Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-02-04
GOVERNOR IN
MESSAGE FOR
LAW REVISION

TRENTON, Feb. 4:-The senate
Fort the following message:
"The Speaker and Members of the
House of Assembly:
'The laws relating to elections
and primaries, adopted prior to and
at the session of 1907, are in very
confused state and should be thor
oughly revised. Chapters 179 and
277 of the laws of 1907, relating to
primaries, are in conflict on many
points, and chapter 281 of the same
year, relating to the question of a
popular expression as to the choice
of the people for United States SEN
ators, is most unsatisfactory law
If there is to be any expression as to
the selection Of senators as guide
for the action of the representatives
Of the people in the legislature, 1t
should be clearly provided for in
some simple and effective way.
Primary recount is necessary.
The extension of the primary laws to
the election of delegates to conven-
tions for the selection. of delegates
to the national conventions of the
great political parties should be
made. For myself, 1 prefer direct
vote for delegates to a national con-
vention, with the right of each voter
In each party to express his choice
for president and vice president of
the republic on his ballot. Under
the call Of the national committee of
the republican party for the conven-
tion to be held in June, 1908, 1t is
doubtful about the right to select
delegates to the national convention
by direct vote. The call issued by
the democratic national committee
/ is not before me, but probably 1t Is
| of the same nature.
"The state has no control over the
national conventions, and the call
for the republican national conven-
ton seems to limit the primary Sc
lections by q direct vote for dele
gates to states having such law at
the time of the issuance Of the call.
But, whether this be SO or not, and
without considering this question
further, 1t is clear that the general
primary law for the selection OF
these delegates should be made ap-
plicable to the election of delegates
to the district and state conventions.
The method of holding such primar-
les should not be left to political
committees, but should. be carefully
guarded by law and conducted by
the election officers. No other prim-
aries should be- legal nor permissi-
BILE, and the law in this respect
should be extended to the selection
of representatives in all local polite
al committees.
II believe that IL a concurrent res
lolution should be passed at once, a
commission could be appointed the
present week which could report a
satisfactory revision of the primary
laws forthwith, and of the election
laws later, SO that both questions
can be settled.
"If, in your wisdom, you approve
this suggestion, and will authorize
the appointment of such a commits
sion by a concurrent resolution, a
full revision of these laws can be
ready for your action at the present
session.
Further discussion of needed
primary and election reform will
therefore be reserved until the COM
ing in of the report of this commits
sion, should you authorize 1t.
"The expense incident to this re-
vision need not be great, and provi-
sion for it may be left for later ac-
tion by the legislature.