Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-01-14


system Of purchases of 10 and proba.
bly, IS per cent Of the present cost Of
running the institutions. I strongly
recommend the creation of such a
board.
Several new state buildings or in
stitutions will be asked, and at least
two are badly needed. These are a
woman's reformatory and a house Of
detention for insane convicts.
It seems to me that the joint COM
mittees Of the legislature appointed
each session on the state institutions
should visit them.
Personal Registration.
The registration law needs amend
ment to protect against fraud l rec
ommend personal registration in all
cities of the first and second class
under the system now in operation in
New York, which requires personal
appearance and the answering of spe-
cific questions and the signature Of
the person registering, that rin case of
challenge. founded on the identity of
the voter, full protection will be had.
Direct Primary Laws.
The primaries held in this state the
past year under the direct primary
act met with general public approval.
There was abundant proof Of the
grossest frauds in the primaries held
in certain places in this state in April
last when delegates were being elect
ed to select delegates to the national
convention. This was clearly due to
the fact that there was no law regu-
lating that primary election.
Fraudulent registration. Illegal vot-
ing, repeating, voting on the names of
others or upon the names of the dead
or insane, marking ballots to make
void a vote and the like are crimes of
a character so detestable that no pun
ishment Is too severe.
The false and absolutely untrue
statement is put forth in opposition to
the direct primary that it requires
great expense to be a candidate at a
primary election, and yet the real
truth is that a candidate need not ex-
pend a single dollar. The state pays
for the tickets and insures at the polls
a fair election, conducted by competent
'election officers.
present direct primary to the selection
of delegates to the national conventions
of the respective political parties and
to the election of party committees.
And for myself, thoroughly believe
in its application to the nomination OF
candidates for governor and represent
atives in congress. If an obligatory
law could be passed applicable to the
selection of United States senators by
the respective parties / would be
heartily in favor of that. Many states
have petitioned the congress in the
method provided by the federal con-
stitution, asking that an amendment
be submitted to the states for ratifica-
tion by the legislatures thereof, max
ing United States senators elective by
the people of the states as the con-
gressmen now are.
I recommend that the present legis-
lature place New Jersey with the other
sion of this amendment to the legisla-
ture of the respective states for their
ratification.
Voting Machines.
The past legislature, pursuant to the
recommendations of the governor, en-
acted law permitting the people OF
the state to determine whether they
desired the continuance of the voting
machines in the districts where they
now exist. Two hundred and fifteen
districts took advantage of this act,
and in every case where this was done,
save three, the vote was to abolish
them. The present voting machine
act should be repealed if not amended
The Election Ballot.
The work of supplying the ballot
composed of as many separate pieces
as there are party names, is enor
nous and of great detail. We should
have some system under which all
voters use a similar piece of paper
containing the names of all candidates
Of all parties for office at the election
Marked and Rejected Ballots.
The only marked ballot that should
be rejected is one that shows mark
ing by clear design to identify it from
other ballots in the box.
1t should be made difficult for vot
er to lose his vote, not easy.
Civil Service.
The last session of the legislature es
tablished the civil service or merit sys
tenn in this state and created board
of commissioners to manage it. The
first report of the commission has been
made, and the work done Is deserving
Of the highest praise.
Approval Of Contracts and Bills.
The governor is required by various
statutes to approve all contracts be-
fore they are made and many bills OF
departments before they are paid