Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-01
'LABOR'S VOICE IN
ASSEMBLY MAKEUP
Unions Opposition May Be
Stumbling Block in Beck
mans Path for Speaker.
THIS FACTOR is STRONG
in BIG COUNTY TRINITY
His Explanation of His Vote
Against Eight-hour Law a
Crucial Point.
fspeciaI to the newark start


TRENTON, Dec. lon the eve of
the general caucus of Democratic
assemblymen scheduled to be held at
the State HousesRt IL o'clock tomor-
row, there seems to be a feeling that
the House speakership matter will
prove to be a thorny proposition.
Union labor Is said to be opposed to
Azariah M. Beekman, of Somerset
county, who Is supposed to have the
inside track for the honor. and this
may indicate decided change in
sentiment, as the representatives
from the larger counties of the state,
like Hudson, Essex and Union, are
almost invariably friendly to union
labor and generally give heed to pro-
tests from that source
1t is further said that Beekman's
life as a Democrat does not cover
period sufficiently iong to please
some persons, even Democrats from
his own county, Somerset.
No Handicaps.
Contrary to the custom of recent
years there Is not, from the view
point of politicians of all parties,
single candidate who outbids all
others for the post. Mr.. Beekman
has been most prominently mentioned
for the place, the most important
which the new Assembly will have
to fill, but opposition to him has
sprung up in a quarter which makes
his choice a serious question.
Mr.. Beekman has been put forward
by the friends of that assemblyman In
his own county. They came to the
front confidently and with SUCH an
air of finality that 1t seemed for the
time as if the matter was decided be-
fore the first caucus was called. These
ardent friends claimed to have the
approval of Governor Fielder or, at
any rate, they claimed that he had
interposed no objection to their can
didate. The boom did not attain the
strength expected of SUCCESSFUL agi-
tation from the outset. Opposition to
Mr.. Beekman, as previously stat
ed has arisen because of his at
titude on labor questions, or what
are counted as such, in his term in
the Assembly. Political memories are
not short and as MIR. Beekman's ca
reer in the Assembly Is represented
by his work last year, 1t is still fresh
in mind. 1t is charged that he has
shown a tendency to oppose labor
measures in the House.
There were only two labor bills
passed by the Legislature in 1918.
One was the bill for an eight-hour
law which, in its original form, with
the full Endorsement of organized
labor, required that all work for
State and municipalities of the State,
city, town, township, borough and
county, be given on an eight-hour
basis, whether the employees were
those of contractors, sub-contractors
or of the State or municipalities di-
rect. The minutes of tho House show
that when that bill came up in the
| House there were only two votes
against 1t. One of those was the vote
of Mr. Beekman, the only Democrat
To vote against it.
Railroad Men Concerned.
| The other labor law which passed
| the House was that for a full crew
on railroads. On this Mr.. Beekman
voted aye, but 1t is pointed out that
this was unavoidable because the full
| crew bill was plank in the Demo-
| cratic platform and called for the
| vote of every Democrat in the House
All other labor laws Of the session
were defeated.
With the caucus of the Democratic
4
the dean of the Democratic side.
Oliver c. Holcombe, of Hunterdon
county, due to take place tomorrow
morning, critics of Mr.. Beekman's
candidacy think 1t is decidedly up to
him to explain away that vote
against the eight-hour law. The at
| titude of organized labor and the sue
cess or failure of his candidacy for
the speakership is held to depend on
that explanation.
Labor considerations have always
weighed heavily with the Democratic
Assemblymen from Hudson and Es-
sex. This is largely due to the fact
that these two counties are peopled
so largely by voters of the employed
class. and are the leading manufac-
| turing counties. The same tendencies
are to be expected in Union and
Bergen. Should the two largest coun-
ties in the State decide against Mr..
Beekman on the ground that he is
not a friend of labor his speakership
boom is likely TO be completely OBJ
scured.