Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-04
Committee Listens to
Those For and Against
Measure.
-
NEWARKERS SPEAK
AGAINST PROPOSITION
Claimed That Legislature Has
No Right to Name Con-
yention Delegates.
tFrom a STAFF Correspondent


TRENTON, April 4.-Promptly at D
o'clock this afternoon Senator Brad
ley, chairman of the Senate committee
on elections, announced the opening of
the hearing on the Geran primary cleo
ton bill. Senator Fielder, of the COM
mittee, was present Frelinghuysen
came in later.
Those who We're opposed to the bill
were heard first.
Valentine B. Kane said there was
need of reform, but reform should be
slow He was partly in favor and part
Nv against the Geran bill He advo-
Gated the addition of referendum, so
that the people might say whether
they were or were not in favor of it.
He did not represent any political party
or board, but spoke simply as citizen
of Newark.
Ex-Judge Thomas Henry. of New
ark, advocated the passage of the bill.
He had failed to find anything OBJ
jectionable In it, after making study
of it's provisions. Going over some OF
the provisions of the bill, he indorsed
them as being such as would go far
toward promoting honest elections.
The chairman reminded those pres
ent that time would be saved IL speak
ersl would confine themselves to the
provisions of the bill to which they
were opposed. Tyler Parmly, CHAIR
man of the Essex County Democratic
Committee objected to that part Of
the bill which provides for civil serv-
ice examination of election officers.
Such a course would not only be a
hardship for the official, but there was
no necessity for it, as the BIN would
have it.
He objected to the election of county
chairman by popular vote for the rea-
son that it was in contradiction OF
every principle of popular government
The result many times would be a
chairman who had not the support Of
the majority of the committee
Such a city government as the bill
made possible would prevent the sale
of city bonds for the price at which
they are now sold He believed in per-
sonal registration, but did not believe
a. voter should be required to cite who
was his grandfather or give any similar
information The bill was inquisitorial
and the people did not want that. The
citizens of New Jersey wanted to be
as little governed as possible.
James Il. Degnnn Speaks.
James E. Degnan, speaking on be-
half of a body of Newark citizens, said
that he was not an obstructionist, but
the Geran bill was a measure of so
much importance that it should be dis
cussed carefully and haverthe fullest
analysis before it was voted on. Mr..
Degnan then took up the several sec
tions Of the bill to which he was OPP
posed, showing clearly, the inconsist-
encies which they contained and giving
reasons why they should not be incor-
porated in bill which was supposed
to be designed for the benefit of the
people.
Mr.. Degnan held that the Legislature
had no more right to say how dele
gates to a national convention should
be chosen than it had to name dele
gates to any secret organization.
Senator Bradley. chairman of the
committee, said that a sufficient an
swer to all criticisms on holding the
hearing was that it had been asked
for by a large number of citizens of
various parts of the State. Even with
out these requests. the Senator said,
the bill was of sufficient Importance to
Warrant the committee in rendering the
hearing on it's own account.
Among those who asked for or sug-
gested the hearing was former Cover
nor John w. Griggs. but letter re-
ceived by Senator Bradley from him
said that because of an important busi-
ness engagement he will be unable to
attend.
In his letter Ex-Governor Griggs
says the Gerafi bill will practically
disfranchise 20 per cent. of the cleo
torate of the State and that the
Democratic party will be largely re-
sponsible for that act.
IT is unfortunate, he says, that the
bill cannot be passed without Repub-
lican assistance, so that any popular
blame for the i'll effects of the scheme
would be shared by the Republican
party.
The attempted regulation of the in
ternal affairs of political parties, Gov
ernor Griggs said. is an entirely differ
ent proposition because a political
party is not legal entity, and when
a Legislature undertakes to regulate its
Internal affairs it is going beyond it's
Z proper constitutional function He
says he does not see how any Republi-
can can with propriety vote to revolu-
tionize the system under which the
party to which he belongs is organized
and controlled.
Certainly he should not do so without
the authority of the Republican organ
ization.'' So far as the party has eX-
pressed itself. 1t is averse to any such
change as the Geran bill contemplates.
The last Republican State convention.
Mr.. Ciriggs says, rejected the propo
sion of Record in favor of this revo-
tContinued ON second PaEe)