Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-01-17
latfeTfy under what was designated as

latfeTiy under what was designated as
the BOARD of guardians
The fact that Governor Fort endeav-
ored to vitaIixc prediction pledges by
securing the help Of bosses who con-
troiled votes In the legislature Ia not
interpreted by fair students of his ad-
ministration as representing a morbid
effort. He was struggling to have en-
acted bills that the common good re-
CURED. Whatever the ethics OF the sit
uation may have been, the bald fact
was that the orders OF these bosses
men like Baird, Dalrymple, Murray,
Voorhees, and Kean-were almost In
variably accepted as the dictum to be
followed by the legislative representa-
tives Of the counties constituting the
particular political estates of these
party moguls. In his efforts to lead
his party into paths demanded by pub
lie good MIR. Fort doubtlessly felt In
the beginning that he could accom-
plish results more quickly and eff
fectiyely by taking the presumptiye
party leaders into counsel. When he
found to the contrary he cut loose from
them. Today he stands strong and
popular with the people, while they
are discredited and In defeat.
Parenthetically 1t may have to be
noted that, while the governor con.
ferred at times with party leaders
about legislation, such talks were I'M
tainted with partisan scheming. If
there has been one thing on which Mr..
Fort has insisted all through his term
1t is the idea that the state government
should serve the people instead of the
politicians.
Notwithstanding the influence Of the
bosses, Governor Fort on several &C.
c~asions won the majority OF the legis-
lature over to his side despite the
desperate efforts Of the former to cir
cumvent his plans. This was notably
so in the circumstances attendant
upon the passage Of the present civil
service law and In the extension OF
the direct primary law to the selection
Of members of political committees.
Both of these battles were fought out
on the last night Of a legislative ses-
sion, one In 1908 and the other In
1909. At the time Governor Fort was
bitterly ~assailed by the bosses as hay.
ing transcribed his constitutional pre-
negatives and resorted to vicious po-
Htical dickering. So far as the charge
OF political dickering In the way of
promised patronage as the Quid pro
quo for legislative votes in these two
fights is concerned, the governors APP
pointments since then have not borne
out any OF the accusations made
against him.
The appointments by Governor Fort
are recognized as Of his own selection
and evidently without consultation
with the erstwhtle leaders. He made
a splendid start when at the opening
of his administration he named Nah
Ion Pitney, a great lawyer and thor
Independent, as chancellor.
All through his administration he
a very strict standard for
hose appointed to judicial places. APP
'ofntments that reflected great polit-
cal Hberauty and strength were those
( Robert Carey, an independent, and
shomas A. Davis. q Democrat, as com
ron pleas Judges In Hudson and Es-
counties respectively. No Demo
a1fc common pleas Judge had ever
W zee sppolatsa p a. E ReRgb.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 3udsas
lis recent selection Of Mark A. suli-
an as one of the JUICES OF the court
+ errors and appeals was hailed az
ne Of the most popular and at APP
ever made to a high court
,ench in this state.
While they have been able to control
the legislature against him to 4 great |
or or less extent, the political bosses
found themselves impotent to secure
the appointment of men by the gov
ernor excaptAos they measured up Il
character and qualifications for the
berths to be filed. He has recognized
the independent or new idea wing
of the Republican party In several i'm
portant appointments. Frank Fl. Som
mer, who was a candidate against HIM
for the Republican nomination OF gov
ernor, he made the head OF the pub
lie utility commission.
1t IL a remarkable fact that moi one
single act of a partisan nature has
become a law during his term. The
sew that were passed by the legisla-
cure were vetoed. He holds the rec
ord as the "veto governor" no less
than slxty-eight bills being Killed by
his veto or recalled on his suggestion
to prevent a veto al the session of 1910
alone.
To secure the approval Of an Act
during his term It has been necessary
to show that 1t was both needed and
In the interest of the people. Being
a lawyer Of large experience, he was
familiar with all the statutes of the
state. He could not be misled as to
the force and effect of proposed laws.
The fact is he brought to the ONCE his
judicial methods and applied them to.
his duties. His only test as to all mat
tiers Of state policy or legislation was.
"Is 1T good, and VIII it be Of general
public a~dyantageY'
Governor Forts astuteness and
knowledge were well displayed a year
ago when he required the legislature
to pass the trolley freight bill three
times before it met with his approval.
As the measure was first sent to him
1t was framed 80 thst the street rail-
way companies of tho state would have