Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-07-09
ELECT STATE
COMMITTEES
New Law Applies for the
First and Many
Changes Are Anticipated
FOR GOVERNOR ALSO
State Conventions to be HsId
After Nominees Are Made
to Adopt Platform.
FOR GOVERNOR ALSO
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Trenton, July 9.-The old method
of choosing the State Committees in
New Jersey will pass out of existence
this fall when at the primary election
on Tuesday, September 23, for the
first time in the history of the state,
these committees will be elected
directly by the voters of the respec-
tive party. This will be one of the
most important features of the prim-
airy election, at which the candidates
for governor will also be chosen for
the first time in the political history
of the state. The new method of
choosing the committees is provided
by the Geran election act.
The old method of selecting the
state committees was to have them
elected by the delegates at the state
conventions in this city at which the
candidates for governor were nomin-
ated. The change, therefore, will
mean that the selection Of the state
committeeman will be further remov-
ed from the control of the big party
leaders and will be placed In the
hands of the voters. 1t Will not be
possible this year for any state or
county leader to dictate who shall be
chosen from any county to serve
on the state committee. The choice
will be an open one and in each coun~
ty any qualified voter, who desires
to do so, may be a candidate for the
state committee of his party.
This new method of lhoosing the
state committees will make several
important changes, one of which will
be that hereafter there will be no
members at large on the committees.
The present members at large of the
Republic state Committee who would
thus be compelled to retire are form
er Governors John w. Griggs, of Pas
sale and Franklin Murphy of Essex;
former United States Senator John
Kean, of Union; and former Sheriff
Frank H. Somer, of Essex. The De-
mocratic members at large who will
retire are General William c. Hep
penheimer, of Hudson; Gottfried
Kruger, of Essex; Frank S. Katzen-
bach, Jr., of Mercer; Edward Fur
man of Middlesex, and Judge How
ard Carrow, of Camden.
Another change will be that the
Republicans will be barred from hav-
ing two members on the committee
from Hudson and Essex county, as
at present, as the new law gives only
one member to each county.
An important thing about the new
committees to be elected Is that the
committeeman will be members of
the respective party state conventions
for the first time since the new style
state conventions came into existance.
The state convention this year will
consist Of the candidates for the assem-
bly, and the state senate, the candidates
for governor, the holdover members of
the senate and the members of the state
committee. The state conventions will
be held in this city on Tuesday, Sep
tember 80, OF one week later than the
primaries.
The Geran act provides that at the
he September primary of the year a
governor is to be elected, member of
the state committee "of each of said
political parties shall be elected in each
county" 1t Is claimed that this will
bar the Progressives from electing their
state committee under the act and that
only the Democrats and Republicans
will be governed by the provision. The
Geran act applies to the parties which
cast the largest and next largest vote
for assembly at the preceding election,
and TINS eliminates the Progressives
from consideration this year as far as
this regulation goes. The Progressive
party, therefore, will not be compelled
to change it's method of representation
upon its committee. 1t has several
members from each of several counties
and in only two or three of the smaller
counties has it only member from each.
1t also ha several female members, in
cluding Mrs. John Franklin Fort and
Mrs. Everett Colby.
The petitions endorsing candidates for
the state committee must be made up
and filed with the county clerk as pro-
vided in the case Of candidates for as
sembly, SO that such petition must be
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