Bisbee daily review., 1913-04-01

eiecuOn iaN. n puDtC SeFNice cOuihllS, sion with power to fix rates and an employers liability and workingmen's compensation law. 1be governors in- augural address-a remarkable docu- ment. vibrant with the spirit and she consciousness of new age. new alike in politics and in the very elements of social and industrial life-made fl clear that he regarded the platform prom ises as binding.
 The new governor of New Jersey of party officers. This meant the kill ing of tine bosses; it meant the ex- tinction of corporation controlled or ganizations; 1t meant everything that New Jersey had never had and that the professional politicians and the big business interests could never permit 1t to have
 No wonder there 1Ax q battle royal!
 James R. Nugent was in active d. rection of the opposition Ex-Senator Smiths relation. he urged the 'in- grate' argument; Wilson knew no honor and would knife the men who assisted him: state chairman. be was officially in command of the party or ganization and could promise and threaten with the prestige of fifteen long years of almost unopposed party supremacy against this new governors bare month of troubled experience.
 Nugent easily arranged a coalition with the Republicans. Their organiza- tion was equally threatened, and far greater than the fail of the minority party bosses would be that of the Republican board of guardians" If the Republican majority still in con troI of the senate stood pat the Geran bill would fail there, but Nugent wanted more; he wanted the Demo cratic lower chamber to repudiate the governors plan. He was so confident that this could be managed that he arranged for a conference on the bill as a preliminary test
 It was fatal error.
 The governor heard of the confer ence and genially suggested that he be invited. It was unprecedented for 6 governor to attend legislative eau GUS, but it would have been awkward to decline to invite him if he wanted to come. So he went.
 The gathering was in the supreme court room, on the second floor of the statehouse. One assemblyman. Martin, challenged the governors intervention. He had no constitutional right to inter fere in legislation. Had it not been written by them of old time that the executive and legislative branches must be kept sacredly apart? The governor replied by drawing from his pocket the Legislative Manual and reading a clause of the constitution which directed the governor of New Jersey to communicate with the legfs- lature at such times as he might deem necessary and to recommend such measures as he might deem expedient He was there, he continued. in pursu- ance of a constitutional duty to recom- mend a measure of that character. In noble fashion did he recommend ft That conference lasted four and 8 half hours. For three hours of it NIT
 
 ing the bill. clause by clause; answer. ing all queries and replying to all ob iections out of a knowledge not only of the experience of other states, but of the practical workings of politics that greatly surprised his audience One by one he met and silenced al critics. Then, looking about upon them. he began what will always re main one of the notable speeches oi his career. speech which no man who was present will ever forget | They were Democrats. and he spoke tc 1 them as such This, he told them, was no attempt to destroy the party. Il was a plan to revitaiize 1t and arm il ! for the war 10 which the swelling voice of people called 1t in an hour of pal pitant expectancy. With an onrush oi words white hot with speed and sup l pressed emotion he displayed before | them the higher view of political duty and expanded the ground of his hope ! for the future of the Democratic party as a servant of the people.
 | One repeats only what the attend | ants at this remarkable meeting unite in testifying when he says that they came downstairs not knowing whether more amazed by the force of logic thai ] had fairly won them over or moved by the inspiring appeal to which they had listened. The conference, called tc refuse the Geran bill. voted to make i | a party measure.
 A Republican caucus was proposed to insure party unanimity against th' | bill, but so many Republican members | refused in advance to be bound thai ! the plan was abandoned. The opposi ton had hoped that the senate com mittee on elections would refuse to re port the bill out, but to this Senator Bradley, a Republican, chairman of ths | committee. declined to be party The senate elections committee did hold a public hearing arranged by the opposition. It was a melancholy ar fair. from their standpoint The speak | CTS who were to demolish the bill never came. while a battery of able