The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-15
RECORD
As GOVERNOR
He Has Shown Courage and
Practical Common Sense.
PROMISES TO PEOPLE KEPT.

Every Pledge Enacted Into Laws
Along With Many Other Reforms.
Wilson a. Governor Fair Sample Of
What He Will Do az President.
BY JUDGE THOMAS n. OWEN
Muskosee, 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 employees; a cor
rupt practices act, to stop the wrong
full or excessive use Of money In elec-
tons; a public utilities commission.
with actual and not merely theoretical
power. and law regulating the cold
storage Of food These FIVE 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 po-
litical party platform was like street
car platform-something to get In on
What They Said Would Happen.
When the election was over New
Jersey found that 1t had Democratic
governor. Il senate Republican by IL
to and lower house Democratic by
AZ to IL. 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 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 i've 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 Duo 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 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: 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
abolishlng the old party machinery,
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 30 as to make re
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 be-
cause they do not have to wait fol
years to get justice: the employers. be-
cause 1t enables them to know wha,
they have to pay and relieves them OF
heavy legal expenses.
| Some Of the Laws Passed.
A corrupt practices act that regu
lates the expenditure Of campaign
funds. requires publication to be made
Of Ill contributions and expenditures
and makes the penalty Of violation the
forfeiture of the Office. A candidate
for governor may spend $500 under
this law and no more. Candidates FOL
congress may spend 81 800. candidate!
for county offices $500. and so on dowr
the list. Tie law goes further ant
prohibits intimidation prohibit
printing political sentiments on pa!
envelopes: 1t prohibits the posting O
political handbills In factories and al
other means that employers may taxi
to ipfluepce their employees In poll
tioA
A public utilities commission wa
created with complete power to regu
late railways, street car lines, tele
phone companies and all other publi
utilities in the interest Of the public
power backed up with the machiner
to make It effective.
q law was passed prohibiting th
cold storage Of food for longer than te
months and providing for the sale a
public auction Of all food stored In vic
lation Of the law
Performances Not Limited 70 Promiss'
These were the things promised
These were the things performed
But the performances were not limite
by the scope Of the promises Thu
same legislature under the firm guit
ing hand of that same governor passe
law providing for the commissio
form Of government for cities. with til
initiative, referendum and recall OF af
ministrative officers: q law Hbolishin
convict labor In the state prison; a la
providing for adequate protection c
factories from fire: a law allowing til
state attorney general to participate |
criminal prosecutions in counties. an
half dozen other progressive mea: