Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-08-05

ception of the selection of a President
by the Presidential electors.
"1n both cases 1t was supposed that
learning, wisdom n justice would so
dominate the action of electors and
Legislatures as to give the country the
best men available. Within a decade
the people made the electors simply
register their will. .
1T has taken the people nearly 100
years to arrive at the conclusion that
the Legislatures were not meeting the
conception OF the fathers and electing
to the United States Senate the class
of men they had in view. The reason
for this long delay is In the fact that
special interests have within the last
quarter century taken pains to select
to a controlling degree the members
of the Legislatures, and the Legisla-
lures have in turn elected the repre-
sentatives Of the special interests to
the United States Senate.
"A still more aggravated and disgust
ing form of interference to prevent the
accomplishment OF the purpose of the
founders of the Government Is to be
observed where men of means have
undertaken to finance the candidates as
a consideration Of their votes in return.
The corruption is no less certain and
absolute, though indirect I'M carried on
under the guise and false pretense of
party loyalty. That it is not party
loyalty is demonstrated by the fact
that the contributions for the expenses
of the legislative candidates cease with
the candidacy of the contributor of the
funds.
state Debauche6.
For twenty-five years at least this
method of political ~debauchery has
gone on. and nowhere in the United
| States have its deplorable effects been
more obvious than right here in New
Jersey. So disgusted had the people
of his State become with the result
of present practises that in 1907 the
Legislature, responding to the popular
demand, passed a law providing a
method for the selection by each party
of its choice for the great Office of
| United States Senator.
1.-THE law In New Jersey amounts to
o caucus of all the Republican voters
in the; State, instead of a caucus of the
members of the Legislature who have
been selected almost invariably. by the
| candidates for the United States Sell
ate.
Under the inspiration and guidance
of Governor Murphy the primary law
had its origin. Can the man who was
responsible for the law and who Is
now a candidate for the Office Of United
States Senator, refuse to go into a
caucus with the Republicans OF the
! state? Will he refuse to trust the
people at the primaries, and then ask
them 10 rust him at Washington
Can any candidate for the United
States Senate refuse to submit his
name to the Republican voters of the
State. thereby going into a caucus with
them, and then consistently ask the
representatives of those same people,
the members of the Legislature. to
come into a caucus with him?
II challenge Mr.. Murphy, Mr.. Baird
or Mr.. Kean to give me one single
valid reason why any candidate should
not submit his name to the voters of
the State.
1.-THE only object that any man can
have in refusing to caucus with the
Republican party of the entire State
it to p~erpetuate a system that has
made the rame of New Jersey a by
word and kissing all over the United
States; to perpetuate a system under
which neither Washington, Hamilton,
Jefferson, Adams, Webster, Clay, Ben
ton. Seward. Sumner nor Lincoln could
have gone to the United States Senate
during the last twenty-five years had
they lived in New Jersey.
I'm other words. instead of a fulfill
nent of the conception of the founders
of the Constitution, the result today is
Numerically opposed to the purpose
/ thax hcd In xfouy gain tho prauant
practise of electing United States Sena-
tors in New Jersey is diametricalIy OPP
posed to Lincoln's conception of this
Republic-a government Of. by and for
the people; and must necessarily give
us in the end a government of. by and
for money,
III is for the people of New Jersey
to say, this fall, whether New Jersey
shall be redeemed and taken from the
category Of rotten boroughs That is
the question. Will the Republicans Of
the state be her redeemersf"