The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1906-09-13

I
Years Ago, II Has Rescued the State
From Ubiquitous BOSS" Rule and
Enacted Many Excellent Laws In the
Interests of the People.
The New Jersey Republican state
committee, through subcommittee
appointed by Frank o. Briggs, state
chairman. has issued the following
statement to the voters of New Jersey:
A political party that has been in
| trusted for a period of years with the
! administration of a state government
and appeals anew to the people for their
continued suffrage and support must
| not only have a record that Will pear
| investigation. but must have one that
shows progressiveness. adaptablllty 10
public sentiment and leadership in all
the sincere reforms that bring better
government If party pledges have
| been kept in the past, it is fair as
sumption that they will be kept in the
future. If party principles have kept
] faith with the march of events, it is
, a fair assumption that the same policy
will guide the party in the future, The
record of the Republican party IN
New Jersey since it has had control
of the state government, the principles
! it has advocated. the legislation enacted,
are arguments either for or against its
further support by the people.
Pledge and Performance.
| The Republican party came into pow
err in state legislation in 1894, and two
years later Republican governor
! was elected for the first time in twenty
seven years Since and during 1894
the Republican party has had complete
control of lawmaking. Since January,
1896 it 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-
lation. for finances, for the conduct of
the state departments and for the
general policy of the state.
How has the Republican party dis
charged the obligations of its steward
ship. How has it fulfilled the promises
of its 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
1892 recited the gross evils that had
grown up in the state under Demo-
cratic administration and pledged the
party to a thorough reform" and the
establishment of a government of
which Jerseymen need not be ashamed
1t was on that declaration that in 1893
the state legislature was revolutions
, lied. and in the following year Re-
publican legislature began to fulfill the
party pledges. In the platform of 1898
the purpose to restore clean and hon
est government was reatfirmed. The
Republican party had then blotted the
race track gambling laws from the
statute books, abolished a gerrymander
of the assembly districts and political
partisanship from the state boards,
made the state appropriations statu-
tory, exposed wholesale plumber of
the state treasury in contracts and sup
plies, and in other ways radically re-
formed the administration of state de-
partments and repealed many laws
that created innumerable offices and
were used for purpose Of graft. The
platform of 1895 further contained this
solemn promise to the people:
I'VE pledge ourselves to the abolition
of every act now on the statute book
inimical to the interests of the people
We pledge ourselves to oppose any at
tempt to impose upon the people tax
for the support of the state govern
ment; 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, tc
still further legislation for the general
good and to an administration of the
affairs of the state which shall have fol
its sole object the welfare and pros
perity of the whole people,"
First Results.
Three years later, in 1898, the Re
publican state platform congratulated
the people upon these results: The con
stitutional amendment prohibiting the
enactment of laws to legalize gam
bling. the substitution of salaries fol-
: fees in lucrative public offices, the
doubling of the annual school appro
priation, the distribution of more thar
100000 of railroad taxes among mu
inequalities to relieve their local tax
burdens, an increase of 100000 in the
annual state treasury balance, larger
appropriations for public roads, the ex-
penditure of more than S1,000,000 in
the construction and extension of state
institutions, the codification of cum
bersome and confusing statutes, the
payment of half. million of the old
war debt and generous care of the
dependent wards OF the state.
The Republican state platform of
1901 reaffrmed the pledges of 1892
1895 and 1898. The legislature that
| In, /f e,fo ~