The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-02-28
BILL PASSED.
There Will Be No Spring
Election In This
State.
REEDS MATHEMATICS
Republican Senator Gets Mix
ed in His Support Of
the Measure.
REEDS MATHEMATICS
Especial to ..rhe Jersey citv News -

j
iREN TON, Feb. 2S, 1901.-The bill abol
is'hing spring elections was hustlet
through both branches of the Legislator,
today and arrived at the door of the Exc
cutive chamber just a minute after Gov
ernor Voorhees, had disappeared through
j the entrance to the State E1ollse on III.
way home.
The friends of the measure were anx
fous to get it into the Governors hand:
today, but failed. Its progress through
the Senate this morning was interrupted
| by the discovery of two serious defects ir
its text. The first defect was in relation
to the office of Justice of the Peace. The
/ bill provided for an extension of the terms
or those which expire in May. This pro-
/ vision was clearly unconstitutional, and ii
/ was stricken out. The second defect was
of more serious nature. No provision
was made for the extension of the terms
| of, Freeholders, which expire this spring
The Senate amended the bill so as to
overcome these objections, and while this
was being done the House held caucus
and decided to concur in the Senate
amendments.
1t was subsequently announced that the
Governor had changed his mind on the
subject of abolshing spring elections, and
would sign the bill within twenty-four
hours. He all along has been averse to
the proposition, but in numerous inter-
views stated that he would allow the
measure to become law without his ap-
proval should it be passed by the Legisla-
ture.
Under the new law, the terms of all the
officials of Jersey City, as well as of ev-
cry other city official in the State, will
be extended for eight months. In some
cases the extension will be even longer
than eight months. No municipal cleo
tions will be held this spring and the
successors to those officers whose terms
would have ordinarily expired will be
elected in November. Hereafter all city
officials throughout the State will take
office January l.
Before the bill was passed by the Sem
ate yesterday there was lively debate.
Senator Reed, the leader on the floor, un-
dertook to champion the scheme, and in
rambling speech he went over the old
familiar ground that it was a move in
the interest of economy. 1t would mean
saving. he said, of sl5o0Oo in the State.
He wandered off into a harangue on the
independent voter not getting out to the
spring elections.
Why" he said, suddenly rounding up
in front of the Presidents rostrum, Il
was surprised in looking over the cleo
ton returns to find that in Jersey City
the vote at the spring elections is more
than 100 per cent. less than at the fall
elections
''The Senator means so per cent. less. "
suggested Senator Pitney; but Reed was
obdurate. mo, don't" he shouted back,
and then suddenly waking up, he con-
tinued, "but I'll put it the other way, and
say that at the fall election the vote is
100 per cent. larger that at the spring
election
Wrong again. observed Senator Hud-
speth; but Reed went right on with his
speech, studously avoiding anything like
figures from that time out. He declared
that the Republicans had no apology to
make for the bill. 1t was great step in
this age of progress, The people of Som
erset would like to have it apply to that
county, but unfortunately there are no
cities there.
ground and practically driven all his Re-
publican colleagues into the ante-rooms,
he retired to. his seat, and Senator Mar
tin of Sussex stepped forward to reply.
He insisted that the schemealla hmhmh
He insisted that the bill was nothing more
than scheme to compel some men TO
come out and vote for some Republican
candidates for whom they refuse to now
vote at the spring elections. He stated
that ne had been given to understand that
several of the Senators had expressed
themselves as willing to vote for the
measure if it was only made applicable
TO cities. If it was a move to save money
why was it not made to apply to the
townships and boroughs. They needed
economy as much as the cities.
Senator Hudspeth of Hudson followed
Mr.. Martin, and was vehement, forceful
and bitter in his arraignment of the bill.
He easily made the best speech that has
been heard in the Legislature at the pres
ent session. his oratory being in strong
contrast with the feeble attempt of Reed.
The bill. he said, was in the interest of a
favored few and against the wishes of the
vast majority of the people.
who wants this bill?" he demanded.
rs there any voice crying in the wilder
ness for the consolidation of the cleo
tions? Who asks it? The press of the
State. with very few exceptions, are ar
raigned against it, and I will assert here
that if the question was Submitted to the
100000 registered voters of the State, 90
per cent. of them would vote against it.
Who are these people whom the bill is in
tended to protect?
II know, and the Senator from Essex
knows, where the largely increased vote
cast in the fall really comes from. 1t
comes from the people whose interests are
in New York, who spend their days in
New York and sleep in New Jersey. They
have no interest in us. don't care for US,
don't care one red cent what becomes of
US so long as their Sleeping places remain
undisturbed. What do they care about
the local government All they care about
is whether Richard Croker and Tammany
Hall shall control New York or whether
Thomas Platt and the Republican ma
chine shall be in control
Taking up the plea Of economy. Mr..
Hudspeth said that he had never known
in State or national legislation Of any at
tempt to force through a vicious measure
that It was not heralded as an economical
move. The bartering away Of the right