The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-10-28

-Four Of these StateS-N1aSSachuS
Maryland, Kentucky and Mississippi
elect governors. In six states-New
York, Massachusetts, Maryland, New
Jersey, Kentucky and Mississippi-th
state legislatures, in whole or in part,
are to be elected, and in five states
New York, Massachusetts, Maryland,
Pennsylvania and Ohio - important
constitutional issues are to be decided.
With few local exceptions, in fact,
these constitutional questions will be
the dominant issues on election day,
including, as they do, such fundamen-
tai matters as woman suffrage, munic-
ipal home rule, prohibition, state in
come taxes, referendum plans and
some lesser reforms.
The woman suffrage question will
come up for decision in New
York, Pennsylvania and Massachu-
sets, which states will furnish, in
point Of population, the greatest test
the suffrage issue has ever had in the
United States. New Jersey, the first
state in the east to vote on equal suf
frage, defeated the proposition at a
special election given over exclusively
to the suffrage question on Oct. 10.
The Importance Of this test is indi-
Gated by the fact that in point Of pop
ulation the states of New York. Penn
sylvania and Massac h':5ct.s, which will
3 vote Oil suffrage Nov. 2, include over
2O,O0O000 people, fifth Of the popula-
ton of the entire United States, and
these 100000 are practically double
the population Of the states in which
equal suffrage has as yet been fully
achieved
New York State.
In addition to the suffrage issue,
dominant feature Of the election will
be the question OF adopting a new state
constitution as revised by a recent
state constitutional convention. The
new constitution, at the request of the
suffrage leaders, has not been made
to include the suffrage amendment;
hence the constitution and the suffrage
issue will be voted upon separately.
The features of the revised constitu-
ton are measures designed to give the
cities of the state greater latitude in
the management Of municipal affairs
and confidently to relieve the legis-
lature Of vast amount Of local mat
ters; to make the governor a more
responsible Individual by making the,
numerous executive arms Of the adj
ministration more directly responsible
to him; to reform the judiciary so as
to eliminate some of the red tape that
is declared to handicap the prompt
execution Of the laws and, among 9th
er provisions, the short ballot and the
budget system.
Two important articles relating to
taxation and reapportionment will be
submitted to the voters separate from
the general constitution question. Two
other separate amendments would pro-
vide for a $27,OOOOOO bond issue to
complete the barge canal and to per-
NIT the Legislature to alter the rate Of
Interest on certain state debts already
incurred. Although the Republicans
We're in a majority in the convention,
they are not a unit in supporting the
new constitution, nor are the Demo-
Gratis standing solidly against it.
IN personnel the New York election
calls for the choice of a full assembly
of $50 members, eleven supreme court
justices and three congressman, as we'll
as county and city officials in some
sections Of the state.
Congressional successors are to be
chosen to Joseph A. Goulden, Demo
crat, Of the Twenty third district, and
Edwin A. Merritt, Jr., and Serene q.
Payne of the Thirty-frst and Thirty
sixth respectively, who died while serv-
ing in the last congress. The candi-
dates are: William S. Bennett, Repub-
Hcan, and Ellsworth J. Healy, Demo
crat, both Of New York, in the Tween
ty-third district; Bertrand H. Smell Of
Potsdam, Republican; William L. Allen
OF Malone, Democrat, and Howard D.
Hadley Of >Plattsburg, Progressive in
the Thirty-first district, and Norman s.
Gould of Seneca Falls, Republican, Pro.
gressive, and Louis J. LIGHT of Geneva
Democrat, in the Thirty sixth. a.,
Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania will have comparative,
ly little Of general interest to. it's cleo.
ton outside Of the vote on the suffrage
question. No state officers are to be
elected, with the exception Of three
candidates to fill vacancies on the SUI
perior court bench. One congressman
is to be elected to fill vacancy in the
Twenty-fourth district.
In Philadelphia the Republican Or
ganization has conducted a vigorous
campaign to regain control of the city
administration, which was wrested
from it four years ago when the re-
: form elements united with the Demo
cratic party and elected Rudolph Blan-
kenburg, lifelong reformer in poll
tics, as mayor. The Republican can
didate for the mayoralty this fall is
Thomas B. Smith, former postmaster
Of Philadelphia. His chief opponent is
George D. Porter, reformer who has
been director Of the department Of pub
81 IL TT.