Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-03
C. 0. P. MINORITY
BREAKS IN HOUSE
Trouble Arises Over Richards
Tilt With Speaker Beeknan
Last Week.
Especial 10 tle Newark start

break in the solid Republican minor
ity of the Assembly are beginning TO
make their appearance. Under Minor
lty Leader Emerson l.. Richards, the
Republican members of Assembly
nave been practically a unit thus far,
although there was some talk of one
member breaking away in case the
California plan" rules had split the
Democratic majority. That phase
had nothing to do with the present
trouble, which is said to lie deeper
and to be hard TO bridge.
Trouble has arisen over the course
which the minority leader has elected
to pursue with regard to the Demo
cratic majority and the speaker, Aza-
riah NJ. Beekman. 1t has been noted
that both MIR. Richards and his Re
publican colleague, Carlton Godfrey,
of Atlantic county, have opposed and
| criticized on several occasions the &C
ton of the majority.
Richards and Beekman Conflict.
Last Tuesday Mr.. Godfrey, and after
him Mr.. Richards, became involved
with Speaker Beekman in a conflict
over just what was good form in the
| House. Speaker Beekman ruled that
it was not proper for one member to
criticise another members explana-
ton of his vote. Mr.. Richards took
UP the fight and the comment was
general that he was trying out the
strength of the speaker. Later, MIR.
Richards issued a statement to the
press on the subject.
| Several members of the Republican
minority reprobated that action by
| Mr. Richards. How many of them
did so does not appear, but two OF
them can be named. They are Henry
S. Scovel and John B. Hates, of Cam
den. Their idea is that the Republic
cans can be more efficient in the AS
sembly if they keep in the good graces
of the speaker than by antagonizing,
and they hold that there Is more to be
gained by opposing the Democratic
majority members only when the ma
ture of the legislation appears to them
to warrant 1t than by posing as critics
on all of their acts.
Richards Backed by Stokes
The situation is peculiar, because it
| is not likely, nor even possible, that
Mr.. Richards can be deposed from his
leadership He was chosen for the
place with the full approval, 1t Is
said, of former Governor Edward G.
Stokes, who is a powerful factor in
directing the doings of the Repub-
| lican legislators in both houses. He
! is also the senior member of the As
sembly
Oddly enough, he is not senior in
point of actual service in the Assem-
! ply. One of his critics, Henry 5.
| Scovel, of Camden, is older in point
of actual service, although he was not
in the House last year or for several
years before that. Mr. Scovel was
assemblyman from Camden county in
the four years from 1908 to 1906 He
served as prosecutor of Camden
county for five years, and last No
vember was again elected to the As
sembly.
scoveI Opposes Richards.
/ Some persons admit that they
rather thought Mr.. Scovel would be
chosen minority leader, although they
realize the claim Mr.. Richards had on
that position. Mr.. Scovel is an old
legislator, who knows how minorities
fare at the hands of the majority and
how necessary it is to keep in the
| good graces of the victors. He knows
that every legislator is measured at
home by the amount of legislation he
succeeds in putting through, however
| he does 1t, and he cannot see promise
of much coming his way il the entire
minority is put in wrong through
heckling methods or something on the
verge of it. He designates the atti-
tude of opposition to the majority
and the speaker of the House as
childish" it is said.
That the differences will be ad-
justed is said to be certain, owing to
the necessity for it's being done. How
| it Is going to be brought about is not
clear yet, for the break is much more
serious than an ordinary falling out
between individual members. The
Republican tendency to progressive
measures is not the cause of the
break, for ali Republicans realize
that to be their greatest source of
strength at future elections. 1t is
plain that Mr.. Richards will have to
| talk it over seriously with the in
surgent members of the minority, and
| it is equally certain that he will have
to abandon his attitude of opposition
and criticism to the Democratic ma
jority before he can make peace in
his own party.
| Stokes VIII Be Called In.
1t will not be long before the S. Q. s.
signal Is flashed to former Governor
Stokes, because a divided minority is
of no use at all to the Republican
party, it is said. 1t is suggested that
| il the reasons for the split are really
those given by Messrs. Scovel and
Hates, and not reactionary ten
denotes, the result of that call for
| help will determine it. In other words,
| If Minority Leader Richards alters
| his tactics at command the reasons
of the DIRECTORS will be proved there
| 4. - 4l,a erfNrn