Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-04-11
GOVERNOR FINDS
NO REASON FOR
SPECIAL SESSION
Satisfied That Stories About
Legislators Closing Hours
Are Exaggerated.
QUIETLY INVESTIGATED
THE ALLEGED SCENES
Lawmakers Agree with STAR
That Night Sessions and
Lobby Should Go.

LUUUy CilOulu uU.
| With ridiculous persistency certain
sensational newspapers continue to de-
fame the fair name of the State of New
Jersey.
Horse-play that the Lawmakers In
dulged in during the closing hours of
the Legislature last week has been
twisted into acts of alleged immortality
by these scandal sheets.
Putting the frivolities in as serious
and shameful an attitude as they pos
sibly can these newspapers are de-
manding of Governor Fort that he call
a special session of the Legislature to
| investigate.
Fully realizing that the articles were
grossly and deliberately exaggerated
the chief executive is not hysterically
exercising himself in the premises and
has practically agreed with the EVE
| MING STAR that it would be folly to
convene the Lawmakers in special ses-
| sion.
The Governor quietly investigated the
alleged shameful scenes In the State
House, and he has concluded that there
Is no foundation for the hysteria that
has been raised in certain quarters.
Space writers for their own gain have
misled their editors regarding the real
facts, and in turn the public was de-
ceived.
Little wonder then that preachers In
many pulpit5 throughout the State yes
terday dwelt upon the alleged revelry
1 There were few, however, who in
their criticism agreed with the STARS
J In their fight for the abolition of night
sessions of the Legislature and the
elimination Of the corrupt lobby from
the State House.
Naturally the senators and assem-
blymen court an investigation. They
have nothing to fear thereby, and be-
cause of their frankness in so express
ing themselves these yellow journals
} cry out for an inquiry. But Governor
Fort, having fully looked into the sub
ject, sees the foolhardiness of calling
a special session, and the Governor is
stickler for moral proprieties at that.
To call an extra session would be
stamping the affair with a degree of
authenticity.
> The EVENING STAR has fully
printed the real facts concerning the
} alleged orgies and two reforms are
likely to result-the abolishment OF
night sessions and the destruction Of
, the dangerous lobby A strong senti-
ment for these two reforms has as
serted itself. Legislators themselves
favor the reforms.
Ward Favors Reforms.
Speaker Harry P. Ward of the As
sembly in a statement to the EVE
MING STAR asserted that he sees no
necessity of calling a special session
of the Legislature. He warmly COM
mends the STAR for It's stand in de-
fense of New Jerseys good name
among States and indorses It's sug-
, gestion that night sessions Of the Legis-
lature be abolished. He again vigor-
ously denies that the alleged dis
graceful scenes were. If they occurred
in the State House at all, participated
in by members of the Assembly.
while believe the STARS sugges-
ton to abolish night sessions is good
one in every respect" said Speaker
Ward, 'the fact that we were in ses-
sion all night in closing up our busi-
ness was not responsible for any in
; attention by the Assemblymen. prac-
tically all of whom were in their seats
throughout the night. The members
are absolutely innocent of any mis-
conduct and were astounded at the
stories printed in some of the New
York papers For my part, believe
the whole thing nothing but sensa-
, tional yellow newspaper talk. and
, cannot too warmly express my graft
tude for the attitude of the STAR. It
was the one paper to print the truth
President Joseph F. Frelinghuysen.
of the Senate, said that the calling of
a special session is the prerogative of
the Governor, but it Is understood that
Mr.. Frelinghuysen does not favor dig
nifying the reports of the Assembly $
closing by such a course.
Harry w. Bergman. supervisor OF
bills in the Assembly, in whose Office
the alleged revelry is said to nave
taken place, has issued statement in
which he said that he remarked that
,,non his return from luncheon he saw
a number Of men and women in his
office. and that when he entered they
beean TO leave He emphatically de-
MED that he found any evidence of
improper conduct.
Trenton Pastors Themes.
The scenes which marked the close
lof the Legislature in the ante-rooms of
| the House were a. SobJSSt VI NcAiiiiiCht
in several Trenton pulpits yesterday.
The Rev. Albert ]. Wesley in a
prelude to his sermon in the Third
Presbyterian Church last night declared
that service in the interests of the
community are not safe in the hands of
those who indulge in orgies over the
bottle.
The Rev. James L. Gardiner in his
i >veniup sermon In the First NJ e.
Church said that the scene attending
the close of the Legislature painfully
illustrates that there were men present.
who have lost all respect and reverence.
/. The Rev. B. MacCauley, Of the Fourth
Presbyterian; the Rev. Francis Palmer.
! of the Sixth Presbyterian; the Rev.
| Charles Elder. of the Central M. E., and
| the Rev Guy l.. Brown, of the Central
| Baptist churches were among the other
ministers who spoke on the subject.
All ~ the cIergvrnen mentioned have