The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-03-15
WHAT WOODROW
WILSON HAS DONE
FOR NEW JERSEY

Washington, ID. u, Marcn Ia
Especial )-'If the state conventions
in your state in their platforms this
year promise five radical reforms in
state government, how many of them
will be enacted into law by the legis-
lature next winter?"
This problem in political mathe-
mates was submitted to a group of
congressman by Representative Billy
Hughes of New Jersey. That congress
sional arithmetic is not an exact
science w2s proved by the fact that
the answers" varied from two down
to zero, Ch zero the prime fayorite
in the betting.
Then Mr.. Hughes told them the
story of New Jersey and its expert
ence with a platform and legislature
Enthusiastically governor.
The democratic state platform in
the New Jersey campaign of 1910
promised five particular reforms, each
of them radical and each of them ep-
parently academic. They were: A
new election of law to take the con-
troll of nominations out of the hands
of the bosses; an employers liability
law just to both employer and en-
ploye; a corrupt practices act to stop
the wrongful or excessive use of money
in elections; a public utilities COM
mission with actual and not merely
theoretical power; and law regulat-
ing the cold storage of food. These
five things were promised in the DEM
ocratic platform.
New Jersey had been a machine
ruled state for years and nobody took
platform promises seriously. Nobody
expected them to be redeemed. A polit-
ical party platform was like street
car pIatform-something to get in on,
When the election was over New
Jersey found that it had democratic
governor, a senate republican by II
to 8 and a lower house democratic by
az to 18. OF course the republicans.
controlling the senate, could block any
legislation they desired. They deter
mined at once to stop all the bills OF
the governors program and, what is
more, the old-time democratic machine
leaders decided not to let the bills
pass the lower house That was the
situation when the legislature met in
January.
When it adjourned in April every
one of the FIVE promises made in the
democratic platform were laws on the
statute books of New Jersey and along
with them W re several other new re
form laws.
That the redemption of those plat
form promises was due solely to the
courage and practical common sense
of Governor Woodrow Wilson is ad
mitted by everybody in New Jersey
republican or democrat, friend or foe
These are some of the laws that
were passed by that legislature: Ar
election law that provided for all nom
nations from president down to con
stable to be made in direct primaries
held by the state authorities, that
eliminates the power of bosses by
abolishing the old party machinery
that provides for all elections to be
held by officers who have passed 9
civil service examination to show theil
fitness, and that requires voters tc
sign their names so as to make re
peaterv liable to punishment for for
gerry.
An employers liability law that does
away with damage suits. When ar
employe is injured the law says just
how much damages he is entitled tC
for that particular injury and it is
paid The employees are benefited be
CduSo tucy uO 1AOC nave W wait AVi
years to get justice; the employers
because it enables them to know what
they have to pay and relieves then
of heavy legal expenses.
A corrupt practices act that regu
lstes the expenditure of campaign
funds, requires publication to be made
of all contributions and expenditures
and makes the penalty of violation tbs
forfeiture of the Office. A candidat,
for governor may spend $2,50O undel
this law, and no more. Candidates fol
( congress may spend $1,500, candidates
for county offices, $500, and SO OF
down the list. The laws goes farther
and prohibits intimidation-it pro
hibits printing political sentiments OIL
pay envelopes, t prohibits the posting
of political hand bills in factories. am
all other means that employers MAJ
take to influence their employees il
politics.
A public utilities commission wa
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