Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-01
BILL IS FAULTY;
FAILS TO STAND
HOUSE CRITICISM
Committee to Patch Corrupt
Practises Act and Again
Submit Report.
From a star Correspondent. ]

TRENTON, March 1.-The Simpson
corrupt practise bill, one of the admin
istration measures, was on the calendar
for final passage yesterday afternoon,
but after the proposed law had beeen
thoroughly aired in the House it was
placed back on second reading and
then referred back tosthe committee on
elections, so that its numerous defects
might be attended to.
1t looked at first as if the bill was
going through ANONYMOUSLY with little
or no discuss,ou Asse.nblyman Simp-
son explained tina, thf measure was
designed to limit campaign expendi-
lures.
Mr.. Simpson dwelt at length on the
fact that such an act would relieve
candidates from being drafted into
numerous chowder clubs, consequently
paying dues, around election time, also
exempt them from attacks by lick
sellers for picnics, euchres and other
social festivities.
McCran Raps Measure.
Minority Leader McCran, criticising
details of the bill, said that he was
happy to join with the majority in the
passage of a corrupt practise act and
he intended to vote for the measure,
imperfect though it was. He proceed
ed to point out sections to which he
objected. He quoted section 2, which
says:
/ mo money shall hereafter be paid or
expense authorized or incurred by or
on behalf of any candidate for nomi-
nation to any office, to be paid by him
in his campaign for nomination, ex-
ceeding Is per centum of one years
salary of the office for nomination to
which he is a candidate; provided, that
not exceeding 81 1000 may be expended
by n candidate for State Senator,
and at least 5000 may be expended by
a candidate for Any other office"
McCran wanted to know why a State
Senatorial aspirant might spend as
much as 81, 900, while a candidate for
the Assembly was apparently limited to
5000. On what theory, he asked, was a
Senator allowed to spend $1,000, while a
candidatefo for Congress could only spend
about ST. 100, especially as the Congress
man sometimes ran in three or four
counties.
Criticises "VehIcIe" Clause.
McCran objected to the provision of
the bill which forbids 'the hiring of
any vehicle for the transportation of
voters to or from the polls" He said
that some candidates might like to
have their infirm relatives SO conveyed
to the polls. He criticised the section
which prohibits the hiring of any
watchers, agents or challengers for any
work on election day." either in the
primaries or at the election.
He took a humorous fling at the sec
ton which provides that a candidate
may not give more than an "ordin-
ary'' contribution to any church service
in the open season and criticised at
length section %, which reads:
"No person shall at any place on
primary or election day, ask, solicit or
in any manner try to induce or per-
suade, any voter 10 vote for, or refrain
from voting for, any candidate or can
didates, or tickets of any political party
or organization, or any measure sub
mitted to the people. Any person con-
victed of the violation of this section
shall be subjected to a fine of not ex-
ceeding 800, and on the second offense
to an Imprisonment of not exceeding
thirty days"
Illustrating one of his points against
that section Mr.. McCran said that Mr..
Simpson would be prevented from say
ing to an a~utomobilist who might have
been misinformed as to the Hudson
Assemblyman's attitude on reciprocity
hat he (Simpson) had voted for the
reciprocity bill.
says Measure Fails.
Mr.. Mylod, of Essex, criticised the
bill on the ground that it apparently
did not limit the expenditure of candi-
dates for the United States Senate. 1t
seemed to do so, he admitted. but in
reality it did not do so.
Just when the Measure was going to
a vote, nobody having offered any OBJ
lection to it's passage, despite criti-
cisms offered, A~ssemblyman Brodhead,
of Union, jumped into the breach with
a motion that it be placed back on sec
ond reading for the purpose of amend
ment. This was carried. Then the
motion to recommit was made by
Brodhead and carried unanimously.
Assemblyman Simpson said that he
was glad to concur in the motions to
reCOmmit the bill.