Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-04-03
EXPLAINS NEW
ELECTION BILL
AssembIyman Geran kd~
dresses Mems Society of
Presbyterian Church.
PEOPLE WANT CONTROL
Says Governor Deserves
Creiit for It's Preparation
Instead OF Himself.

tttS h~hN VI VIM 9Ci Is
After struggling for existence in
/ 1776, Tor preservation in 1861, the
/ American people are To-Day fighting
for control Of their government and
that control seems to be more certain
/ through the ballot than any other
! way. Such was the opinion volun-
teered by Assemblyman Elmer H.
! Geran, father Of the "Geran election
! bill' as it is popularity known, in an
address Saturday night before the
! Mems Society Of the Presbyterian
/ church.
Assemblyman Geran, who was a
! Princeton classmate Of Rev. James
! Northrup, pastor of the First Presby-
| terian church, of this city did not
/ leave his home in Matawan Saturday
! evening until 8 o'clock owing to a
| slight indisposition. Those who had
/ gathered in the chapel of the church
| to hear his remarks were Kept wait
/ Ing for his arrival until after 9
/ O'Clock, but they were amply reward
ed for their patience IN his short In
/ formal talk, although he was suffer-
| ing with throat trouble
/ Tells About Election Bin.
In opening his remarks Mr.. Geran
said that he had acquired much
fame for the election bill in ques-
! ton, while he really had nothing to
do with its preparation. Governor
| Wilson had handed him the bill, he
said, and asked that he introduce IL.
/ Under the circumstances he was only
/ too glad to do so and has been work.
ing earnestly for its passage through
the legislature ever since.
| Probably the thing that is in most
need OF legislation today is the cleo
/ ton law, stated Mr.. Geran. He de-
I clared that we need a law that will
give the people real control over the
affairs of the government and the
! people, Of New Jersey especially,
want that control The question to-
day, the speaker added, is whether
the big industrial, mercantile and
| producing businesses shah rule the
land, or shall il be the people, FOR
whom the government should exist.
/ Continuing Mr.. Geran said that
conditions exist as they are today be-
cause that years ago business inter-
ests found it necessary to hare O
foothold in government ai1e9s. so
that the governing powers would not
molest them. This had 10 he scus,
thing independent q
on one side and tby S1slnsss .1,te1'-
ests on the other So the political
| organization came into existence as
a lever to control government affairs.
| He declared that es long as the
political machine is in control the
people won't get their best rights.
According to the speaker the Geran
bill is intended to give the people a
method to secure an interest in their
own affairs.
May Yet BE Amended.
In speaking OF his bin Mr.. Geran
called attention to the fact that it is
still in the legislature and is amend
able so that the provisions of the
measure as he spoke of 1t might be
materially altered should it finally
pass the lawmakers. In its present
form the assemblyman spoke of sew
eral of its provisions 1t is the opin-
ion of Governor Wilson and those
behind the bill that the eleetio1
officers at the polls shall not necesS
sarily be representatives Of the two
great parties.
He asserted that there is no rea-
son why the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis shall each have two members
to a board. It is the opinion that
the election oTeeTs should act only
in the capacity &C auditors 10 count
the votes cast While now they ars
more like party representatives az
the polls. 1t is believed that a new
method of selecting election officers
is necessary for good government.
Under present conditions the elec~
ton officers are appointed by ths
court chairmen of the two paries. Is
is suggested that in the new law
provision be made for civil servies,
examination OF candidates for the
position Of election officers, the cam
didates 10 be from 8 list suggested
by the county chairmen. Examina-
tions would be held in reading. writ
ing, distinguishing of coloTs, knowl-
edge of the election law Other sub
jects might be added or subiTaeted
Strenuous objection has been made
to this proposition but the criticism
is not warranted.
The ballot is our only say in this
government Of ours, Mr.. Geran con-
tended, and our say is reduced ma
terially when our ballots are han.
died, as they often are under ths
present system, by men who cannot
add or subtract and who would in
addition wilfully change totals from
hundreds into thousands TO accom-
plish their own ends. Why theI
should be objection to & civil service
examination in this particular feat
ure is hard to understand when ths
test could be passed by any school
boy of seven or eight years of age.
Ballot Distribution.
Another problem which IS causing
much discussion is the ballot distri-
button, the orator added. Many diff
ferent conferences have been held "a
the bill, Mr.. Geran stated, and it has
been found that different conditions
exist in each OF the tEenty-one
counties, Representatives from each
of the counties oppose the bin unless
the election methods of their own
county are left practically intact,
MIR. Geran declared that Hudson,
Passaic and Essex counties, for 1tn-
stance, want the ballots distributed
before election as they claim that 1t
is the vest pocket vote that they
(Coutinued On psss 81
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