Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-04-05
GERAN BILL is
Up At HEARING
Opponents Try in Vain ia
Show thai ths Measure
Is lmpracticabie.
RECORDS STRONG SPEECH
Put Up Argument in Favor
of Bill that Made Excel
lent impression
Especial Correspondence.

Especial Correspondence.
! Trenton, April 5:-Friends ana
! foes Of the now famous Geran bill,
| the measure in which Governor VIII
son is interested in the expectation
that 1t will result in the publication
/ of elections in the state. appeared
| yesterday afternoon before the SEN
ate Committee on Elections Men
learned in the law, men of business,
legislators Of the Senate and the A.
sembly, all listened with close atteu-
/ ton to the arguments that were ad-
Vanced in behalf of the adoption Of
the bill, and in opposition to its
enactment
/ The hearing on the Geran bill was
| held in the Senate chamber. II was
one Of the most notable occasions of
the present session The Senats
chamber was thronged to its utmost
capacity. The gallery was crowded,
and there were number of women
present. Senator Bradley, Of Cam
| den, chairman of the committee, pre-
sided. With him were Senator'S
F'relinghuysen and Fielder, of the
committee. The hearing was pro-
longed far beyond the time Allotted
to it, and the Senate net and took
an additional recess of another hour
to permit several speakers 10 present
their views.
Opponents Heard First.
The opponents to the passage of
the bill had their innings first. How
ever, the friends OF the bill demoIish-
ed their arguments with ease. The
speech of Joseph Noonan, of Hudson
county. was filed with telling points
OF the keenest sarcasm, and some of
his Characterization of the views of
the opponents of the bill were excep-
uonRlly clever. He convulsed the
big audience with his wit and humnr
and at the same time made many
telling points in behalf of the bill
and Kidding the opposition eom-
pletely- The most telling speech uf
the hearing was made by George L
RECORD, OF Jersey City, which was
mastery piece Of oratory and arxu-
ment. When he ended, the proloux-
ed applause which greeted him made
Z --, sx9assants san lhdasli. hdsl.rh hs4s= Is sssaessa
to rout. figurativel m. -
Valentine B na rnAsibaolesgI sszsr -
| ty, was the first speaker who was
heard in opposition to the Geran hiIL
He asked that IL there was TO be re-
form that the Legislature proceed
slowly and he urged the referendum
feature He also spoke in cppoGi-
tfoR to the civil service feature, and
declared that the present mode OF
selecting election officers was al
right.
Judge Henry, of Jersey City, spoke
in favor Of the bill and declared that
he believed the bill would give hon
est elections. He said that 1t gfsn
happened that heroic measures had
to be adopted to meet conditions that
existed at times, and il the Ger41
bill was enacted into law II would
be keeping pace with modern civil
ization.
Chairman ParmIy, of the Esxxx
County Democratic COMMITTEES. SPOKE
In opposition to nearly every festure
of the bill, enuneratfng many Of
them, and then giving his reasons
for opposing it. He said among ork-
er things that 'the people want to
be left alone. and the theory of Dem
oeradc government is to have as tit
tie legislation as possible ' He as
serted that the bill would diSsran-
chise fifty per cent. OF the voters.
James A. Degnan, OF Newark
made an elaborate speech In opposS-
ton to the bill, in which he attenpe-
ed TO analyse many of it's features in
detail. He had 8 sample blanket
balISt," which Mr. Record showed
later, was more than twice the size
OF the real blanket ballot to be used
under the provisions OF the bill He,
too, wanted referendum in the Bit
In Favor of Bill.
In speaking for the bill Joseph
Noonan, of Hudson county, proved
an entertaining speaker, and at the
same time he discussed many of The
features against which there seemed
| to be considerable opposition. He
was frequently interrupted by sp-
| plause. and his telling points of sar,
caam were appreciated He declared
with emphasis that every political
boss in New Jersey wKs opposed to
the bill because it would resuit in his
dcwufsl His description of hev
the paople were allowed TO parade.
in tbs good otd days, with banners
in mnA. to discharge skf-rockess. in
vited TO drink bad whiskey, listen TO
worse speeches, and then permitted ,
to vote" vas a CHARACTERISTIC de-
scJiPtion Of 'olu times that was zp-
prectated.
Mr. Noonan ridiculsd the idea that
the enactment of the Geran BIZ
would destroy any political organixs-
tion. He assented 10 the idea that u
would result in the relaxation to TIE
rear of thugs, and OF grafters, but sf4
(Contfnued IN rage II