Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-03-03
RECORD DEFENDS
DIRECT PRIMARY
Issues Statement Against Pro-
iect on Foot in Trenton to
Wipe Out System
b. ssecicl CORRESPONDENT.


JERSEY CITY, March 3:-George
J.. Record in a statement issued this
morning speaks out very strongly
against the project on DOT in Trenton
to wipe out the direct primary sys-
tenn, to mutilate the election reform
laws, and to nullify the Corrupt Prac-
tees Act enacted last year. He
charges that these bills represent a
plan of the bosses to turn back the
hands of the clock of progress He
declares that it is the duty of all for
ward looking and progressive men
81 both parties to help arouse public
opinion in opposition to these bills.
Mr.. Records statement follows:
THE political leaders who control
the Republican State Committee and
the Democratic State Committee ap-
pear to have united in an attempt to
destroy the force of our Primary and
Corrupt Practices Acts. The plan is
to provide in n bill for a pre-
primary convention composed of
party delegates to be elected upon the
first registry day in September, the
function of which convention shall be
to formulate the party platform. The
other bill aims to nullify the Corrupt
Practices Act enacted last ear upon
the recommendation of Governor
Edge, providing for the holding of
elections in school houses, to be on
Quoted in whole or in part by school
teachers, and vesting the power of
appointing the county board of cleo
tons, which board selects the election
officers, in the judges of u county
courts.
This is the old boss system, against
which practically every state in the
Union has rebelled, and under which
the control of state and national poll
tics by great corporate interests en-
joying monopoly privileges was made
easy and cerain.
1T is a proposition to turn back
the hands of the clock of progress.
1t is an attempt to take away from
the party voters the right to select
party candidates and decide upon
party policies, and restore that power
TO a little clique of politicians, who
directly or indirectly represent he
great corporate and brewing interests
which make millions out of exploit
ing the public through monopoly.
Last year we made o substantial
advance in the Corrupt Practices Act
by limiting the amount that could be
spent for n candidate for governor
or United States senator to $1,000,
and proportionate amounts for small
err offices, and by taking the appoint
ment of election officers out of the
hands of county boards of election
and vesting that power virtually in
the hands of our courts, and providing
" A. "a Va 1ht ~
eral elections in school houses and
the conduct of such elections in whole
or in part by school teachers. The
corrupt practices act of last yea also
prohibited county committees from
supporting by money or opposing any
candidate for q party nomination
This was a great step in advance to-
ward the purity of the ballot box and
the control of party politics by the
party voters.
ut is obvious to all students of our
politics that the primary law n the
corrupt practices act are making it
increasingly difficult each year for
the party organizations to obtain
control of our elections in the inter-
80 sn L. lays are
f fognst ah Gla. ddleS9 lIe statute yay4sp q
Ne. ESna xeZzders who ~ make
80 ,inaI ~ their representation OF
NJ: Mass.ah Ewing and great corporate in
MeSss in politics, will be deprived
" income.
pre-primary convention bill is
TEetes forward as a camouiage for the
Ill purpose of this plan, which is to
restore the old nominating conven-
ton. The pretext now is that the
pre-primary convention should only
concern itself with the-party plat
form, but, unless there is a decided
public opinion aroused, on the last
night of the session this bill will be
amended to provide that the pre-
primary convention shall ais nomi-
nate the candidate for governor and
for United States senator as well as
issue the party platform. If the
machine leaders do not dare to go
thus far this year., they hope to put
over the bill as 1t now stands limiting
the pre-primary convention to the
framing of h party platform. Then
nav+ cor NTH chic hill unnn tho
statute books, they will extend the
functions of the pre-primary conven-
ton to include that of making state
nominations, which Will promptly be
followed by another bill establishing
county conventions for the nominal
ton of county candidates.
"All forward looking and progress
sive men of both parties should aid in
arousing public opinion in opposition
to these bills. Instead of going back
ward we should take the mex forward
step to make more effective these
laws, which is the adoption of a con-
stitutional amendment providing for
the nomination and election of as
semblymen from assembly districts,
instead of requiring their nomination
and election throughout the county.
The system of compelling candidates
for Assembly to run throughout the
country is the one thing which has
prevented the Lull tAltC vi Lie III
mary and Corrupt Practices Act in
destroying the hold of party machines
over party nominations. If assembly
men were elected by assembly districts
any ambitious young man could easily,
without expenditure of any consider
able sum of money, obtain q party
nomination by the simple process of
going from house TO house in his as
sembly district. To communicate with
every voter in such district by mail
would entail only a trifing expense.
Under that system independent and
able men would easily get into the
public life of our state.
81 hope that public opinion will be
aroused TO ward off these attacks upon
the primary and corrupt practices
acts, which have been put upon the
statute books with so much difficulty.
This attack upon these laws is another
illustration OF the truth of the say
ing: Eternal vigilance is the price
"a sh-~&