Gloucester County Democrat., 1911-10-19
PARAGRAPHS FROM DEMOCRATIC
STATE PLATFORM

We, the Democrats of New Jersey,
in convention assembled, endorse the
able and brilliant administration of
Governor Woodrow Wilson, and ex-
press our entire approval of the pro-
gressive legislation 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
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 su-
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 readjusting our methods
and rates of taxation.
Third. The present too lax methods
OF Incorporation in our State having
resulted in the creation of corpora
tions both within and without the
State in way which does not safe
guard the interests of the public, we
tavor such changes in our laws as will
throw the proper safeguards around
the powers of the corporations hence
forth to be created under it, and
whenever possible, around the further
exercise of the powers of those al
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
stitutions 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.
Twelfth. We call attention to the
administration of State finances of
last year as compared with the pre-
ceding year. The annual appropria-
ton made by the Legislature for the
year 1911 was S5,072, ,59277. The total
sum appropriated by the last Legisla-
ture for the year 1912, amounts to
S5,468,271.90. The latter mount ex-
ceeds the former by 1896, ,62513. 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 un-
der a law enacted by a Republican
Legislature only recently declared
unconstitutional, and 1894 900 for new
buildings and additions required for
State charities and governmental pur-
poses so that the expenditures for
State charitable and governmental
purposes will actually be less under
the present administration than for
tn preceding year. A conservative es-
innate will show that on Oct 81, 1911
the end of the States fiscal year, there
will be in the State treasury a free
balance of at least two million, five
hundred thousand dollars, a balance
never equalled under Republican adj
ministration.
Thirteenth. We favor safeguarding
railroad travel as far as possible, and
therefore pledge Ourselves to the pas
sage of law to accomplish the pur-
pose contemplated in the Full Crew
Bill" which failed to pass the last
Republican Senate.