The Penn's Grove record., 1901-03-22
The PENIS Grove Record
FRIDAY, MARCH %, 1901.
Biennial Sessions, Why.

The Legislature has been considering
the proposal to have constitutional
amendment making the election Of Leg
islators once in two years, sessions once
in two years and the election of a Gov
ernor once in four years.
The RECORD favors biennial elections
and sessions, but not their kind proposed
The American people have three issues
to deal with in their political system,
local, state and national issues and gov
ernments. We believe their should be
local, state and national elections, seper-
ate and distinct from each other. Ever
since our forefathers had government in
this country the spring town meeting has
been in existence. There are local ques-
tions to be considered distinct from state
or national and therefore the local town
meetings should not be abolished, as has
been done in the cities,
There are state issues to be considered,
distinct from local or national They
should be voted on separately. The more
distinct an issue is presented before the
people the better the expression Of the
peoples opinion at an election. To make
this expression distinct state elections
should be held in the fall on the odd
years, alternate with the Presidential and
Congressional elections which are held
on the even years.
L. S. Senators should be elected by a
direct vote of the people at the elections
when President and Congressman are
elected on the even years, The failure Of
some legislatures to elect a L. S. Senator
in past years and the failure OF the elec-
ton in Delaware and Nebraska this year,
where there are two vacancies in each
state shows defect in our political sys-
TEN. 1t is wrong for state to not be
represented in the L. S. Senate for two
years as is likely in those states The
way to avoid it and make an election
sure, the way to remove much OF the |
corporation and trust corruption by lavish |
expenditures Of money in electing legis- |
idlbIS W liNSG SlNtttcN pN'lNNN 10 ~ 49, |
corporation and railroad representatives
to the L. S. Senate is to have L. ;. Sena-
tors elected by direct vote Of the people
State issues should be seperate, because
many persons favor policy OF party on
State issues that they do not on national
or local. Many Democrats voted against
their party because of the race track issue,
while they were voting in opposition to
their principles in helping elect Repub-
lican T. S. Senator The Governor should
be elected the year after the election Of
President so that special efforts would
not be made for party prestige in case the
election occurred the year before Presi
Dental election
A great deal OF political wrong is done
because the people do not have a more
direct vote on it and it is covered up by
other issues. For instance, the failure to
enforce the prohibition laws in Iowa and
Kansas is brought about by electing men
for state officers in deal to carry the
state or national issues. A political deal
was made last year by national leaders in
Utah with the Mormons in return for
carrying the state on national issues. To
avoid such, State and National elections
al,a,sIl h., Dar,,.ato
The proposed amendment to the con-
stitution passed by the Legislature pro-
poses the election OF state officers on the
even years at the same time as national
officers are elected, The law passed this
winter makes municipal elections in cities
come at the same time as the state cleo
tions, If the people submit to the abol-
ishing OF spring elections in cities, next
will come the abolishing of spring elec-
tions in townships and boroughs. Ii the
amendment carries there
will then only be an election once in two
years, when officers from President or
down to pound keeper will
be elected ON the same ticket,
The very ones who advocate this on
the grounds OF economy, never practiced
it. They abolished the publication OF the
laws in the newspapers on the grounds |
nj aconomv vot have increasod tha ov- {
nenses of the state bnndrads of tbonsards
Of dollars since
With such condemnation of issues
deals are made in trading local for state
and national offices such as is done in
New York CITY. or some rascalitv sane
TONED AS mentioned above in Iowa Kan
sas and Utah. and as was done in 1896 in
Illinois, when a syndicate made a deal
TO capture a 5O-vear street car franchise in
aroused.