The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-25

Democrat in Office again and end the
kind of rule that has been given to the
State for twelve years. The Democratic
State convention on September II hon.
ore me with the nomination for Gov
ernor of this great State. l believe that
nomination came from the people and
tina you desired me to lead in his
campaign.
IT was little known here in this part
of the State, but those who did know
me and who were satisfied with my ad-
m~inistratior as Mayor In the capital
city, were so jealous before The con
vention that they went to every part
of the State and told the people about
me. I don't know what they said, but
whatever 1t was. as the result of it, 1
believe the people from all over the
State sent delegates to elect me as
your candidate. I hope sincerely that I
will measure up to the hopes expressed
there and during this campaign.
81 am going to speak as briefly as
, possible. The hour is late and l have
been speaking elsewhere tonight. First,
/ would like to take up briefly the
statement of my Republican opponent.
that the record of his party for the
twelve years that 1t has been in office
in the State is spotless.
1T would first take up the statement of
my Republican opponent that the record
of his party in power in the State for
twelve years is spotiess. But / realize
that my opponent has been thrusting an
other issue into the campaign known as
the excise question. On this have been
silent up TO the present time. l believe
this is the place to talk on that question
and this is the hall where those who have
anything to say on 1t ave first spoken.
My opponent<has been saying a great deal
bout 1t, yet | believe he has been say
ing much of this to cover up the other is
sues.
II want to say that I do not believe
that in the great State of New Jersey
the excise question is the most important.
The Demochatic party in Its platform
of princiules adopted in the State con-
vention made no mention of this subject.
I do not believe that this was done with
out a purpose The great questions of
this campaign should not be set aside
for this one. and I believe that was the
purpose of the silence of the convention
that drafted this years platform.
'There was but one deduction that 1
could draw from this silence and that was
that the candidate. standing on that plat
form. should be silent. / shall not fol-
low this altogether, but will here speak
for one moment on he excise issue and
then put it aside. 1 realize that there are
reople here as i all parts of the state
divergent in tastes and In views.
II believe that my policy of silence is
more consistent than the policy Of my
Republican opponent. He has made two
or three statements on this subject that
4 cannot be put together and be called
consistent. One is being used in one part
of he State by the Republican press to
create one impression n one in another
part Of the State to create another i'm
preston.
AT least have been consistent in this
silence, If in nothing else. 1t is an old, old
story tina. the Arusts and corporations
delight to get the people stirred up in a
campaign on this excise question in order
to hide the real issues.
at don't know that l will give my per-
sonal views on this, for in the last analy-
sis the will of the people must prevail; II
l am elected Governor that Will must be
expressed to me by the legislature ano
by the people to the legislature. 1t is fol-
you to elect a legislature that will enact
your ideas into avs. If you are inter-
ested in this question you have heard from
ME the only expression 1 am ever going
TO give on 1t in this campaign"
When he had concluded with the state
ment that he would never again refer x
luC 6tDJtCAy lAG1t was AhOAt
then the people began to file out. Evi
IDENTIFY the excise question was the mos
important to the minds Of many, and haV
ing heard the nominees views their inter
est IN the meeting was at an end. NO
more than 200 went out. but they made
quite a good deal of noise about 1t.
Mr.. K%atzenhach went into n discussion
Of the disclosures of the Hahn inyestigat-
ing committee. concluding with the ~deelara-
1 49, 49,. r-4 ,fQo,uI vnnfnoE.
ance, inattention to duties, dual ofticehold-
ing and other evils had been shown to ex.
list in the administration Of State depart
ments and institutions. On public utilities
he said:
I'VE believe that a law that will give the
people a public utilities commission to be
elected by the voters that will be effective
should be enacted without delay. These
corporations get their franchises from the
State of New Jersey and their permits to
do business from the State. and should be
regulated by the State. | believe that the
commission should have power to enforce
its orders.
I'VE have in New Jersey Mt the present
time a railroad commission created ut the
cost of $50, 900. yet the Legislature gave that
The Attorney General recently showed that
the commission could not enforce an ordeT
given TO abolish grade crossings.
we must give this public utilities COM
mission which the Democratic party will
create if elected to office the power to en-
force its orders by fine or Imprisonment in
cases 0 disobedience. , This commission
must have the power to see that the peo-
pie Of the State of New Jersey have ade-
quate service; must see that when you
pay for a ride you are given a seat and
not q strap to hang on; that when you
pay for gas You get gas and not hot air.
But we also want this commission to
have the power to give the people safety
appliances. You had occasion here In
Newark for the work of such a commits
sion, and IL the State had had one life
might have been saved. If such a COM
mission had been In existence long ago.
with power to abolish grade crossings, you
might have had no accident such as oc-
CURED here when children we're killed.
I'VE will give you an effective commits
sion.
Such a commission should protect the
investor against watering stocks and
bonds. In the old days they watered
stock; but lately they nave put water into
bond issues. Every issue Of stocks or
bonds should be passed upon by an eff
f9ctive public utilities commission to pro-
tect the investor.
"MoSe than that, we believe that this
commission should nave the power to reg
ulate rates. We realize that 1t is a nice
position In which toSplace an official body
and have justice done to the people and to
the rpo lions. Z But | confidently he
lieve that a commission selected by the
people at the polls will be just in its ruI-
sings.
"A law such as 1 have described, creating
an effective commission, would have been
passed if the people In control of the
i y optbTican Marty and manapinU my IN