The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-11


THE EVENING STAR: THURSDAY. i
a FEW PLEASANT REMARKS ON THE DICKINSON CASE
The State Senate of New Jersey cannot very well shirk the
duty of passing a bill authorizing the Governor to remove Col
onel Sam Dickinson from the Office of Secretary of State. Gov
ernor Stokes officially demanded the colonels resignation and
the Senators, with two exceptions, formally Endorsed his action.
If that means anything it means that the Governor and the
Senators, who were jointly responsible for Dickinson's appoint
ment, really want him to get out. But the mere expression of
a wish to that effect has evoked no response beyond . defiant
refusal OH DicEinson's part to create the much desired vacancy.
Of course, neither the Governor nor the Senate can afford
Ito let the matter rest there. The clergymen of the State and
practically every New Jersey newspaper have Joined in the
demand for the Coloneps separation from the service of the
State, and they have a right to insist on decisive action to carry
out this idea. As was shown in this column last Monday,
there is al easy way of accomplishing the desired result Let
the Senate at its next session pass a bill authorizing the Gov
ernor to remove Dickinson, the Assembly will undoubtedly fol-
low the suit and then the Governor can be relied upon to do
his share.
There Is 10 room for argument about this. The Governor
and the Senate are on record as favoring Dickinson's retirement
and the public sentiment of the State is overwhelmingly in
favor of having that brought about, and that, too, without
much further delay.
Probably the mere enactment of such a measure by the Sen
ate would result in the colonels resignation. He is not lacking
in horse sense, and when he realized that a sure process of
eviction was in the making, it is doubtful if he would care to
wait for an ignominious expulsion. Apart from that however,
such an act as has been suggested ought to be on the statute
books in order to guard against the recurrence of a muss like
that now afronting the moral sense of the State.
So far the only newspaper of consequence Directing to the
proposed Removal Act is the Paterson Call" edited by that
profound jurist and expert on constitutional law, the Hon. Joseph
E. Crowen, IL. D. Here is the luminous, erudite and trenchant
way in which DR.. crowel disposes of the suggestion:
1.-THE fact that this act would violate several provisions of
the Constitution that any fool iayman could read for himself,
and about three hundred and thirty-eight other interpretations of
the Constitution that the learned gentlemen constituting the
Supreme Court and. Court of Errors and Appeals have made on
practically the same points involved, makes no difference. But
the Secretary of State can laugh at any such proposition as
this, the same as he can laugh at any talk of impeachment.
The morality or immortality of a State or Federal officer cuts no
figure at all. He can be removed only for cause-and the law
distinctly specifies what is meant by cause 1t must be
something connected with ireguarty in his Office or else the
incumbent must have committed some crime"
The copy of the State Constitution in general use contains
nothing whatever to prevent the Legislature from passing an act
authorizing the Governor to remove appointive State officials,
but possibly DR.. Crowel has a special one of his own contain
ing additional restrictions on the legislative power. The copy
of the Constitution accessible to ordinary citizens refers only to
impeachment and gives the causes and procedure, but simple re-
|moval is another thing altogether and it is not referred to at all.
DR.. Crowel may be perfectly accurate in his assertion that
what Colonel Dickinson "has done has been done by some
previous State officials and nothing has been said of it, be-
cause before there never was anyone SO mean as the Jersey City
political traitors who made the attack on the Secretary of State
for partisan purposes" And doubtless, too, the venerable Sage
of Broadway (Paterson) speaks out of the fulness of knowledge
when he says:
eff immortality were an obstacle to Office holding, there are
Others besides Colonel Dickinson who would have to walk the
plank-not especially among the State officials, but in the
Legislature. If MI. Martins proposed bill were changed to
include elective officers, there would not be many votes in
favor of it in the average legislature, for very obvious reasons Z
But, like the flowers that bloom in the spring, that has
nothing to do with the case. Under present conditions-re-
CARELESS of responsibility for them-the people of New Jersey
want the Colonel out of the Secretary of States Office and it
is preposterous to say that he can stay in Office in spite of
them. J. M,
their IDEAS Of state AFFAIRS from these Tragedy writ Large