Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-06-19
WILSON'S RECORD
AS Governor
He Has Shown Courage aTl
Practical Common Sense
PROMISES TO PEOPLE KEPT

Every Pledge Enacted Into Law
Along With Many other Rsformt
Wilson as Governor a Fair Sample q
What He viii DO as President
BY JUDGE THOMAS H. OWEN. |
MuskOsss. Okla.
The Democratic state platform IN Oh
New Jersey campaign OF 1910 PROMISE
Ave particular reforms, each OF thei
radical and each Of them apparent
academic They were: A new electio
law to take the control Of nominl
tons out of the hands OF the bossel
On employers liability law, just
both employer and employee: a co
rupt practices act. to stop the wronI
full or excessive use Of money In ele
lions; public utilities commissioI
with actual aud not merely theoreticI
power. and a law regulating the col
storage of food These Ave thlnI
-5Rre promised in the Democratic pla
form.
New Jersey had been mnchii
ruled state for years, and nobody too
platform promises seriously. NoboC
expected them to be redeemed A p
litlcal party platform was like a sire
car platform-somethlng to get in on
What They Said Would Happen.
When the election was over Ne
Jersey found that 1t Ind Democrat
governor, senate Republican by
to 0 and lower house Democratic
AZ to is. OF course the Republican
controlling the senate. could block nj
legislation they desired. They Diet,
mined at once to stop all the bills
the governors program, and, what
more, the old time Democratic II
chine leaders decided not to let t
bills pass the lower house. That W
the situation when the legislature m
in January.
When 1t adjourned in April eve
one of the Eve promises made in t
Democratic platform were laws on t
statute books OF New Jersey, a
along with them were several otl
new reform laws.
Credit Due to Wilson.
That the redemption of those pl
form promises was due solely to t
courage and practical common ser
of Governor Woodrow Wilson is ;
mitted by everybody In New Jers
Republican or Democrat, friend or f
These are some of the laws Il
were passed by that legislature:
election law that provided for all no
nations from president down to c.
stable to be made in direct primar
held by the state authorities. Il
eliminates the power of bosses
abollshing the old party machine
that provides for all elections to
held by officers who have passed
civil service examination to show tn
fitness and that requires voters
sign their names so as to make a
peater" liable to punishment for
gerry.
An employers liability law t
| does away with damage suits. WI
an employee Is injured the law Il
Just how much damages he is EMIT
to for that particular injury, and Il
J paid. The employees are benefited
cause they do not have to wait
years to get justice; the employers,
cause 1t enables them to know W
they have to pay and relieves them
heavy legal expenses
Some Of the Laws Passed.
A corrupt practices Get that re
lates the expenditure Of campo
funds, requires publication to be m
of all contributions and expendltu
and makes the penalty of violation
forfeiture of the office. A candid
for governor may spend $500 un
this law and no more. Candidates
congress may spend 81 800, candida
for county offices $500. and so on dc
the list The law goes further
prohibits intimidation - 1t prohi
printing political sentiments on
envelopes; 1t prohibits the posting
political handbills IN factories and
other means that employers may t
to influence their employees in |
tics.
A public utilities commission
created with complete power to re
late railways, street car lines.
phone companies and all other pu
utilities in the interest of the publ
power backed up with the machlr
to make 1t effective.
A law was passed prohibiting
cold storage of food for longer than
months and providing for the sal
public auction OF all food stored In
a lation of the law
Performances Not Limited to Prom
These we're the things promi
These were the things perforr
But the performances were not linn
by the scope of the promises !
same legislature under the firm e
: ing hand of that same governor pa
\ law providing for the commits
y form of government for cities. with
initiative, referendum and recall of
ministrative officers; a law abolis
convict labor in the state prison; a