Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-04-03
NEW
ELECTION BILL
CONTINUED from PAGE IL

uted before election day. He said
that illegal registration is largest In
Hudson, Passaic and Essex counties,
while there Is practically no Illegal
registration in the rural counties,
where bribery is rife. In Monmouth
county, he stated, from forty to htty
per cent. of the vote is purchasable.
The speaker said there would be
much bribery in Middlesex but for
the detectives. If the ballots are
kept at the polls there could be no
bribery, he repeated,
Mr.. Geran stated that under the
new law it Is planned to have each
ballot numbered with a correspond
ing stub. On the stub would appear
the number, election district, ward
and clerks name. On the voting
part of the ballot the names OF the
candidates of all parties would APP
pear, not under a party caption, but
under the caption of the office for
which they are running. Following
the name Of each candidate, how
ever, would be the party designation.
In the right hand column after each
name would be a small square. In
voting the citizen marks in the
square after the name of the candt-
date he favOrs.
Opposed by Machine Men.
Much opposition, said MI. Geran,
has been brought against this con-
templated ballot by the straight
machine men, both Republican and
Democratic. He declared that the
machine men say give us the New
York ballot" with its party list OF
candidates and a square at the top, a
mark in which votes for the whole
list. They say that the contemplated
Geran ballot wouldSdestroy the par
ties. the speaker added, in that II
makes it so easy to split the tickets,
having all the candidates on one bal
lot in the order of their names alpha
beticaIly. Mr.. Geran said that 1t
was all a question of point Of view
whether It would be better to have a
certain party in power or certain
good men in power. In the party
column vote it is possible to put a
few good men on the ballot with the
names Of many disreputable ones
and trust to the bad getting in with
the good by the party vote. Voting
the new ballot with the names of all
the candidates arranged alphabetical
ly under the office caption for which
they are running, the voter must CT
necessity choose n from several
and cannot vote the whole ticket as
he might a party ballot. Governor
Wilson has told the legislature, MIR.
Geran said, that If they change the
provisions of the bill they might as
we'll throw 1t away. Mr.. Geran stat
Il .L.4 Ea,1E@- n-4,aa haI Nl1I him
that the upper house might change it
in some particulars. Mr., Geran said
that he told him If they did so to
keep it.
The New Ballot.
On the new ballot the speaker
called attention to the fact that it
would be individuals who would
count rather than the party repre-
scented. Under that ballot a candt-
date would have to make himself
known to the public as a desirable
candidate to get the vote. On the
party ballot there are always many
names whom we do not know, but
Sf.ea pate49er the straight ballet In.
marking the combination bal1on
however, said Mr.. Geran, there
would always be some names in
some party that we would know of
running for the Office in question and
for lack of a better man or thinking
that the man in question vas amply
qualified he would probably get our
vote.
Making of Platforms.
Another point which the bill pro-
poses to cover is the party conVen-
ton and the manner of making the
platforms. 1t is proposed under the
new election law to have the plat
forms formed by the candidates to
the various Offices themselves, in
Guiding the governor. the senators,
the legislative nominees, the county
committees. What is more natural,
Mr.. Geran said. than that the candi-
dates for Office should have voice in
the platform upon which they are
running. If elected they would then
stand on firm ground, their positions
on different matters already out
lined. The direct primary is also pro-
vided for from constable to Presi-
dent. With 5000 names a man can
run as a presidential candidate. Sen
ators, governors, delegates to nation
al conventions, can all be chosen by
the direct primary under this bill.
Mr.. Geran stated that he believed
that history would record that the
delegate form of government has not
given the United States a representa-
tive form of government.
Lauds Governor Wilson.
"In Governor Wilson," said Mr..
Geran in concluding, 1.-The American
people have found a true leader at
this time" He is here 10 play his
part, the assemblyman stated, the
same as Washington and Lincoln
played theirs in their day. THE his
tory of the world shows that every
nation has had its fight for control
of the government and liberty" he
said, land we are now having ours.
The question for us to consider is
who shall control the government OF
New Jersey and us. In the ballot we
have a remedy and in Governor
Wilson we have a champion"
ORDINATION SERVICE