Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-04
PRIMARY BILLS
BLEACHING OUT
PROCESS STILL ON
q. o. p. Senators and Assembly.
men Have Not Had Fling
at 1t Yet.

The Wilson Record election reform
measure is going through a bleaehinz
process.
The original Geran bill will not be
recognized when 1t comes from the
committee next week. The Republican
senator's and assemblymen nave yet to
have their ding at the measure. The
emasulation of the till goes merr.ly on,
even while Governor wilson Is at
tempting to defend the measure in his
public addI esses.
The fractional representation" on the
district boards Of election feature wasan
unwise one, and it has been eliminated
The compromise plan makes the Sc
lection now a mere lottery. The county
chairman of each of the dominant par
ties will name two, any FIVE citi ems
may name one, the Civil Service Com
mission will examine all and The count.
Judge will draw from a box the names
Of the successful candidates II two Of
each party pass the ordeal.
Ballots will not be mailed TO the vot-
ers p1tor to election day, according to
the revised bill.
Sample Ballots to BE Sent.
Instead a sample ballot will be sent
to the voters as a guide. The revise l
bill also Incorporates the Oregon plan,
which provides that each candidate
for the Legislature is required to 8 g1i
one of the three following -.ledees'
Il. l will vote for that candidate for
United States Senator who receives
the largest number of votes at the
Senatorial primaries"
80. 1 will vote for that candidate OF
the Democratic Cor Republican as the
case may bel party who receives the
highest number of votes ia the Sena-
torial primaries"
"3. I will not be hound by the Seaa-
torial primaries, but will consider tine
result of the primaries to be mercy "A
recommendation to be followed or DIS
regarded as l see fit"
Another change relates to the selec-
ton of the State committeeman. Ac-
cording to the new arrangement each
county is to select its own State COM
mitteeman by the vote OF the people
at the primary elections In exactly the
same method as the chairman Of the
county committees are to be selected.
The revised bill. also Ike the time of
! closing the polls at z o'clock instead of
at 8 o'clock, as provided In the original
draft. The new draft increases the
compensation Of election officers and
reduces the number OF voters to the
precinct. Under the new bill when a
precinct is found to contain more than
400 voters it shall be sub-diviued. thus
making 400 the maximum number Of
voters in each precinct.
Freie ZeitunG's View.
Editorially today the New Jersey
Freie Zeitung says:
Governor Wilson, of course, is nc
boss but a leader who knows 1t all
He says that he does not care how fai
the election reform bill goes in order
to secure non-p partisan methods Of get.
ting the results at the ballots, but he
favors the bill and the people favor It
He says that he does not demand thai
his will be done, but challenges every
body who proposes some other method
to convince MIN that that is the right
way and he would then gladly take
up the dangers of the fight.
And then this eminent mai talks a
whole lot about the ways and means
of appointing the election officers, and
declares in detail that the method set
forth in the bill is the only right one
This is buncombe.
THE Freie Zeitung, as well as very
many of the English newspapers, never
had anything to say against this propo-
sition. They have either favored II
(this the Freie Zeitung did or they
have not touched upon it at all, be-
cause the monstrosities of the bill have
made this point in it appear as a mere
side issue.
why does not Governor Wilson
touch upon the bills grave defects
For instance. upon the clumsy method
of the whole proceeding which compels
a citizen to go to the polls three times,
when two trips were formerly enough.
For instance, too, Upon hat method OF
Identification Of the voter, which, n
order to be complete, needs only the
production Of his photograph for the
benefit of the election officers.
ALSO why does he not refer to the
creation by the bill of citizens of the
second class, because 1t coinpels every
old, settled citizen, SO long as he hap
pens TO be of foreign birth. to take his
naturalization papers with him when he
registers or votes. while his son can
register and vote on his own say so?
Again, why does he not refer to the
diff culties of the election methods
which were cencocted solely and ex-
clusiveiy to make II hard for the work.
ingman to vote. to confuse him, make
him tired of the whole business and SO
leave the field free to the reformers?
IAN Outrageous Gag Law"
ION all these points. on these defects
and excrescences whick make the Rec
ord bill an outrageous gag-law, Gov
ernor Wilson maintains a deadly
silence. He is great on maintaining the
silence of death. Up to this day he
has not answered certain very perth
nent questions In connection with the
senatorial question, because they were
altogether too awkward. He wants to
force the bill which he says must be
considered as a whole and is based on
experience in other parts of the coun-
try. down the throats OF the legislators.
HE wants 10 compel them to accept
it and threatens openly to force mat
tiers by means of the club of patronage!
BY this means he wants to force the
citizens to an election method that
wherever the so-called Australian bal
lot was introduced a led to endless
complaints and trouble. and he pre-
vents the liberal element from protect
ing itself against the election OF ia
natics."