The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-07-17
NEW IDEA''
MOVEMENT
Mass Meeting in Morristown,
Addressed BY Record, Colby,
Gibson and Others.
F. R. KELLOGG FOR ASSEMBLY Y


publican Good Government Club OF
Morris county was held in the Ly-
ceum last Wednesday evening, with a
good attendance. Frederick G. Burn
ham, Esq, the president of the club,
presided, and said that good many
years ago he stood on the same plat
form as president of a civil service as
sociation, and introduced George Will
liam Curtis. Then the movement was
opposed by every political party, and
seemed all but impossible, but after
the people learned Of it there was no
difficulty. To night the movement,
although not as broad as that, is still
of the utmost Importance and is vast
! ly easier to present to the minds Of
the citizens and so receive their votes
at the polls.
Senator Colby was introduced as the
| first speaker. He declared that the
members Of the two great parties had
absolutely nothing to do with the
nomination of party candidates. But
a new game is ON foot, one for open
ness OF action. For twenty or more
years the United States Senate has
been controlled by the agents of spec
ial privileges. In this State no young
man can get public Office unless he
asks the heads of corporations or in
Surance companies. He himself had
followed the lead of SO-called leaders,
thinking that he was following in the
footsteps of Lincoln and Garfield, but
he did not then know his mistake. He
referred briefly to some of the tenentS
of the Colby idea. and regarding the
senatorial situation, said that if you
can get out of the situation the large
sums paid by would-be senators for the
position you will be rid of a lot of the
corruption of the present day One
man has asked that every man nOmi-
mated will state who he will vote for
for Senator. /" he said am GO
ing to vote for George l.. Record, be-
cause while / was asleep and you at
home he was fighting corruption. 2
The railroads would be glad to take
him into partnership in their deals if
they could only stop his opposition at
primaries and reform of the parties
from the inside.
John S. Gibson followed Mr.. Colby.
saying that he was never more earnest
for the Republican party than now,
but he did not feel quite at home with
some of the leaders but as he saw in
the audience q man who met in cou-
ference half century ago to organize
the Republican party, and found him
In the new movement. he thanked
God he was not regular He outlined
the organization from the conference
of eight in Essex county last year, and
told of the spread OF the movement,
then told in part the story of Mark
Fagan'S fight in Jersey City, and the
resultant demand for better tax laws.
He showed how values in the State
had increased ninety-four per cent.
in twenty years, while che railroad
valuations increased only slightly, and
paid about half of the proportion to
the whole tax now that was the case
then. He. condemned the Hillery
maximum tax law as an aid to rail-
road evasion and also the new county
tax board law, saying he hoped to see
the day when all assessments will be
made by the local assessor. For linn
tied franchises the battle is not won
yet for the Chief Justice has decided
that when a company with a limited
trolley franchise is absorbed by one
with an unlimited franchise the linn
tied franchise, under the law of 1893,
becomes perpetual. He discussed the
trolley matter at some length. If, he
said, it is proper to have five per cent.
gross earnings in few years, why not
to-day. Tax franchises on their value
the same as private property. Then
he took up in detail eighU of the bills
chlOroformed in committee last year
and urged legislation which will COM
pei the presentation Of the bills in the
general session.
Mr.. Dryden, he said, is Solicitous
about the tariff, and is afraid it will
be interfered with if he is not re-
turned but he could see no danger of
change in the congress. The princi-
Pile of protection is, he said, to enable
the men of America to compete with
other nations where lower wages are
paid in manufacturing
He believed in that theory, and
much manufacturing has been done,
but change has come over the skies.
The greatest menace to protection is
the trusts and corporations driving
ptople out of business. The Republi-
can party must take action before
some other party does. He scored Mr..
Dryden as not being In accord with
the President, naming two specific
points in the rate bill as an example.
Mr.. Burnham then sprung the sur
prise of the evening when he an
nounced that Frederick r. Kellogg
had, at the sc licitation Of number of
gentlemen, consented to a nomina-
ti0n for the office of assemblyman.
Mr.. Kellogg was introduced and said
that he had decided to stand for the
position and asked the votes of the
people for nomination and election.
He stood, he said, for the square deal,
and Is anxious to do his part. How
many, after the calm, quiet, dispaS-
Sionate recital Of facts this evening,
can feel otherwise than desire to help
in the game for square deal. The
body polite, great as it Is, is to de-
gree i'll. 1t needs attention and med
icine. The parties all or in part are
also i'll and need medicine. Reform
must come from the inside, not from
the outside forces of unrest. The cause
of illness is that we have been so in
tereSted in our own affairs that there
has been built up a dual consciousness
One for the family and personal
business, the other for politics. The
business Of the nation and the person
are not apart.
He said that he believed that at the
present time nomination for even the
smallest Office means singular oppOr-
tunity for usefulness. The cause is
vastly attractive and he desired to
have his part In the bettering OF con-