Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-02-05
Governor Edge Denies He Tried
to Bride an ~kSsembIyman
CONTINUED from page u

the election of a speaker, Mr.. Simpson,
who conferred with the governor, was
reported as mot voting"
Ugly JUNIORS and stories from sourc-
es of his political opponents to the ef-
feet that the governor was trying to
bride some Democrat into voting for
the Republican speaker were floating
about the state house corridor, not
long after Assemblyman Simpson, the
Sussex member, had his talk with the
executive. When put to the executive
offices they were emphatically denied.
While the Democrats may have q
situation to handle upon their own
side of the house, all is not serene in
the camp of the Republican assembly
men either. They had a aucus yes
terday in which it was pointed out
that all hope of landing a Democrat
to vote for their candidate for speak
err, Pierson, of Union, had not died and
some of the G.. o. p. members, who
are becoming FESTIVE and wan action,
were urged to have a little more pa
tience for another week, when devel-
opments of interest might be looked
for.
1t is believed that some OF the
members on the Republican side are
becoming convinced that the plan of
choosing the speaker by lot is not a
bad proposition and ought to be
adopted to get the assembly out of
it's present -muddle. Howeyer,-tLe
leaders are still opposing the propo-
sitio. and Ralph N. Kellam, of Cam
den, the spokesman on the floor,
again told the Democrats yesterday
that under nc circumstances would
they accept this method or solution.
The plan of Assemblyman Hershfeld,
of Passaic, TO have each party share
In the speakership honor on the half
and half basis. one man to serve for
the first half of the session and the
other for the second part of the law
making period, failed TO enthuse the
Republicans and the cold water
thrown upon IL resulted in the Pas
safe man not offering IL to the caucus.
The battle of words between the
two party leaders on the floor contin-
ued yesterday. Discussing the lottery
plan. Democratic Leader Barrett said:
I'VE are not asking o to flip a
COIN But we are suggesting that tho
house follow the plan which Cover
nor Edge offered TO the senate Re-
publicans on the presidency of the
senate. Now either you must follow
his advice or repudiate it. To date
we have taken over thirty u~nsuccess-
full ballots. Every newspaper in the
state practically has approved the
plan of selecting the speaker by lot.
You Republicans have no divine right
to the speakership. The people of
New Jersey at the last election placed
you in this house SO that o could
not get control of il. We Democrats
ought to have the speaker, we believe
our man is entitled to IL, but we are
willing TO settle the dispute by this
method, by lot"
Kellam replied that New Jersey is
still Republican, and therefore hat
party should have the speaker. He
said in the last election h total as
sembly vote throughout the state gave
the Republicans a majority of 1000,
that the governor Is Republican and
the state senate Republican. Kellam
entered into a controversy with Bar
rett of Essex. Caede of Hudson and
one or two other Democrats as to
which side had first offered TO settle
the question by lots. After this a few
ballots were taken and then the ques-
ton of meeting again on Friday was
discussed. This was not approved
adjournment was finally taken
until next Monday night.