The Penn's Grove record., 1911-10-27
PLATFORM III THE NEW JERSEY
DEMOCRACY.

| greSS1Ve ~leglSlaIlOn enacted during
the winter of 1901.
In seeking again the suffrages of
| our fellow citizens, we desire to
pledge ourselves to the following
program, which we believe to be bas-
ed upon the principles of public SER
vice which we have successfully
sought to put in operation in the SER
les of important laws passed at the
last session of the Legislature. We
have succeeded in setting legislation
free from private control and are
able to act as we propose.
First. The successful administration
of the criminal law of the State having
again and again been defeated by the
fact that the sheriffs of counties have
been able to use and control grand
juries for personal and political pur-
poses, we favor a recasting of the
law of the State so far as it affects
the choice of grand juries and the SUI
pervision of the drawing OF petit
juries.
Second. Both the administration of
our system of taxation and that syS-
tenn itself demand immediate revision;
we, therefore, favor such changes in
our law in regard to these matters
as will provide more satisfactory
means of assessing and equalizing
taxes and r~eadjusting our methods
and rates of taxation.
Third. The present too lax methods
of incorporation in our State having
resulted in the creation of corpora
lions both within and without the
State in a way which does not safe
-..-l +Lo ;rforocfc nf fha nrhlia WQ
favor such changes in our laws as Will
throw the proper safeguards around
the powers of the corporations hence
forth to be created under it, Il
whenever possible, around the further
exercise OF the powers of those a.
ready created, especially with regard
to their power to issue securities not
honestly based upon assets and ac-
tual business.
Fourth. We favor the immediate re-
organization Of the administration OF
the benevolent and correctional in
situations OF the State upon a plan
similar to that by which the admins
tration of the public school system
of the State was reorganized at the
last session of the Legislature.
Fifth. We favor the conservation by
the State, for the benefit of all the
people OF the water rights and other
natural resources still within the con-
troll of the State and the acquisition
by the State for the purposes OF con-
servation and common use OF all the
water rights and forest resources
that may p%rudently and without ex-
travagance be acquired; and the en-
1 n fr,o NJ I n uyc fn nrnUnnf fhnI~ nnn.
rol or exhaustion by private corpor-
atoms or by individuals, or by local
communities.
Sixth. In order to reduce the cost of
litigation and to place the processes
of our courts more readily at the dis
posaI OF persons Of limited means, We
FAVOR the s~implihcation OF judicial
procedure.
Seventh. We favor the election of as
semblymen by districts, and the sub
mission OF a constitutional amendment
for that purpose.
Eighth. We commend the action of
the Democratic party in revising the
rules OF the Federal House OF Repre-
SentatiVes so as to facilitate the
transaction of the public business
without subsection to autocratic die
tation or to committee tyranny and
we pledge ourselves to a revision OF
the rules of order Of the Senate and
General Assembly of the State OF New
JERSEY So as tO-snake them more con-
formable to the State constitution.
more tit to protect the people against
the evils OF slipshod law making and
more apt to secure proper legislative
- fo. f1o nAn1ro A. ~
The conditions under which power
is exercised, are more important than
the conditions under which power is
gained, and the work which the Dem
ocratic party of this State has done
and is doing to restore popular gov
eminent will be incomplete unless ac-
companied by appropriate reforms in
| legislative methods. We authorize
| the chairman of this Convention, as
soon as possible after the election, to
call a party caucus of members-elect
of the Legislature that they may ap-
| point a committee to study the subject
and submit recommendations to the
party caucus in advance of the legis-
lative session.
Ninth. We favor the enactment of
laws with regard to the S OF auto
mobiles within the State, which will
grant the same rights and privileges
to the owner and drivers OF machines
from other States that are accorded
the citizens of this State, in the States
from which said n and drivers
hold their licenses and which will
tend to establish a proper reciprocity
of responsibility as between the Ii
ems granting authorities OF the ev-
eral States.
Tenth. We favor the elimination of
| grade crossings and, to that end, the
enactment of legislation giving the
Public Utilities Commission power to
compel the railroads to eliminate
grade crossings where, in the judg-
ment Of the Commission, such cross
ings are a menace to life.
Eleventh. We favor further improve
ment and extension of the laws gov
| .erning factory and workshop inspec-
ton for the purpose of better safe
guarding the life and limbs of those
engaged in the industries of the
State.
Twelfth. We call attention to the
administration of State finances of
last year as compared with the pre-
ceding "a The annual %appropria-
ton made by the Legislature for the
year 1911 was $~5,072,592.77. The total
sum appropriated by the last Legisla-
ture for the year 1912, amounts to
$5,468,271. &C., The latter amount ex-
ceeds the former by 1896, 625.13. In
cluded in the amount appropriated for
the year 1912, is the sum of $780,
900, required to return collateral in
heritance taxes paid to the State I'M
der a law enacted by a Republican
Legislature only recently declared
unconstitutional, and $334,000 for new
buildings and additions required for
State charities and governmental pur-
poses so that the expenditures for
State charitable and governmental