Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-08
GERAN ELECTION
BILL MODIF led;
PARTY MEASURE?
Governor, lntroducer, and Com
mittee Wrangle for an
Hour Today.
MANY PROVISIONS
ARE STILL IN DOUBT
Further Changes May Be Made
Before Mondays Demo-
cratic Caucus.
IFrom a stan corresDondsnt.l

TRENTON, March S.-The Geran
bill came rom the steering committee
today, somewhat modified.
The members of the COMMITTEES, with
Governor Wilson and Assemblyman
,Geran. conferred on the measure for
upwards OF an hour The members OF
the committee were not ell In accord,
House Majority Leader Matthews dis
senting from the views reached by the
others.
The committee decided to recommend
that the modified bin be made party
measure
There were present at the conference,
besides the Governor and the intro
ducer of the bill, all the members OF the
steering committee, consisting of Dem
ocratic Leader Matthews, of Hunter
don; Meyer, of Sussex, James, of Hud-
son; Backus of Essex; Ramsay, OF
Middlesex, and LaMonte, of Somerset
The verdict was reached by their
votes. together with those of the Gov
ernor and the Monmouth county assem-
blyman who introduced the bill.
Cannot Act Until Monday.
1t will not be possible for the House
Democrats to act in caucus on the
measure till next Monday.
Section 43 of the bill, which provides
: that fifty voters in any municipality
may file a. petition with the clerk of
said municipality indorsing. any person
for nomination to any public office to
be filed in that municipality may be
changed
1t was proposed to make the number
of signers as high as five hundred, but
it was finally left to Assemblymen
James, of Hudson, and Backus, of Es-
sex, to decide upon how many sigma
lures shall be required to the petition.
Their Recommendation will be inccr-
porated into the bill.
There was further discussion on the
advisability of adopting the Massachu-
setts ballot. With but one dissenting
vote, the Massachusetts ballot was APP
proved.
The proposed method cf appointing
election officers was again threshed
out AS the bill stands, the county
chairmen of the Republican and Demo-
cratic parties may recommend to the
state Civil Service Commission listsso
eligible persons who may be supple
legal voters of the State.
The selections are then to be made
by lot from those fount qualified to
serve by the Civil Service Board. No
motion was put TO adopt this provision.
1t was passed over with little objection
a the time.
It came up, but it was because Of
the existence of this provision and Of
the section calling for the Massachu-
eetts ballot that Mr.. Matthews voted
against making the bill party meas
ure.
Oregon Method of Choosing. senators.
Distribution of sample ballots
through the mails previous to primary
and election day remains, the Oregon
plan of choosing United, States senators
stays, candidates for delegates to pres
idential conventions, as well as those
for Governor and Congress. must be
selected at direct primaries.
State committeeman shall be chosei'
at the primaries from each county,
and the chairman of the State COM
mittee shall be elected by the commit
tee itself. County chairmen must be
elected at primaries.
There is no change in the provision
for State conventions from what the
bill originally provided. but many sec
tions of the first draft have been
pruned away.
NaturaliAed citizens will not be COM
PEELED to produce their citizenship
papers on voting, as at first proposed;
the method of choosing State commit
teemen has been changed and other
features remodeled or expunged to meet
the views of the party as whole.
Because no caucus can be held till
, next Monday, the bill will hang fire
for another week. and 1t is possible
that some change will be made in it,
despite the recommendation OF the
steering committee.
The conferees had before them today
reprints of the amended form of the
measure, copies of which have also
been furnished to all the legislators.
Governor Wilson will leave for At
lanta, Ga. this afternoon. to be absent
the rest of the week.