The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-09-04

tude against popular reforms and
against measures affecting great
corporate interests. The proceed
ings of the last two Legislatures
are yet fresh in the public mind. In
both Legislatures every important
reform bill was sacrificed by the
majority, and both sessions were
attended by great public scandals.
Shall this kind of legislative gov
eminent go on unfortunately? Shall
unfaithful servants be chosen veal
after year to repeat the same tale
that has always been told? Or shall
there be a salutary change? And
there can be no change without a
change of parties, in accordance
with the well recognized principles
of American government.
Among the acts of the last W
legislatures was the passage of a
set of proposed amendments to the
State Constitution. The Democratic
plan of amending the Constitution
is that of a popular convention, in
which the people car propose the
changes to be made. Legislative
sanction Is needed for that purpose.
Republican legislation has refused
the people the right to hold q con-
vention. In place of it a small com
mission of lawyers was appointed
to draft amendments according to
their own ideas. and this draft was
passed by the two legislatures with
out change. Democratic amend
ments to the amendments, that
--A..ll la,,. .al- 49, -.
lar, were incontinently voted down
by the majority. The proposed
changes are now before the people
for their adoption or rejection. In
effect, they serve to disable the
power of the people In government
by placing the Governor and mem
bers of the Legislature further
away from their control. If the
last two legislatures could be so
callous to the call of public duty
and so Indifferent to public inter
ests, would they have been less so
IL the terms of the legislators were
one year longer?
~voting Independence Destroyed"
THE pretense for this radical
and dangerous change in u legis-
lation created this necessity by
a%bolishing the municipal elections
in the spring, so as TO destroy in
dependence i'm voting The Repub-
lican party would take advantage
of this crime against government
to pe%rpetuate another. Blu cleo
tions car be made separate by the
simple process of repeating the
anti-spring election law, which Re-
publican legislation has refused to
repeal. eve at the repeated and
earnest demand of Republican
voters.
Tile judiciary amendment abol-
ishes laymen from the State judi
ciary system. confers legislative
powers on the judges and divorces
the judiciary completely from legis-
lative control. The policy of adopt
ing this amendment may be left to
the voters of the State.
I'm nearly all of the municipali-
ties in New Jersey this year the
taxes have been increased by the
legislation of last winter. The full
effects of this legislation will be
more severely felt next year. Tax
revenue belonging exclusively to the
taxing districts was largely diverted
into State uses.
1.-THE alternative was presented of
assessing taxes on corporate inter
ests, indirectly increasing the local
taxes on the people, and the Re-
publican Legislature chose the lat
ter course.
Political change is going on all
over the country. Everywhere there
is Republican unrest and dissatis-
faction. A Republican Congress
has just forfeited public confidence