The Arvada enterprise., 1912-05-23
WILSON'S RECORD
AS GOVERNOR
Ne Has Shown Courage and
Practical Common Sense.
PROMISES TO PEOPLE KEPT,
Every Pledge Enacted Into Laws
Along With Many Other Reforms.
Wilson as Governor a Fair Sample OF
What He Will Do as President.
BY JUDGE THOMAS II. OWEN,
Muskogee, Okla.

oy oOOSG HOmNS n. O"EN,
Muskooee, Okla.
The Democratic state platform In the
New Jersey campaign Of 1910 promised
Eve particular reforms, each Of them
radical and each of them apparently
academic. They were: A new election
law to take the control of nomina.
tons out of the hands of the bosses
an employers liability law, just to
both employer and employee: cor
upt practices act. to stop the wrong
ful or excessive use Of money In cleo
tons; public utilities commission.
with actual and not merely theoretical
power, and n law regulating the cold
storage Of food These Eve things
were promised in the Democratic plat
form.
New Jersey had been machine
ruled state for years, and nobody took
platform promises seriously. Nobody
expected them to be redeemed. A po-
ntical party platform was like street
car platform-somethlng to get In ON
What They Said Would Happen.
When the election was over New
Jersey found that 1t had Democratic
governor, n senate Republican by IL
to 0 and lower house Democratic by
~ to Is. or 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 ma.
chine leaders decided 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 reform laws
Credit Due to Wilson.
That the redemption of those plat
form promises was due solely to the
courage and practical common sense
Of Governor Woodrow Wilson Is nd
mlttcd by everybody In New Jersey.
Republican or Democrat, friend or foe.
These are some Of the laws that
were passed by that legislature: An
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
abollshlng the old party machinery,
thnt provides for all elections to be
held by officers who have passed
civil service examination to show their
fitness and that requires voters to
sign their names 80 as to make n re
peater'' liable to punishment for for
gerry.
An employers liability law that
does away with damage suits when
an employee Is Injured the law says
Just how much damages he is entitled
TO for that particular injury. and 1t Is
paid. The employees are benefited he.
cause they do not have to walt for
years to get justice: the employers. he.
cause 1t enables them to know what
they have to pay and relieves them of
heavy legal expenses
Some Of tho Laws Passed
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 candidate
for governor may spend $500 under
this law and no more. Candidates for
congress may spend $1,000. candidates
for county offices $500, and so on down
the list. The law goes further and
prohibits intimidation - II prohibits
printing political sentiments on pay
envelopes; 1t prohibits the posting OF
political hnndbllls in factories and all
other means that employers may take
to influence their employees In poll
ties.
A public utilities commission was
created with complete power to regu.
late railways. street car lines. telc-
phone companies and all other public
utilities In the interest OF the public.
power backed up with the machinery
to make II effective.
A law was passed prohibiting the
cold storage NJ food for longer than ten
months nui providing for the sale nt
public auction of all food stored In vio-
latiou Of the law
Performances Not Limited to Promises.
These were the things promised.
These were the things performed.
But the performances were not limited
by the scope uf the promises That
same legislature under the firm guild
ing hand of that same governor passed
law providing for the commission
form Of government for cities. with the
initiative referendum and recall OF ad
miuIsiratiyc ohiccrs: "A law nbollshing
roul.t INbor in the state prison. law
providing for adequate protection OF
factories from FIRE; law allowing the
state attorney general to participate In
criminal prosecutions IN counties and
n nuIf tUzru other progressive meas