The Lambertville record., 1906-09-12
REPUBLICAN RECORD
State Committee Tells Voters of
New Jersey What Party
Has Accomplished.
IT Is THE REAL Re- rORM PARTY


Years Ago, 1t Has Rescued the State
From Iniquitous Boss Rule and
Enacted Many Excellent Laws In the
Interests of the People.
The New Jersey Republican state
committee, through a subcommittee
appointed by Frank o. Briggs. state
chairman. has ISSUED the following
statement to the voters of New Jersey:
\ political party that has been in
trusted for a. period of years with the
administration of Il state government
and appeals anew to the people FOR their
continued suffrage and support must
not only have record that will bear
Investigation, but must have one that
shows progreSSiNeneSS. adaptlbllitN to
public sentiment aud leadership in all
the sincere reforms that bring better
government, If party pledges have
been kept in The past, ii is Il fair as
sumption that they viii be kept in the
future. II party principles have kept
faith with the march of events. ii is
fair assumption that the same policy
viii guide the party in the future. The
record Of the Republican party in
New Jersey since il has had control
Of thc state government, the principles
il has advocated. the legislation enacted,
are arguments either for or against its
further support 10y the people.
Pledge and Performance.
The Republican party came into pow
er in state legislation in 1891. and two
years later Il Republican governor
WAS elected for the first time in twenty
seven years. Since and during 1891
the Republican party has had complete
control of laWmaking. Since January
lS9G. il has had control Of the eXecu
tive department Of the state govern
ment For more than ten years the
Republican party has been in com
plete control of state offices, with full
! and undivided responsibility for legis
latian for finances. for the conduct of
the state departments and for the
general policy of the state.
How las the Republican party dis
charged The obligations of its steward
sup: How has il fulfilled the promises
of lis platforms? What benefits has
| Republican, government conferred
upon the people Of New Jersey? Let
us first recall the platform pledges of
the Republican party to the people.
The Platform Pledges.
The Republican state platform of
1882 recitcd the gross evils that had
| grown up in the state under Demo
cratic administration and pledged the
| party To a thorough reform" and the
re=estahlishment of a government of
which .IerseynIen need not he ashamed -
| 1t was on that declaration that in 1893
the state legislature was revolution
izcd and in the following year II Re
publican legislature began to fulfill the
party pledges. In the platform of 1895
| the purpose to restore Il clean and hon
est government WAS reaflirmed The
Republican party had then blotted the
race track gambling laws from the
statute book S. abolished Il gcrrymander
of the assembly districts and political
partisaIlShip from the state boards,
made the stalc appropriations statu-
tory, exposed II wholesale plunder of
the state treasury in contracts and sup
plies and in other ways radically re
formed the administration of state de
partmcnts and repealed many laws
that created mnumerable Offices and
were used for purpose of graft. The
platform of 1895 further contained this
solemn promise to the people:
we pledge ourselves to the abolition
of every act now on the statute book
inncal to the interests of the people.
We pledge ourselves To oppose any at
tempt to impose upon the people II tax
for the support OF the state govern
nent; any attempt to impair or divert
from its proper use the fund for the
support of the free public schools. We
pledge ourselves to the abolition of un-
necessary offices and the reduction of
excessive salaries. We pledge our
selves to the publication of every de
partment of the state government, to
still further legislation for the general
good and To an administration Of the
affairs of the state which shall have for
its sole object the welfare and pros
perity of the whole people
First Results.
Three years later. in 1898, the Re
publican state platform congratulate ted
the people upon these results: The CON
stitutional amendment prohibiting the
enactment Of laws to legaliZe gam
bling. the substitution of salaries for
fees in lucrative public Offices, the
doubling of the annual school appro-
priation, the distribution of more than
500, 900 Of railroad taxes among mu-
inequalities 10 relieve their local tax
burdens, an increase of 5000, 900 in the
annual state treasury balance, larger
appropriations for public roads, the ex-
penditure of more than 100000 in
the construction and extension of state
institutions. the codifieation of cum
bersome and confusing statutes, the
payment Of half Il million Of the old
war debt and generous care of the
dependent wards of the state.
The Republican state platform OF
1901 reafiirmed tie pledges of 1892,
1898 and 1898. The legislature that
year inaugurated the policy Of state