The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-09-23

nearly d~isgraclng this State with an
awful scandal
Declaring thai he was not a de-
stroyer of property, an advocate of
socialism or a radical, the Executive
urged the voters to choose men who
would keep their pledges. He gave
credit to this county's reformers for all
the reform legislation enacted of late
years, He advised the Republicans
either to keep their pledges or get out
of the party.
In his formal address the Governor
said in part:
Governor Forts Speech.
We are face to face in our State with the
problem OF who shall rule 1.-THE people
or the bosses under the domination OF the
special interests. Two years ago was
nominated for Governor by the Republican
party, upon a platform that was unusually
progressive. In the campaign which fol-
lowed, the party gave me united support,
and during That campaign IN no uncertain
ii elected, l would keep the platform
pledges.
Among other things for which the party
declared III its convention In 1891 We're
these:
a. For the enactment OF n comprehensive
civil service measure In the interests OF
higher efficiency in administrative affairs.
% For an amendment OF the Federal
Constitution for the election of United
States Senators by the people, and until
that Is accomplished, the enactment of some
law for the voter to express his choice In
some authoritative way for United States
senator.
al For a constitutional amendment sep
arating national and State from municipal
elections; with national and State elections
In even years and local elections III odd
years.
Assembly districts.
(5) For reform In the petit jury system
and n better system OF selecting grand
jurors.
60 For the direct primary.
o. For the enactment OF n law creating
a public utilities commission with ample
power to regulate such corporations.
80 For the consolidation of departments
and commissions of similar character.
% For the. correction of abuses In State
departments or Institutions and the holding
of all officials to strict accountability.
The concluding paragraph of the plat
form was this.
I'VE call the attention Of the people to
the incompetency OF the Democratic House
of Assembly, to the disgraceful scenes thai
marked It's proceedings, to its absolute con-
troll by the lobby, to Its refusal to. pass
vice, to pass laws for the reform of the
grand jury system, to permit the submits
sion to the PUBLIC of the questions OF sep
aration of the State and municipal cleo.
tions, and to the reform measures passed
by the Republican Senate"
Accepting the nomination in good faith
on This platform, / promised the, people
II elected, to carry 1t out II ] could.
what Has Party Donet
At the end of the session OF 1908 we die
get a moderate civil service bill and at the
end of that of 1909, a county committee
primary bill. But how did We get these
Only after one OF the hardest fights wifi
ever occurred at Trenton. Because | ad'
vocoted these laws. these men have sep
arated themselves from the executive az
though he had been false to the party ant
the people. So far as | now recall, ever,
one of them has opposed every law intro
dueed to carry out any one Of the party
men In the Senate for his civil service bill
and won, although he and l both knew
that the bill we got was not all we should
have had. The direct county COMMITTEES
position. The character OF these two con
tests Is pretty well known to the public
and It is equally well known that all tn,
s~o-called State bosses opposed the enact
ment of these laws, and every other Law
to keep the party pledges.
What a commentary II Is on Legislation
that. these men dominate II. Several mem
beers Of the Legislature have come TO ms
and expressed regret that they must vote
as they do. and that they are compelled
to m the appointments that they
these men. DO the people realize that IL
many cases they are electing, not legisla-
tors TO represent them, but these bosses
The legislators despise 1t. 1t Is humiliatine
to them. They do not hesitate to say so
The Senate at the last session did throw
off most of this control and passed many
good measures. II the members OF the
House were left to voice their own convic.
lions, they would keep the party pledges
During. the debate and vote on the pri.
we're on the floor of the Assembly, sitting
in seats OF members and coaching then
what to say, what motions TO make, and
can go on and the people submit to Ii
Have we lost all semblpnce OF representa-
tive government in New Jersey?
For Two years I have tried 10 get on with