Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-02-28
The Passing Of Spring Elections.


The House of Assembly, under the whip
and lash of the big and little bosses of the
Republican State machine, last Monday
night passed the Meeker bill to abolish
spring elections in cities Of this State and
make city officers elective at the regular
State election on 1'the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November and the
Senate has promptly gived its sanction, and
the bill will become law. The law is as
follows:
An act relative to the election and APP
pointment of officers in cities in this State:
Be it enacted by the Senate and General
Assembly of the State Of New Jersey:
l. Hereafter in all cities in this State all
officers required to be elected therein at any
municipal or charter election shall be voted
for and elected on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday of November in each year,
and upon the same official ballots required
by law for the election of State and county
officers, and not otherwise and the said
ballots voted as aforesaid for such officers
shall be canvassed, and the result of any
such election therefor shall be determined
as now provided by law in the case of county
officers and certified to the clerk of such
city, it being the intention hereby to con-
cities with the general or State election.
4ar 81 ae a11 H.
officer, except Justice Of the Peace, hereto
fore elected in any city and holding office
therein at the passage of this act, shall be
and hereby is extended from the time when
his term would otherwise expire until IL
o'clock noon of the first day of January
next succeeding the date at which his term
of office would otherwise expire.
3. Every officer appointed by the Mayor
in any city, and holding office therein at
the passage of this act shall continue in
office, and his term of office shall be and
hereby is extended from the time when
his term would otherwise expire until IL
o'clock noon of the first day of January
next succeeding the date at which his term
of Office would otherwise expire.
4. The terms of Office of all officers here
after elected, except Justices of the Peace,
in any city shall commence at IL o'clock
noon on the first day of January next
succeeding their election and continue for
the respective term of years now fixed by
law; and the terms of office of all officers
hereafter appointed by the Mayor Of any
city, except to fill vacancies, shall COM
mence at II o'clock noon on the first day of
January of the first year of the term for
which they are appointed, and continue for
the respective terms of years now fixed by
law; provided, however, that no appoint
ment of any officer shall be made by the
Mayor of any city for term of office to
commence after the expiration of the term
of said Mayor.
5. All vacancies in office in any city of
this State arising from or created by any
other cause than expiration of term Of Office,
shall be filled for the unexpired term only.
6. The powers, duties and authority of
every officer whose term Of Office is extended
by this act are hereby continued in full
force and effect for and during the period of
such extension.
7. All acts and parts of acts, special or
general, inconsistent with the provisions of
this act are hereby repealed.
8. This act shall take effect Immediately.
Hence Mayor Laid, Assessor Redfeld
Freebooter Mathers, Councilmen Burkett,
Best and Clymer, and whoever else has
served the full term for which the people
elected them, in this city and all the other
cities of this state, will continue to fill
their jobs for nine months more whether
the dear people want them to or not
Never before has any legislative body in
this State or any other State, undertaken a
more high-handed piece of legislation than
this. Had the legislature retained grain
of the honesty the people supposed they
possessed when they were chosen, and there
was an honest demand for the consolidation
of Spring and Fall elections, the terms of
the officers elected this Spring could have
been terminated next January instead of
continuing in Office officers heretofore
elected, majority Of whom have served
allotted TERMS
And all this is alleged to have been done
in the interest Of economy. And when
have the people complained of the expense
of their Spring elections? And are not
Spring elections just as expensive in the
Townships of the State as in the cities -?
And if the cities are groaning at the ex-
pense of municipal elections are not the
Townships, too?
Don't be deluded, dear taxpayers The
municipal officers who will be chosen under
the combination plan, will see to it that
every cent saved by combining the cleo
lions is expended under the order of the
boss who places them on the ticket, and
two cents of good money with it.
The government of cities under the
present system of separate elections, is not
noted for excellence in all departments,
but it is nearer excellence than it will
ever be under the consolidation plan, and
the Republican bosses know it.
1t was well known that the Republican
gang in Camden was marked for sure defeat
if the election was held on March -; and it
is further we'll known that the people of
Newark will never again trust the CITY
government there to Carl Lentz and his
heelers, hence all the people of all the
cities of the State must submit to this
scheme in order that these two gangs may
circumyent their people.
1t is said that Senators Sewell ard Kean,
Governor VOORHEES,, Senator Pitney and
other of the big leaders of the party are
opposed to the scheme and have advised
against it, but have finally given their
assent. If this be true they are weak,
unfit leaders, and deserve to be relocated to
the shades of political obscurity with the
Bairds, Morgans, Matches, Lentzs, et ais.
SENATOR DEPEW's INAccuRAcY.