The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-02-14
70 The VOTERS OF MORRIS
TOWN.
a COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO sUG-
GIssT THE FORMATION oBA
SOCIETY FOX TuLIrI-
CAL INQUIRY.
NoIol00rs and FllIo,O tlitlzcns-- We have l.ee

I =
/ y Citfzens Associations for liz, ulrct,s-
-ian of public topics, na1ipnai and iocai,
/ rDe organization is nOt 10 bt. used IN tl,,. l,,-
frrrsts II Al, p,,lIIicul parry, nor Tor ihe fur
riieralrce u aDy special measure, hui shan
1 strive SIMPLY IL lay hrftr- Hs me,uner- a1E
hat ran Oe said on OVIh Sides OF eAen puunc
| Question.
| It's the theory OF our government that ID,
peUpis stall riiie. Tins lupiies that on
every pubic II ar each cf z.n shall form ~,
piniut, thar lie shall study ryriy problem a.
j nc were h,mceif pnplc oiiiclai, as II tfl,
| matter we're to be sircldrd ~ himself alone.
But TO snan Is 80 wise THAI he cannot prVH,
| D, mis- HeighDor's opiniDu let us there fur.
ls~svmnle ~ public rnrrtiiI1s for the discu<-
sion of cnrrent political topics, aud Tor Inc
exchange Of views.
S9me OF 'Iirse meetings should he held III
lie Ll crum 10 s,t asidrtsssu BY dstinv ti,e hesi
meu ffDn other places. When Congress IS II,
srssion We may ne atle tu secure the prre-
snce Of sIats,Beii trosn distant paris OF tb,.
country. Other meetings HAY be held in
smaller haiis with adurrssts by some If our
fellow townsmen. ,nan5 u whom we are
prUuti ~ say are abe tu Treat puh.ic Qurs-
ii0Ds II ctivey. Oppur,umiy cah ais b..
giyt iur any cl'izcn ~ stale his views Of the
case
Il win very likely be said that the voters
geDeraliN cal i,Ot be brought togrth,r to
isten u, pOitic,i discussion when 10 election
| j. iipprnuing. But our government ~ based
On fatal error u the mass of cit z-Ds who are
10 decide nioinelliour Questions caniioL he px.
pecied To lake Nh active interest III them. II
Is at least worth the whilt 10 Try the expert
mrDt whether the muiii,ude winch hulus he
| trt nieniocs power of the hailos cannot he
led 10 consider how to use tnat power WIN
| wIsdatn.
| II Is irue that public quest ons will be
argued 10 some exfcnl In O political cain paign
uu, ptich iisscuri'bn will rx TEND over only d
Flew weeks and agaiu eaca hearrr may he
pr, jud crd by the fact That his party has al
reai, committed itself 10 certain pnsitiou.
| !. = canipaig Of educatprn can best he
Carried On when DU partisan contest il i'm.
pending aud men may be led TO cunsi,ier The
| qpesti,'n apart FROM ITS bearings on the for
tunes Of a gwen candidate.
We rrcogII ze also that these matters are
copionsly treated Ia our newspapers. But
| the press caniiot lake the place uf The plat
| fnrm ANY mnre than tue religious tract uT
| period cal ciH do me work Ut the pulpit.
| Ne need 10 meet each Other lace TO face.
Be u remembered moreover that men are
| prone Ia attend only the meetings ami read
Dniy the papers ~ their own parry. Bur no
man Can ne truly called an ..,ntelngcni
voter" uIl he has heard bOIh sides ol the
ease. let us thereiOre arrange n series o.
! poliItcal cont. rrncrs Ia which each iiau vii
TIT Cpu cllttt bl ttNtcu rtf tut
urgnbors wtt, uitfer from aim.
lois prep red also 10 uigab,z commiiises
| or groups ui voters ~ IL duzsn urtweilsy eAcn
| IL sIuiy special surircL-. NJ he Far H. Muni
] cil,at JlwltIshtp, trusts, ttc. ,hese euuntmti-
/ tres To report not their upiniuns hnI actuai
\ facls winch VIII selvr as . suand bAtis ui
| Inference aud argument. There are su inauA
| imp rant qles,ioDs-uatfalmi. state, alti
munirtpnl-@th uIyisions aud sub-uivisiOhs
"f the eame, That ,ach citz IL conlh lie
placed on OLe or more Of THESE Committee
aud the ports of such committees would
t,"attrialiA contribute 10 pOlnicAl ,night, H.
