East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-03-18

luis problem IN political mathe-
MATES was submitted to a group of
/ congressman by Representative
Billy Hughes of New Jersey. That
/ congressional arithmetic is not an ex-
/ act science was proved by the fact
! that the answers" varied from two
| down to zero, with zero the prime IA
vorite in the betting.
! Then Mr. Hughes told them the
/ story of New Jersey and its experience
with a platform and a legislature and
-incidentally-a governor.
The democratic state platform in
the New Jersey campaign of 1910
promised five particular reforms, each
of them radical and each Of them ap-
parently academic. They were. A
new election law to take the control
of nominations out of the hands of the
bsses; an employers liability law Just
to both employer and employe; cor
rupt practices act to stop wrongful
or excessive use of money in elections,
a public utilities commission with ac-
tual and not merely theoretical pow
er; and a law regulating the cold
storage of food. These five things
were promised in the democratic
platform.
New Jersey had been a machine
ruled state for years and nobody took
platform promises seriously. Nobody
expected them to be redeemed. A
political party platform was like a
street car platform something to
get in on.
When the election was over New
Jersey found that it had elected a
democratic governor, a senate repub-
Hean by II to and a lower house
democratic by AZ to IS. OF course the
republicans, controlling the senate,
could block any legislation they de-
sired They determined at once to
stop all the bills of the governors
program and, what is more, the old
time democratic machine leaders de-
cided not to let the bills pass the
lower house. That was the situation
when the legislature met in January.
When 1t 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 were several other new re-
form lawe.
Ihat 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
We're passed by that legislature: An
election law that provided for alll
nominations from president down to
constable to be made in direct pri
maries held by the state authorities.
that eliminates the power of bosses
by abolishing the old party machin-
cry, that provides for all elections to
be held by officers who have passed
a civil service examination to show
their fitness, and that requires voters
TO sign their names so as to make a
repeater" liable to punishment for
forgery.
An employers liability law that
does away with damage suits. When
an employe is injured the law saws
Just how much damages he is entitled
Tor that particular injury and it is (
paid. The employees are benefited be-
cause they do not have to wait for
years to get justice; the employers, |
because it enables them to know what !
they have to pay and relieves them of
heavy legal expense.
A corrupt practices act that regu-
lates the expenditure Of campaign
funds, requires publication to be made |
Of all contributions and expenditures.
and makes the penalty of violation the
forfeiture of the office. A candidate
Tor governor may spend $2500. under
this law and no more. Candidates for
congress may spend $500, candidates
for county offices, $500, and so on
down the list. The law goes farther
and prohibits intimidation-it prohib-
It's the posting of political handbills
n factories, and all other means that
employers may take to influence their
employees in politics.
A public utilities commission was
'rcated with complete power to reg
Ilate railways. street car lines, tee-
1hone companies and all other pub
ic utilities in the interests of the pub
ic; power backed up with the ma
,hinery to make it effective.
A law was passed prohibiting the
'o'd storage of food for longer than
en- months and providing for the /
ale at public auction of all food
tored in violation of the law.
These were the things promised
These were the things performed. But /
he performances were not limited to !
he scope Of the promises. That same
legislature, under the firm guiding
land Of that same governor passed a |
aw providing for the commission form {
# government for cities with the ini-
iative, referendum and recall OF ad-
officers; a law abolish !
ng convict labor in the state prison; {
law providing for adequate protec- /
ion Of factories from fire; a law al t
owing the state encouragement to t
in criminal prosecutions in
COUNTIES; and a half dozen other pro-
'ressive measures.
L. IL. :