Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-12-21

tine, ever though they respected pub
lie opinion as manifested against Mr..
Smith, the governor-elect said;
cit Is possible that some of the
Legislators will hold out to the end,
but before January "a most of them
viii know where they stand and what
their constituents want them to do.
The party is committed to the prin-
ciple of popular expression of opinion
concerning the s~enatorship, and | do
not see how there is reason for ever
a caucus on the subject"
DR.. Wilson 3 belief that a caucus
should not be permitted to intervene
to determine whether the primary vote
is to be respected, comedies with the
opinions of nearly all the other Demo
Gratis who have been active in the
movement to compel the Legislature to
acquiesce in the popular choice Of Mr..
MARITIME.
Caucus Not Necessary.
eff the senatorship is to be award
ed by the legislature, exercising its
constitutional rights, as demanded by
the preferential vote secured through
the direct primary system. a caucus on
the subject would be an absurd con-
tradietion of the spirit of the princi-
pie involved said a prominent Demo
crat today. "To me, it is preposter-
Gus to entertain the idea that a Sc
cret meeting animated by old fashion
ed political ideas should be considered
as either necessary or expedient IN
settling the question of who will take
John Kean's seat in congress. What
would be thought of the proposal that
the democratic state committee shouid
caucus to determine whether or not
the work of a convention of delegates
chosen under the direct primary law
to nominate q candidate for governor
be/respected by the party organization.
OF course, such an idea would be
laughed aside as an absurd suggestion.
AS q matter of fact, the claim that a
party caucus is now necessary to guide
the legislators in determining whether
the direct primary nomination OF a
candidate for United States senator is
to become effective by their votes IS
lust as much a contradiction in logic
and truth as it would be applied IN
the way described to a gubernatorial
nomination"
Voters Own Fault.
Asked about livestock objection to
his advocacy of Mr.. MARITIME, the basis
of which is the charge that only a
small part of the Democratic electorate
had participated in the Democratic
primaries, Mr.: Wilson said that if the
voters did not express an opinion it
was their own fault. The opportunity
was given them, he said, and they
must abide by the results obtained I'M
Il (fAI- hHarEt,o Sc m
able and honest man and he has ser
we'd theaparty faithfully for many
years." said the governor-elect. "If
you argue on the basis that men did
not vote for him, you a well say
that Harmon was not elected in Ohio
because hundreds Of Republicans stay
ed away from the polls on election
day"
With reference to the attempt of the
Smith faction to diseredit DR.. Wilson
stand on the senatorship by laying
stress on the fact that Mr., MARITIME re-
eeived 4s,45S votes in the direct pri-
maries, whereas the total vote cast for
a Democratic candidate for governor
was over 100000, it is worth while
knowing that the highest courts of the
state have several times held that only
those voters who take advantage Of
their rights at the polls can be consid-
cred in determining a question sub
mitted at the ballot box.
Votes On Amendment. ~
In the special election in September
1897 on the proposed amendments to
the constitution there were cast 70.443
in favor of the anti-gambling.
amendment and 69,642 votes against it
total of $40, 0s5. In the November
election following there were 268,897
registered voters. indicating that 1885,
8l2 voters did not vote OF the anti
gambling amendment.
When an effort was made to upset
the results of the special election the
supreme court held that "it was not
necessary that the proposed amendment
should receive the votes of a majority
of all the qualified electors of the
state, or of those whose names appear
on the poll books as voting at spch
election; that the result of such cleo
ton was determined by the number of
votes cast for and against the proposed
amendment
The opinion of the court of errors
and appeals, unanimously affirming the
decision OF tne supreme court, sdfu'
"Only those electors who lawfully vo-
ted for or against the amendment are
to be considered" That has been the
rule in the scores of referendum elec-
tions in the state. The voters who took
no interest in the election were not
considered.
How 1t Effects Essex. m
On November 8 the total number of
votes cast in Essex county for the
FIVE candidates for governor was 49,
319. At the same election a vote was
taken on the proposition to reduce the
members of the Board of Freeholders.
This movement, it is pertinent to note
now, was initiated by James r.. MI
gent, chief political lieutenant of Sem
ator Smith, and one of those who are
attempting to argue that the 48,45S
votes east for Mr. MARITIME are not vi
tai to the election of a new n
tor. The referendum urged by Nugent
was adopted by q majority of 1912 out
of a total vote of 23,616 east on the
proposition.
Although nearly $4,000 Essex county
voters did not vote on the question of
reducing the membership of the Board
of Freeholders, this official body will
be effected just as though all of the