m.nt.
b, reports from sich committees citizeas
/ cOmd keep Themselves tnlOrnrd reya,ing
4 mporians bills, good aud Dai which has e
brcn !niiOductd NJ Trenton or Washinssu ul,.
| The Lr. PIE ut laige shund knuw What
Their law nlakrte arr, tiist;g ~ doing or ART
reiusiug iu do Et,rnai vigilance Is ibs
price vf ODD legislaliou. Il wound nr well
we're citiz-us mere in the hablt OF expressing
| their vi.ws dirarLly % tnrir representatives
A lew years ago 0h The passage of 4 certain
rAce-track law iuu'gnat,Uu meetings were
held Now had those gatherings been called
whlle the measure Was sitll uuder consiurra-
| ton. u might no; have besn passed. But
Though when tuere Is an unusually s.rOng
puhIc sentiment for or against "A prup.s<d u,.-
aci menL thai ieeling may yoI,e IIsrlf iu puniic
| meetings. II u Dili De nOI Ou ragvOusly Dad
nr is only obiin,ril. good an unscrupulou, !,
| ultnOrity may secure ns passage or defeat
-imply because the peuje AT large are not
| ralird 10 express tti.ir VIII
In each community throughout the State
there should be u group uf good citIzens, a
and propOrtiouately larger number i'll
towns aud cities, who wound keep them
serves adv sed regarding proposed legisia
ton. aud when necessary noufy tue people
to assemble or individually TO send postal
cards 10 their representatives. cham of
| such clubs. easily orgauizvd. would con-
stitute u THIRD House which on many
points wound dominate the Legislative
chambers. Ii won Id practically institute
the Initiative aud Referendum" for whlcL
mRny ale calling.
The proposed association, made up Of
men of all different opinions. could not it
self take position for or against a pending
bill but when it had presented the facts re
gardlng IL, lndlvlduai citizeas aud groups
of citiz. MS could take such aetion as they
Thought required.
Again. through ts1eh AN ASSOCIATION, yot
ers could learu Z, 4rsting the e0nrs. taken
by those III Office, II is plainly absurd for
the people IN appcat man 10 . given
position and then nt 81 take the trerble 10
ascertain whether b. pr0perly perl orms
the duties thereof. ls II to be asaa ned
that each gentleman we send to the I20's
lhtuI6 OF 10 OOukreSh SUP ta)Nth Mil the u esJI
bills aud votes against the bad ones, and
that every Office holder doss Just MS he
| should. but all the saue it nlignt be we'll
tor US TO know particulars Of their action.
Ii an fiic,ai has given the people especial
| lyg oout seTvice it should be made known.
while If any has betrayed his trust this too
should be brought to light.
And we could in like manner inform our.
| selves more fully regarding the qnaliticA
LIOns OF men nominated for Office. The
citizen should know something OF the men
he s asked to vote for. 1t is. TO some. alb
sard for him to say that he prefers A. to b.
when he can tell nothing about either.
They Will suggest that IT we aIe to cast our
ballots for this man or that simply be-
cause he is the caucus nominee we had
better petition for "a law allowing as to
give our proxies direct to the party COM
mittee and SO save the time consumed II
going to the polls. But If voter IL MOI
acquainted with the merits of q candidate
as Will often he the case with one named
for minor Office. where eau ne obtain in
fol lmAJlon? Not from the partisan papers
tor even If they make NO falHe statement.
they may not give the whole truth y
Would 1t not be well tor the citizens to
have some place where they could come to-
gether aud ask Who knows this man 4 7
And-Ia there any truth in these scores
about B? Perhaps the candidate could bt
lndnced 10 come before the ASSOCIATION III
a two minute speech aud 80 give the mem
hers some chance to fOrm Hn oplulou ol
him.
such an association could also make in
vestigations regars.ing general political
cOndlmons. taking up such questions as
How far ls the buying OF votes still prac-
ticed? What proportion of the electorate
is 80 ignorant as To endAnger the we'll be-
mo ~ fha kfatap HfAm far 10 t,nlNItts lauiu