Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-04-12
CENSURES WILSON
ON HOUSE FLOOR
Speaker McCran Takes Gov.
ern0r to Task for Morris
Canal Stand.
SAYS BLOW WAS DEALT
TO EXECUTIVE VANITY
Rebuke Administered in AS
sembly Without Parallel in
History OF New Jersey.
EFrom a star Correspondent

TRENTON, April 12.-zNever IN the
history of New Jersey has such a
singing rebuke been given to a Gov
ernor as was administered to Gov
ernor Wilson by Speaker McCran on
the foor of the House late yesterday.
The question before the House was a
motion to override the Governors veto
of the resolution to appoint a commits
sion of business men to investigate
further the proposed abandonment of
the Morris Canal.
Assemblyman Brensinger tainted the
Republicans with having d~lsregarded
their platform plank on canal aban-
donment. Assemblymah Hennessy
said the resolution was a splendid ex-
sthe floor of the Hounse late yesterday.
Speaker McCran had given up the
gavel a few minutes before to Majority
Leader Whyte. The speaker was on
his feet in an instant.
II am surprised he said, "at h
charge thai we haven't kept Il plat
form pledge on this point" Then he
read the Governors veto. pointing out
that the Governor did not disapprove
the resolution because of any inherent
defects, but on the contrary had
praised its purpose.
THE Governor complains" con-
tinued the speaker. that the resoiu-
ton contains a criticism Of the com
mission which last year investigated
the Morris Canal question, and he
vetoes it because he could not, with
seIf-respect, to use his own words.
attach his signature to such an &C
ton.
Denies Slap 1t Governor.
II conclude, then, hat IL he had not
found this strange reflection in the
resolution he would have signed it.
The gentleman from Hudson, Mr..
Brensinger. and the gentleman from
Bergen, Mr.. Hennessy, both voted for
this resolution. 1t passed this louise
unanimously. If in the minds of these
gentlemen there was a single line in
the resolution calculated to wound the
feelings of the Governor then was their
time to object. But I defy n man to
point to anything that should wound
the self-respect of the Governor. Yet.
perhaps, it is wounded. 1t was the only
bill he sent us this session. We thor
oughly disapproved 1t as being against
the best interests of the State. Per-
haps his self-respect was, indeed,
wounded, but l am more inclined to
believe that it was his vanity.
I'VE rejected the bill of the commits
sion of which the Governor was the
head because, for one reason. we have
no report of the details nor the method
by which they reached the conclusion
that the Morris Canal and the valuable
rights of the State therein should be
surrendered to the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road corporation.
sV - ~ - IL ~ IA
less publicity. l heartily agree that
the theory should be carried into
practise. thai the abstract idea should
be galvanized into the concrete. AS a
representative of one of the largest
counties hat has an interest in the
Morris Canal abandonment / am OPP
posed to handing over that great prop
erty to a railroad corporation when
don't know, nor does any member of
this house know, whether the State is
being fairly treated or not. Not a
newspaper, not an association OF any
consequence in this State, approved the
Morris Canal bill as it came from the
hands of. the Governors commission.
Only Vanity of Wilson Hurt.
MOI one meeting of that commission,
so far as I ave been able to learn, was
held in public. There was no pitiless :
publicity. Behind closed doors, with the
representatives of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad, the details of the Morris
Canal abandonment were decided. Was
Sussex County consulted? Was Essex?
Was Hudson, or any county?
His self-respect was not wounded.
No. Nothing but an inordinate vanity
was wounded, and because we did not
see fit to surrender the rights of the
state to the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Company. He doesn't say that a COM
mission such as we propose isn't
proper. The gentleman on the other
side will swallow their own self-respect
II they swallow this veto, for they an
voted for the resolution"
Assemblyman Brenslnger came back
with the statement that he had voted
for a resolution to direct the attorney
general to begin custer proceedings.
Mr.. McCran replied that he had done
no such thing. as that resolution had
been referred to the judiciary commit
tee from which it was not reported.
Assemblymen Carhart, Warren, and
Meyer. Sussex, spoke in praise Of the
Houses action in killing the Morris
Canal bill recommended by the COM
mission headed by the Governor.
Finally Mr.. B~renisnger asked why