Bridgeton pioneer., 1909-04-22
PEOPLE WILL
MAKE CHOICE.

In the closing hours Of the recent
session OF the Legislature the following
bill was enacted into law and the bill
approved by Governor Fort:
IAN Act to amend an act entitled
"A further supplement to an act en-
titled An Act to Regulate Elections
(Revision Of 1889, approved April
fourth, one thousand eight hundred
and ninety-eight, approved April
fourteenth. one thousand nine hun
dred and three.
BE it enacted by the Senate and
General Assembly of the State of New
Jersey:
II. Section Six of the act referred
to in the title of this act is hereby
amended to read as follows:
g. In any county in this State the
county or city committee of any politi-
cal party shall be hereafter elected at
the primary elections herein provided
for, and the members of such county or
city committee shall be elected at such
primary elections in the manner pro-
vlded in this. act for the selection of
party candidates to be voted for by the
voters Of single election district; and
the chairman of each county or city
committee shall, on or before the first
day Of July In each year, file with the
clerks of the several municipalities the
number of committeeman to be elected
by such county or city committee in
each year. as provided by the constitu-
tion or by laws of such committee.
q. All acts and parts of acts in
consistent herewith are hereby repealed
and this act shall take effect immedi-
ately."
This bill was not enacted without a
great struggle. and powerful efforts
upon the part of Governor Fort were
put forth before the Assembly passed
the bill. The Act had been through
the Senate without any opposition.
When it came up in the House late
Thursday night big effort was put
forth to defeat the measure. In fact
the first time the bill was before the
House it was defeated, The record of
the first vote shows that the Cumber-
land Assemblymen were divided, Buck
voting for the Governors bill and
Nichols against it.
Later the vote was reconsidered and
the Governor exerted his greatest ef-
forts to pass it. This time Nichols
voted with Mr.. Buck in favor of the
bill and with one or two other changes
upon the part of the members the bill
was passed.
Cumberland county has always elect
ed its committee members in the
County Conventions. Last year there
were no conventions held and no pro-
vision was made to select Committee
men, and the members of the year be-
fore held over, and acted last fall
although there were no meetings
called.
Recently a majority of the hold -over
committeeman held meeting in Mill
vile and made a reorganization, and
began preparations to have committee.
men elected at next falls primary
This could have been dcne by a resolu-
tion of the Committee. This will now
be unnecessary, and at the primaries
in September each party will elect a
member of the Committee for each
voting district,
There is absolutely no just criticism
of the provisions of the measure, and
the people Of the State will commend
Governor Fort for putting forth un-
usual efforts in compelling the Assem-.
blymen to vote for the bill. 1t places
party organization in the hands of the
party and not in the hands of the pro-
fessional politician and the bosses, lit
tie or big. It means a representative
organization with intelligent leader
ship. and disposes of the party boss
who sets himself up and who holds his
place by methods that are at least,
questionable.