Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-12-28
GERAN SAYSEDGE
|S|NCONS|STENT
Monmouth Sheriff Pours Hot
Shot Into Governor for Stand
on House Speakership
CALLS M'ATEER EFFICIENT
Says Edges Own Argument
Shows he Should Have Stayed
as Governor of State


TRENTON, Dec. 2S-Hot shot for
Governor Edge for making fish of one
Republican and flesh of another in his
public utterances concerning the or
ganization of both branches of the in
coming legislature characterized O
statement issued here today by Sher-
iff Elmer II. Geran, of Monmouth
county, former Democratic house
leader, discussing the speakership sit
uation.
Geran questions the sincerity of
Governor Edge in advocating the Sc
lection of Pierson for house speaker,
Pierson being a Republican assembly
man from Union county, and refusing
to endorse Senator Wells, of Burling-
ton, for senate president, despite the
fact that the qualifications the execu-
tive praises In Pierson are possessed
In an equal measure by Wells.
Colonel Edge Is of the opinion that
qualifications of the candidates should
be the deciding factor" declared Ge-
ran. IF he is serious in that con-
tentlon, he must admit that Mr.. Nc
Ateer is entitled to the vote of the
Republican members of the house, un-
less they have some one better quail
flied than Mr.. Pierson, and indeed.
they have none. But / take IL that he
Is not serious In the argument, save
as 1t suits his own interest. If he
were, he would not withhold the
power of his office as governor from
Senator Wells as candidate for the
president of the senate. He must
we'll know that Senator Wells would
be the ablest presiding officer of any
Republican member of the senate"
Geran, who has been q member of
the house of assembly with Mr.. Pier
son as well as when Assemblyman
James j. McAteer was secrtary to
lr Il trr h. -
Taylor In 1913, goes into the qualifica-
tons of the two men whom the Re-
publicans and Democrats are offering
respectively for the speakership. He
praises the services rendered by Pier
son, but points out that McAteer is
specially fitted for this post, since in
the more or less turbulent sessions of
1911 and 1913 the Hudson assembly
man acted guide and assistant to
the respective presiding officers of the
house In those years
"Mr. McAteer has also been on the
floor of the house as a member from
Hudson county" said Geran, land
therefore. with his experience at the
speakers desk and as a debater on
the floor, he is as well equipped as
any man in the state of New Jersey,
with the possible exception of John
Matthews, of Hunterdon county, in
the duties of a speaker and the knowl-
edge of parliamentary law, rules and
practices.
Respecting the claim of the gov
ernor that the speaker should be a
Republican because he might have to
become acting governor IN the event
of the disability of the president OF
the senate, after Mr.. Edge goes TO
Washington, especially since the peo-
pie in 1916 said they wanted q Re-
publican governor for three years,
Geran commented as follows:
''If he is so solicitous about carry
ing out the peoples wish with refer
ence to the governorship, why did he
not remain the governor of the state
of New Jersey for three years for
which he was elected, instead of using
the very office to which he was elect
ed as a means of breaking faith with
the people of the site and becoming
a candidate for the Office of the Unit
ed States senator, in direct opposition
to the spirit of our constitution, IL
not to its very letter. Who knows but
that Colonel Edges actions in this
matter were the very reason for his
very large decreased majority in the
state, and the election of sixteen addi-
tional Democratic assemblymana.
He broke faith with the people of
the state of New Jersey Che admit
ting that he was elected for three
years.. The people of the state have
disapproved of his action in this re-
gard, or else in other matters in con-
nection with his administration, and
he with little wit now argues that
Mr.. Pierson should be elected speaker
in order to correct a condition for
which he alone is responsible. He
makes an argument based upon his
own branch of conduct and is trying
to take advantage of his own wrong"