Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-12
EDGE SARCASTIC
ON TUMULTY PLAN
Makes Suggestions TO Admin
istration in Answer to PreSi-
dents Secretary

Trenton, Feb, II. - Governor
Edge sent to Joseph p. Tumulty,
President Wilson's secretary. some
what sarcastic response to Mr.. Tu-
multS's recent letter suggesting
election law reforms.
The Governor, in part, said:
My Dear Joe: 1t is indeed kind
OF you in the midst of your multi
tudinous duties in Washington, to
take the time TO give us such good
advice as contained in your letter
OF the 5th instant, which 1 first had
the pleasure of reading in the press.
Of course, you realize election re-
form was very clearly announced
part of the Republican program,
even before the session opened, and
with only five weeks of that session
completed we feel we have more
thar made progress.
II warmly welcome YOU to the
circle OF those now in authority in
Trenton, who are buSily engaged in
repairing the Corrupt Practices Act
and the Geran Election Law, which
which, as YOU now so correctly
point out, are dismal failures so
far as correcting some of the abuses
for which they were intended.
Il sincerely hope. however, in Of
fering your help in cooperation
with our efforts, that You will have
more success than you did when ad-
Vising your fellow Democrats in the
LEGISLATURE to follow you on local
oil
that after your impassioned appeal
only one lone Democrat from your
home county responded. Perhaps
the necessity for election reform
will be so much more apparent to
the members from Hudson that we
Can secure their votes for the Elec-
ton and Corrupt Practice bills as
finally presented.
AS to the so-called school
Teacher Conscript-E Officer
bill, and your suggestion, that, as
Governor, l have the power TO in
sist that the Legislature adopt this
particular brand OF election officer
reform. permit me TO say that I
have not found it necessary in my
contact with the Legislature TO at
temp: to drive them into any par
ticular course of procedure 10 bring
about reform.
:
in Washington is somewhat differ
en.t. but in Trenton, during the past
two sessions. at least, the New Jer-
sey Legislature has proceeded upon
the principle of individual initia-
tive and cooperation. and I have
found such team work very helpful
indeed in securing the results which
were so emphatically endorsed by
the people at the last election. Par
Il q Sr1t 81 Il
be a worthless idea to try this pol
icy in Washington.
"All of us are enthusiastically
back of the President, as you well
know, hut TO express or demonstrate
an opinion does not constitute dis
loyalty in this grand Republic of
ours, which is only a Republic be-
cause each individual has a part.
You know our theory of government
is founded on epresentation-dele-
gated authority. Ii the voice of the
Representatives is suppressed and
not heard we fail TO profit by CO.
operation, suggestion and counsel.
To suppress the voice OF represen-
tation is TO lose the opportunity Of
ascertaining the will of the people.
il results in usurpation of represen-
tative prerogative and eXaggerates
the function OF central authority
the very thing we are all now en-
SGsed in a world conflict TO correct.
Suffice it to say that the New
Jersey Legislature will pass an ef-
feCtive. common-sense Corrupt
Practices Act and Election officer
Reform Bill, so much needed as you
say. in Hudson county.
Personally l have been rather
impressed with the use of school
teachers as election officers, which
fact l have frequently stated in dis
Cussing the subject, but the argu-
msnt that no election bill can be
drawn to correct conditions without
adopting this particular method is,
of course, perfectly ridiculous.
1t is quite questionable whether
teachers should be drafted, of
course arbitrarily and without con-
sulting their wishes. for a service
entirely foreign to their profession,
and the Legislature will register
their view as to this detail with
their votes.
AGAIN let me express to you my
sincere appreciation for your offer
of cooperation, and it will, indeed,
he the advent of a new and perfect
day when, as Governor, 1 can see
the Democrats of the Hague legions
of Hudson joining with the Repub-
lcans from the ocean TO the Della
ware and from Sussex to Cape May,
in unanimously placing upon the
statute books real election reform
measures. I hope. too, that these
measures will stand the test longer
than a Gubernatorial term, which
apparently has not always been the
case -