The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1915-10-21
LETTER FROM
HON. H. ]. IOBST
Hunterdon County AS
semblyman Tells of
His State Work.
WANTS TO RETURN

county conferred upon me the honor
and responsibility OF representing
them in the Legislature of our state,
as Hunterdon's member of the Gen
eral Assembly. The great majorities
that | received at the primary and
general elections humbled me in ap-
probation of the trust imposed upon
me. To the best of my ability have
| endeavored to be true to that
trust. When | took my seat in the
Assembly | took it in the fear of
God for the best welfare of my
people as conscientiously as when |
take my place in the pulpit, where l
speak for God the things that make
for the best welfare of the people.
In written statement and from the
platform / openly declared where |
stood and for what | stood. To me
a mans platform or party's plat
form is more than mere words on a
piece of paper. If the words of man
or men cannot be relied on-if the
words of man or men do not mean
what they say-then manhood's
foundation and society's ground are
tottering and language is meaning
less. The only pledge that l made
was my pledge to the people.
The last House was made up of
thirty-eight Republicans and twenty
two Democrats. 1t was too one
sided. When measures were intro
duced, too often the party label of
the introduced was considered rather
than the worth of the measure. Be
cause of this many measures of much
worth and great Importance never
came out of the hands of committees
and because of this many measures
were defeated on the floor. did
not look at the party label of any
act but what | did look at was the
worth of the act, and whether it
was for my States good, with the
particular view to Hunterdon coun-
ty Measures that would result in
good | championed, not merely by
vote but by voice. feel quite sure
that Hunterdon county was as fire.
quently heard as any other county in
the State. used every effort to de-
feat measures that were not good,
and helped to enact measures that
were good. This | did in committee
and on the floor of the House. | re-
member one particular instance
where | was the only member of
the Legislature out of eighty-one-
twenty-one, in the Senate and sixty
in the House urged favorable
report out of committee of a bill
which by many was considered the
best Legislation of 1915. | stood in
nv own shoes Embossed, unbridled,
fearless and unafraid.
helped to defeat the bill father
ed by the large insurance companies
which would have taken away from
the fraternal organizations the right
to insure their members. One or
ganization to which belong pays
$500 death benefit. What calamity
would befall the family of many a
member at the death of the father
should such a bill become law.
When the Morris and Essex canal
was about to be given away to the
railroad companies at loss of many
millions to the State of New Jersey,
| stood against the vicious measure
and spoke against it every time 1t
came up on the floor of the House.
Speaker Godfrey, representing the
railroads and special interests, tried
to win me over in a long interview
in his private office.
stood against more liberal Sun
day-against Sunday baseball. Sun