Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-09-05
All at Sea.

As the time for holding the combined
municipal County and State elections under
the Meeker monstrosity, which the Repub-
lican Legislature passed last Winter for
the purpose of gaining votes for their
ticket, the officers having charge Of the
elections throughout the State are in deep
perplexity. Just what to do they don't
know, and careful study Of the so-called
Meeker law refuses to give them any light
on the dark subject.
The section of the law which provides
for the merging of the two laws is the first,
and it provides that 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
with the same registration and upon the
same official ballots required by law for the
election of State and County officers and
not other wise, and the said ballots voted
as aforesaid for such officers, shall be
canvassed and the result:of any such election
therefore shall be determined as now pro-
vided by law in the case of county officers,
and certified to the clerk of such city, it
being the intention hereby to consolidate
the municipal or charter election in cities
with the general or State election"
This is plain enough in one particular,
and that is the question of official ballots
1t is apparent at a glance that the candi-
dates for municial offices are to be placed
upon the same ticket with the State and
county officers, and that they are to be
certified as official ballots by the county
clerk. 1t is also apparent at glance that
it leaves great deal in doubt under the
existing law. If the old law was in opera
ton, when much was left in the discretion
and common sense of the officials, there
would be very little doubt as to how to
proceed, but under the present election
law, commonly spoken of as "the Werts
law" certain things are designated which
must be done, and in a manner specifically
set forth which the Meeker monstrosity
makes exceedingly difficult, if not impos-
sible to do
The Werts law, after setting forth that
all nominations for State officers and Con-
gressmen should be filed with the Secre-
tary of State, and all nominations for
county officers with the county clerk, pro-
vides that call other certificates and petit
tions shall be filed with the CLERKS of the
respective municipalities wherein the
candidates nominated are to be taken. )"
The Meeker law makes no provision for
the filing of certificates of or petitions for
nominations, and the question at once
arises, how does the county clerk know
who to put upon the official ballot as the
candidates for the municipal offices?
Shall the nominations be filed with the
city clerk, and, if SO, what authority has
he to certify them to the county clerk !?
1t might also be asked how can the county
Cioih pave tne HdIileS Ol any citluludGes
upon the official ballots unless they are
certified to him in the manner prescribed
by the general election law" This pro-
vides explicitly that all nominations for
offices must be filed with the
clerks of the various municipalities, and as
the Meeker election law is dumb on the
subject, the various officials are in
quandary. So perplexed are they in some
Of the municipalities that they are think
ing of making no nominations at all,
while others go so far as to suggest that
a special session of the Legislature should
be called to straigthen out the muddle
Salem Sunbeam