The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-03-31

pIiShed this Year.
APPROPRIATIONS ANALYZED
The Democrats Accomplished Moth
ing for their Party-McDermott
Wants to be the New Moses, But
There Are Doubts The Inside
Facts of an Historical Session.
1t is generally agreed that the session
of the Legislature which came to an end
last week was one of the most remark
able sessions held for many years
All who have written on the subject
are a unit as to its remarkableness but
differ as to the kind of history that it has
made. 1t was session of many attri-
butes. 1t was liberal with its money and
yet extremely cautious. 1t was lazy
session, vet it beats all records for the
amount of work that it has accomplish
ed. 1t was nominally free from partisan
legislation, yet some things were done
that will be attacked by the opposi-
ton. 1t has established a precedent
which the State should never abolish,
and that is, the Governor signing all
bills before the end of the session.
When the Governor declared that he
would sign no bills after the adjourn
ment there arose very general protect
that such a sweeping innovation could
not be accomplished. 1t is now dem
onstrated that it is possible for the State
of New Jersey to follow the precedent of
the President of the United States
There were 216 new laws added to the
statute books, and about one. half of
them were signed during the last week.
THE EARLY CAMPAIGN CRY.
The Democrats are already raising the
cry that it was three million dollar
Legislature, because of the liberality
with which appropriations were made.
Had there not been faithful and fear
less men on the joint appropriation COM
mittee there would have been the fiercest
kind of treasury raid. The State had
at the beginning of the year very healthy
balance on hand. Its income had ma
terially Increased because of the rush of
commercial combinations to New Jersey
for incorporation, each leaving good
fee for registration.
The joint committee started out with
unusually heavy demands on it, arising
from the recent war. and the needs of the
Railway Reformatory and the Morris
Plains Hospital.
All other demands were handled gin
gerly. If they had not been, the appro
priations would have footed up five
millions of dollars. During the last cam
paign, the only issuethe Democrats made
was the charge that the Republicans had
increased the expenditures of the State
1t was shown, on the other hand, that
the Republican administration had to
shoulder more extraordinary expenses
than previous administrations, and that
the State had more to show for its money
than ever before. When the appropria-
tion bills were under discussion in the
Senate, Mr. McDermott tried to make
little political capital by charging the
Republicans with extravaganza.
Senator Johnson stated that the Demo
Gratis on the committee had agreed vol
unfairly to all the items in the bill
Senator McDermott hinted that it was
probably an agreement with protest
but Senator Braun of Passaic and the
other Democrats declared that they as
sented to the items because they were
convinced that they were righteous.
This lets the gas out of the mountain
of wind that Senator McDernott was
trying to blow up for the general good oi
the Democratic cause. 1t was apparent
that the Democrats in the assembly had
tacitly agreed on fighting the appro
priation bills, for they all voted against
the passage of the bills, though nobody
uttered criticism upon them.
SOME DEMOCRATIC TRICKS.
The Democrats, in an attempt to make
some political capital, made "bluff' of
fer to give gratuity of $125 to each
volunteer soldier and sailor. This would
have just about doubled the amount OF
the appropriations, so that the first fight
to keep down the money spent to an
amount within the income of the State
had to be made against over Jealous
| Democrats.
There are some things to be taken in
consideration in connection with the new
appropriations, and that is that there has
been pressure of extraordinary ex-
penses. This years appropriations wind
up the outgo for the States armories and
the Morris Plains Hospital, and the heav-
lest amount for the Railway Reformatorv.
There was also the Vineland Soldiers
and Sailors home ana the epileptic
colony In the future there will be three
new expenses to confront-the maintain
ance of the Reformatory, the epileptic
colony and the new Vineland home.
This must be expected because the de-
mands of the State are growing, parti
cularly those of the unfortunate classes
who crowd these institutions.
ONE OF THE OLD GANG.
Allan L. McDermott is self-elected to
redeem the Democratic party from OBJ
IiVinn tn which II aneedilv ora led after