, 1905-02-22
GOVERNOR SIGNS The
GIBBS ELECTION BILL
ABOLISHES ALL SPRING ELECTIONS
Senator Crosse and Assembly
man HiIdreth, True to Their
Constituents, Vote A.
gainSt the Bill.

i oBltiS ttllOuS 11Olll
New Jersey. Assemblyman Gibbs
asked for and received the pen after
the signature was affixed. One of the
four members to vote against the bill
in the Assembly was Assemblyman
Hildreth of Cape May County. In
the Senate Mr.. Crosse spoke and voted
against the bill.
OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE
The following is taken from the
Newark Advertiser under date of Feb
ruary 10: Despite the opposition of
Republicans in the Senate, that body
yesterday afternoon passed on final
reading the bill to abolish all spring
elections except those of school officers.
Only sixteen Senators voted, five
Democrats refraining. They were
Senators Minturn, Price, Chf1ds, Bar
Der and Martens. The bill was passed
by the vote IF II to 4. In the opposi-
ton were two Democrats and two
Republicans.
The Republicans who made the
fight against the bill were Horner and
Crosse, and the Democrats were Fer
rell and Strimple. The attacks on the
measure were resented by Majority
Leader Bradley, and Senators Bachel-
Ter and Wakelee. incidentally, Mr..
Bradley said, when the fact was men
tiontd, that Philadelphia still held to
the custom of conducting spring e'ec-
tons, that the example of that muni-
cipality was to be avoided on general
principles.
The bill originated in the Assembly,
and vas offered by Mr.. Gibbs, of Cam
den County. When it was passed
the Senate, last week, it vas laid over
so that the committee which had it in
charge could investigate the question
whether the amendment to except the
school elections from the operation of
the act would be legal. A further a
mendment, a change in verbiage, was
made so as to insure the validity of
the act, and with this in it the bill
came up yesterday.
HORNER ASSAULTS IT.
Senator HOrner (Rep.) at once be-
gan his assault on the bill. He said
that the principle of separating mum.
cipal elections from State and other
general elections was a good one,
which should be adhered to instead of
being discontinued. The proposition
to consolidate all elections, he re-
marked, might be good party policy,
but it was not good public policy.
Good government, he stated, could not
be too expensive.
Senator Terrell, the minority leader,
followed with a statement in opposi-
ton. He said the bill was evidently
in line with the policy of the Repub-
lican leaders in the State to consolidate
all elections, but that the people were
against the consolidation.
at is an attempt on the part of the
leaders, said Senator Crosse, "to take
away from the people the last vestige
of home rule"
In defending the course of the party,
Leader Bradley said he believed the
rural voters possessed intelligence
enough to make the discrimination be-
tween local and general issues on a
general election day.
Senator Wakelee also spoke in sup
port of the bill. He said that at the
present time many voters did not go to
the polls on the spring election day be-
cause 1t was not a general holiday.
The fall election brings IA general holt
day, as experience has proven, and
has the advantage of being free from
all business obligations.
MIR. BACHELOR IN FAVOR.
1t was denied by Senator Bachelor
that the act would smother the indie
pendence of the voters or destroy home
rule. Senator Lee stated that Wher-
ever the consolidated plan had been
tried, it had aroused increased interest
in the election rather than a decrease.
The question was put and the bill
carried. Under a suspension of the
rules, the bill was at once sent to the
House for action in its amended form,
the purpose being to put it into effect
before the time for the spring elections
this year.