Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-07
WILSON LOSES
FIRST FIGHT ON
ELECTION BILL
Obnoxious Measure Sent to
Steering Committee for Fur
Their Consideration.
TALKS HARD
FOR PET MEASURE
Administration FRIENDS Try in
Vain for Favorable
Committee.
frronn . stan cOrrespondens.l

(fronn . stan Correspondence
TRENTON, March 7.-Legi lators to
day are declaring that Governor VII
son has lost his fight for the Gersr
election reform hill.
Following q four-hour conference thai
came to a close at It's o'clock last
night, the governors pet measure went
over TO a steering committee that is
recognized as generally unfrtendlS
with the Wilson administration.
The outcome of the conference Is
summarized as the first setback which
the here tofore convincing, ergdInenta-
tive governor has received.
And he talked for W hours and ter
minutes, too.
After the governor finished talking
some Of his friends in the conference
which WAS held behind closed DOOR in
the courtroom of Branch 80" Of the
Supreme Court, thought that the bill
would be SEM to a committee that
would have been yiel Ing and resron'
sive under the governor s manip I.t11n.
The attitude of the majority. dis
played by deferring the motion and the
adoption of one providing for the
makeup of a committee composed %
Demoeracy's friends, may seal the
fate Of the measure, so often referred
to al the m~onstroslty.
This reference insures either the de-
feat OF the bill or its modification to
such an extent that the governor and
his friends will hardly know It when it
is finally reported for passage. 1t was
intended to have the Wilson Record
measure reported in the House last
and st~eam-rollered, but the plan
was defeated by the Democratic ma
jority, vino objected to being whipped
line.
Names Steering Committee
The members OF the steering COM
hat will do the pruning are
Majority Leader Matthews. Of Hunter
don: Backus, of Essex; James, OF
Hudson; LaMonte. OF Somerset; Meyer,
1f Sussex, and Ramsay, of Middlesex.
When these assemblymen, together
MIR. Geran. the introducer of the
Measure, and the governor get through
the bill II will be brought back
TO the Democratic conference for APP
prevail.
The bill was so referred after the
defeat of a motion 10 refer II to a spe-
cial committee to be composed of men
more favorable to the Wilson admin
istration. Speaker Kenny made the
motion himself and Mr.. Mack
sey, of Essex, moved to amend by re-
the measure to the steering
committee. The Macksey amendment
vas carr led and ii is plain that a ma
of the House is u~nfriendly to
The bill.
Objections to Ballot.
The principal objections advanced
we're that IL embraced the Massachu-
sets ballot idea and the civil ger ice
plan of seIect.ng election officers. Gov
Wilson answered the objections,
both schemes as being n
The interest Of pure elections. 1t was
TO let the matter go over until
Wednesday, when the steering COM
will meet and a report will be
to the House majority next Mon
lay.
It was decided by the conference to
have the Assembly pass the Egan pub
tic utility bill. with rate-making pow
Crs; to revise the SIM son corrupt
practises bill. which MeCran, the Re
publican whip, picked to pieces last
week, and TO pass the employers la
oihty bill. introduced in the Senate by
Senator Edge. of Atlantic county, o
member of the Liability Comm SIGN
appointed a year ago by Governor
The steering committee was dele.
gated to give information about tbs
conference to the press. In the pres.
nee of some members Of that body
and other Assemblymen Governor viii.
son. acting as spokesman, told the re.
that an agreement mad prac'
tically been reached to ass the foul
bills before the House, the GeraT
bill, the Egan public utilities measure
the commission employers liability bill
and the Simpson corrupt praetises bill
The Governor added that the Gerar
bill had been referred to the steerinf
himself and Mr.. Geran fol
further consideration. 80 as to ge'
the views Of all the members on III
details"
While the Governor was speaking h'
twice suggested to the Assemblymer
him that II he had rnisstatet
any point he would be glad to be cor
rected.
Who did most of the talking?" this
Governor was asked.
Il did," he replied. mfr. Kenny
that ! was on my feet two hour,
and ten minutes"
Like a flibuster." said one of hi,
questioners.
Yes" he answered. "I was holdinI
up the bill In the sense that / wal
sustaining IT,"
Democratic Leader Matthews, IN,
chairman. explained that the GovernU
had been invited to the meeting I,
explain his views. The governor dis
oussed at length the measures. On tn
Gersn bill he was piled with numeron
questions.
Bin Much Changed.
The discussion brought out what ha,
been unofflciaily known before-tha
the bill had been Invested Of the fol
lowing provisions:
To compel n~aturalized citizens to pro
dnce their papers on registering q
voting.
Tn cIosa the noila an hour earle