Demo-
/ Gratis and conservative people of the
! State and asks them to put them back
| into power because the palty now III
control has not given you an economical
/ administration, has not kept one promise
which it made to the people three years
| ago Why, even John w. Griggs him
self violated his promise to the people.
| He declared that it would be a great
/ pleasure to him to become one of the
peoples rulers in the State, and yet he
found the office too little for him. Cap
| plause.) 1t was not large enough to keep
| his gigantic intellect busy (cheers), and
| when he was offered the position of At
| torney General of the United States by
President Mckinley, Notwithstanding
all the promises he had made, he de-
serted the executive chair. You will
recollect that it took him some time to-
make up his mind, because he not only
wanted the position, but he wanted to-
dictate to the Republican party as to who
should be his successor as acting Gov
ernor. ] venture to say If he ever comes
before the people of this State again ask
ing for any sort of a position he will
meet with that condemnation he justly
deserves, and that is defeat.
For a time we had Mr.. Voorheers act
ing as Governor of the State, and now he
wants to be Governor. | don't blame
him. 1t is an honorable position, one
which any man, if the people confer the
| honor ON him, should be so proud of that
he would stay there until the constitu-
tional term ended. Mr.. VOORHEES,, how
| ever, because he was Senator from
Union County and did not want his
\ party to lose trick, resigned, and to-day
| we have Mr.. Watkins as the Governor
| OF this State. Not by reason of an cleo
ton, but because he held the Office of
| Speaker of the House of Assembly.
In this campaign Mr.. Voorhees,, the
candidate upon the Republican ticket,
has declared that during his public life
he has always been friendly to the labor
ing classes, as he calls them. He has
made that statement because through
| cut the State of New Jersey he has
been denounced by organized labor as
being foe to the working people. The
labor organizations IN this State can no
7 doubt take care of themselves. They
| will let the people know whether Mr..
Voorhees, is friendly to them or not. ZAP
plause). But as his attitude in public
life during the last twelve years is an
Issue in this campaign / think it proper
to call the attention of the people who
are interested in labor matters to my
attitude in the Legislature of 1887 to-
4 ward labor measures and good measures
in general.
I'm 1887 [ represented in the House
of ASSEMBLY a district from Essex Coun-
ty, and during that year a great many
bills were introduced at the request Of
organized labor. At least ten of the
bills were passed by the committee and
favorably reported to the House. They
all passed the House and some of them
lpasSed the Senate / viii not call your
attention to all of them, but will single
out some / would call your attention
to what is known as bill %, introduced
by Mr. Noonan, of Hudson County. 1t
is an act to make ten hours labor, to be
performed within twelve consecutive
hours, a days work for surface railway
employees In the city of Newark, prior
TO the passage Of this act, surface rail-
way employees were putting in from 10
to Is hours day They Thought that
was too long to work and the labor
organizations took up the question and
presented the bill. It went through the
House and Senate and received the APP
proval Of Democratic Governor. do