The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-09-28
PARTY BOSSES
DENOUNCED
[ooNTlNuED FROM FIRST PAeEl

ICONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE
wish for United States senator. They
kill every bill for the consolidation OF
abolition of useless commissions or de
partments or for the reduction of such
salaries. They oppose every act in
tended to confer power upon any one
| to investigate or remove incompetent
| Cor worse officials. They even killed
the bill last winter that gave power
to remove an official guilty of crime.
And when it is suggested to pass a
public utilities bill to regulate the pub
| lie service corporations, in accordance
with the platform of the party, they
are unanimous against it.
Raps Davis and KuehnIe.
Some phases Of the election last
week on the constitutional amend
ments are interesting The fourth
amendment, which increased the sal
airy of legislators, was given $500 ma
jority by Bob Davis orders in Hud-
son and 1,500 by the orders of Boss
Kuehnie in Atlantic. These men or
dered the vote against judicial reform
to cure the delays of which President
Taft spoke so strongly at Chicago a
few days ago. 1t mattered not that
the Republican party had in its plat
form declared for a separation ofstate
and local elections and for separate
assembly districts. With one accord
the whole boss fraternity was against
them.
In the legislative session of 1908
thought, of course, it would be easy
to pass a public utilities bill in view
of the party pledge. The president of
the Public Service corporation assured
me at that time of his support, both
orally and in writing The first bill
was the Robbins bill 1t was not very
strong, but it was better than nothing.
But it fell between the two houses
This year the Pierce bill met the same
fate, only in little different way.
The result was that | saw the truth
and that it never was intended that
either should pass, but that the lead
ers should play with these bills and
the Martin bill, using the one against
the other and defeating them all.
There were not over fifteen men in
the whole house who could be relied
upon last winter to support the bills
which the party promised. Not that
the members did not wish to do it,
but that they were directed not to do
it, The exhibition on the floor of the
house when the Martin bill was finally
passed. notwithstanding the efforts of
the Public Service lobby, amounted
almost to a scandal and was a dis
grace to the state.
1t is neither easy nor pleasant to
make these statements about your
own party. AS Republican, however,
believe in making all contests within
the party. Even as bad as all this
may seem it is infinitely better than
the last Democratic legislature. The
right thing to do is to stay in our own
party and fight it out here. The peo-
pie will do the right thing when they
understand it, and they are coming to
do so fast.
Theodore Roosevelt set the pace for
Republican doctrine, and William
Howard Taft, it is my belief, is going
TO insist upon maintaining the same
principles.
In his speech at Milwaukee last Fri
day President Taft said: "The postal
savings bank plank in the Republican
platform bound everybody who calls
himself a Republican. If they do not
like a plank in a platform or if they
do not like the platform itself they
cease to be Republicans or they are
Republicans with an exception" Ac-
cepting the presidents standard of Re-
publicanism. what kind of Republic
ans are those who openly oppose ev-
ery measure for which the party has
declared in its platform in this state?
What sort of Republicanism is that
which is guilty of political treason to
every plank in the platform and which
exhibits itself in opposition upon every
occasion when attempts are made to
honestly fulfill platform promises? Do
not think that the Democratic bosses
are any better. They are not. They
are worse, if anything. When a ques-
ton arises which the boss fraternity
think mutually dangerous they forget
political differences and unite as one
man. Against conditions of which /
am now speaking there is no relief in
sight in the Democratic party. There
is only one remedy, and that is within
our party, by all loyal Republicans
striving to rid themselves of these con
ditions. We can do it 81 we try, and
if we love the state we must try.
Every one of the men who are now
opposing the keeping of the party faith
bitterly opposed Mr.. Taft's nomination
for president and was against him in
his fight to secure proper tariff legis-
lation.
The great fight which Governor
Hughes is making for the direct pri-
mary is being opposed by the same
sort of, influences that are at work
here. The machine is against him. II
is against every man who simply
wishes to do right.
Direct Primary Not Expensive.
Two arguments, both fallacious, are
urged against the direct primary
! first, that it is eXpensive; second, II
does not provide for making a party
| platform. Whether it is expensive OIL
not depends upon the candidate. IL
he is a fit man, recognized as such, i
will not be expensive.
1t did not cost anything last yeal
| for Senators Frelinghuysen of Som
erset, Brown of Monmouth, Plummel
/ of Salem, Cornish of Warren, Acker
man of Union or Bradley of CamdeI
/ to be renominated for the senate, II
Essex the fight for the nomination TO
senator was sharp, but 1t is doubtful
If either candidate or his friends
spent penny in excess Of what would
have been spent If the old delegate
system had prevailed. The delegati
/ plan existed when Mr.. Colby was frs
nominated, and / venture the predic
i ton that that first campaign wa.
4. Il