Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-17
NEW GERAN BILL
BEING SENT OUT
To LEGISLATORS
Assemblyman Geran Blamed for
BIunder on His Own
Bill.
lFrom a star Correspondent

iI6Ht- AZ compiidLce Win the motion
OF Leader Matthews, thirty copies OF
the bill were today mailed to Zach OF
the e~ighty-one legislators. There were
5000 copies printed, and the work OF
distribution was commenced imme-
diately.
II Is the desire of the opponents OF
the assure to give 1t the widest pos
siF publicity, go that the public may
81 its Objectionable features and pro-
test when the bill comes up for passage
mex week.
The legislative records show that
Assemblyman Geran. introducer Of the
Wilson-Record election bill, and not
Majority Leader Matthews, was q
blame for the stumbling block that i'm
peded the progress of the Geran bill In
the House Wednesday. The blunder-
ing was due to Geran's inexperience In
legislative matters.
Here are the facts:
Geran Substitute Adopted.
The judiciary committee held a meet
ing on the bill, and by a vote of three
to two agreed to pass out the substi-
tute. which was the which
Governor Wilson and Senators Silzer
and Osborne had agreed on. together
witt the minor changes which came
from a conference between the Gov
ernor and the House Democrats.
Majority Leader Matthews was in
structed by the committee to have a
large number of copies printed of the
bill and to hurry the printing. In COM
pliance with that instruction Matthews
moved openly in the House to have
5000 copies printed and thirty copies
mailed to each member hat night, SO
that a complete study. of the substi-
ute could be had before another week
rolled around. He did so, and the
House agreed TO the motion. Then. to
hurry up the printing, in strict ac-
cordance with his instructions. Mr..
Matthews went to the desk of the CLERK
and asked him to send the bill down
TO the state printer, with instructions
to hurry the job and mail copies TO
each member that night.
Mr.. Matthews, who is supported by
Assc m blyman Simpson, the latter being
one of the three men who voted to re-
port the substitute bill, says he had
no intimation that a second reading
was desired on the measure until next
week. 1t Is unusual to have q second
reading on a bill which has been re-
ported by substitute, which no one has
before him, and especially so with a
measure Of such vast importance as
the proposed Geran election measure,
ana also as the House had agreed on
a motion to have the substitute printed
copies distributed.
sent OriGinal Bill.
When the substitute had gone to- the
i,rinter in strict accordance with the
Instructions OF TIC judiciary commit
TIE regarding haste, Mr.. Geran ap-
preached the clerk and found that the
Eerau substitute had gone to the prin-
ter. He told the clerk that a second
reading was wanted on the bill that
afternoon, but the clerk said he could
not furnish the original substitute be-
cause 1t had gone 10 the printer, In ac-
cordance with the haste desired. GeraD
went to Speaker Kenny n told him
that the governor wanted the bill read
the second time, and the speaker asked
the clerk for it. When he was told the
situation he thought that a substitute
printed bill. prepared in advance for
the last conference, and which did not
differ from the substitute bill reported,
would do, and handed that to the clerk.
Leader Matthews then asked why a
bill which was In the hands OF the
printer was being put on second read
ing, and Speaker Kenny then discov.
cred that Geran had sent to the clerk
his original bill, the one objected to 50
strongly. an} which had been amended
by the governor. Then 1t was that the
whole matter came to an end and
+ further progress stopped until nex
week..
state Gasette's Editorial.
The State Gazette editorialiy says:
We are given % understand by a
Trenton that Is. all bound
round with a Democratic string that a
movement is on foot to GUST Assembly
nan Matthews from the leadership OF
the Democratic majority in the House
If A~ssemblynlan Matthews is GUST
ed from that important position, to
which he was elected by a Democratic
caucus, 1t will be because he a exer-
cised the right to think for himself, to
act independently of machine dictation,
and to do what he believes his con-
stituents and the people of the State
would have him 10.
For the Democratic machine to GUST
Assemblyman Matthews from the
leadership of tho Democratic majority
on the floor of the House would be a
serious piece of business.
He is opposed to some of the pro-
visions of the Geran election bill, and
has the courage to say so, n stick
to 1t. 1t is a w~ell-known fact that
other Democrats who occupy seats in