Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-24
WILSON'S CHORUS
IS SINGING JOY
FOR GERAN D|RGE
Sound False Notes, Harsh,
tangled and Out of
Tune.
ARE DISCORDANT
UPON EAR AND NERVE
Conference to Be Held in Cow
ernor's Office Next
Monday.

ton bill, that is scheduled as ne SUD-
ject OF a conference to be held at Tren-
ton Monday afternoon.
These newspapers are unfolding the
Geran bill. with all it's absurdities. The
conference will be held at the govern
or's Office. 1t is announced that AS
semblyman Geran and Senators 0s-
borne, Hilzer and Gebhardt will attend.
Record May He Present.
1t is not known as yet whether George
L. Record will be present, but it is a
certainty that non Of tho representa-
tlves OF organized labor have been in
vited to confer Oh a measure that so
vitality interests them.
The Assembly judiciary committee,
which has the bill under consideration,
is expected TO take the measure up the
tlrst of next week.
There are five members of the
judiciary committee, a majority Of
which is enough to permit OF a favor
able reporting of the bill. Geran, Simp-
son n Streitwolf constitute tina ma
jority.
Speculate Upon Report.
Speculation is rife as to whether they
will do SO. The question is going the
AOAAAoo Al A0 ~ RCItlAlE u tAG IIAdl
bill with the two Nichols direct pri-
mary bills reported favorably by the
elections committee and the decks
cleared for action?'
Newspapers throughout New Jersey,
not classified in the Governors
chorus are continually picking flaws
in the Geran bill. The following edi-
torial Is from today's N. j. Freie
Zeitung:
1T appears that the sober, second
thought has penetrated into the holy.
of holes in Trenton. where the re-
formers are enthroned. 1t is stated
that the object of the Geran bill was
only to give expression to advanced
ideas In order to realize practical and
fruitful reform In the primaries and
general election. 1t is also stated that
neither the Governor nor his advisers
are absolutely in favor of all of its
provisions. So say the newspapers
which are looked upon as the organs
Of the administration.
This sounds somewhat differently
from the statement of Governor Will
son when he made his first deliberate
announcement on the subject to the
world and denounced everybody who
differed with his e~xcellency as a cor
rupt enemy of the people. Governor
Wilson is beginning to learn. He ap-
pears to realize the fact that he does
not know 1t all, not yet. and that he
is liable to sink deeply into a quagmire
when he looks upon political regula-
tons which contain the law-making
power of a great State in the light of
a rule of a school.
The primary election provisions for
the nomination of delegates to the IA
tional conventions which are to nomi-
nate the next President, were Sc
obviously laid along the line to further
Wilson'S plans that even the friends
Of the governor advised him to desist
1t surely is not good taste to create a
complicated and costly election ma
chinery only for the purpose of further
ing the Wilson presidential boom.
Then, again, the primary election bill
Is to give to the State the socalled Ore
gon plan for the senatorial election. 1t
Is of interest to know in this connec-
ton that Governor Carroll, of Iowa,
vetoed a bill that was to have intro
duced this Oregon plan into that state.
He based his reasons upon an incident
in Oregon. There a Republican legis-
AohNAO WALL q A0O ANoJCAAhJ We"
elected, while a Democratic candidate
for senator received the greatest num-
Der of votes in the primary election.
AS a result the strongly Republican
majority was compelled to elect the
Democratic senator, who, IN addition,
did not receive a majority but only a
plurality of the votes. Governor Car.
ron says that, as the election Of a Re-
st.h140an 1anir1a fY1ro ~ 0lnNtinf1 AaU
! represented the real political expression
of the sentiment OF the citizens this
| legislature should also retain the right
to elect L senator belonging to the
party of the majority of citizens.
In the primary elections. when many
candidates are in the field, the vote
may be SO split up that actually the
man whom nobody wants for the posi-
ton will get the greatest number of
votes, and still the legislature, under
the Oregon plan, must elect him. That
| this can not be q true method Of cleo
ton Governor Wilson will re ceive also.
| The New Brunswick Home News says:
'@The State bribery League has
called attention to the feature of the
bill which permits the circulation Il
ballots outside the polls. 1t should be
remembered In this connection that the
circulation of the blanket ballots"
provided for In the Geran bill would
be a very different thing from the cir
cu1ation Of the present type of tickets.
At present no n has to mark his
ballot to vote unless he wants to vote
a split ticket, but with the proposed
new ballot he would have TO mark a
cross opposite the name of every can
didate for whom he wished to vote.
With the ballots outside the polls. how
easy for the corruptionist to mark
them for his purchased voters in a way
that would tell him exactly whether
tho bought votes we're delivered. It
would be almost as simple as h old
method Of placing a ballot in a voters
hand and making him hold that hand
above his head and keep in sight until
he reached the ballot-box."
The Camden Post-Telegram says:
In defending the governors primary
and election law bill. George l.. Rec
ord, writing for the Jersey Journal,
tries to smooth over the moons stent
PROVISIONS for the election of county
committees by the party voters at the
primary. but denying them the right
to elect the members of the State COM
mittees, In the latter case h select on
to be by the nominees of the party for
the Legislature and the g~ubernatorial
candidates or the governor in Office.