Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-01
Prohibition IS Slammed by Dem
OGratS at State Convention
Yesterday = Many Novel
PIanks.

BIZ Special Correspondent.
TRENTON, Oct. 1:-Edward I.
Edwards. candidate for governor, as
Frank Hague, of Jersey City, the
Hudson county leader, dominated
the Democratic State Convention
here yesterday and his ideas without
exception, even to the endorsement
of immediate ratification of woman
suffrage by the next legislature With
out a referendum vote, were incor-
porated into the platform. James r.
Nugent, the Essex leader and recent
for governor. failed in his attempt,
both in the resolutions committee
and on the floor of the convention, to
stop the insertion of the suffrage
plank. He wanted a plank calling
for a vote of the people on the ques-
ton before its ratification by the law
makers. In the resolutions commit
tee he lost ii to 6 and on the floor
of he convention he went down to
defeat, probably his first In q Demo-
cratic convention, by the score of 40
to IA. After his second failure the
Essex man rose in his place and adj
dressed the convention thusly:
The Essex delegation will not sup
port that plank in the platform in
this campaign, but we will support
Senator Edwards"
Prior to this former Assemblyman
John A. Matthews, speaking for the
Nugent men and senatorial nominee
Alexander Simpson, of Hudson, for
Edwards and the Hague organization
engaged in an exchange of bitter
repartee.
Edwards will be defeated in Essex
If you put tina in the PLATFORM" said
Matthews concerning immediate ratt-
fcation of suffrage.
Are you making q threat?" asked
Simpson. Charges of treachery in
Hudson in past years in gubernatori-
al fights and questioning of the Hud--
son and Essex primary election re-
turns of last week figured in the in
terchange.
Unlike the Republicans, the Demo-
cratic delegates endorsed an out and
out plank against prohibition and all
its works and pomps. One No
this was adopted, Assemblyman
David III. Agans, of rock-ribbed DEM
Hudson, being the hopeless
minority.
The long plank In the platform
was that against the Zoning system
which was described as 1.-THE product
of the partnership that exists be-
tween the Republican party and the
utility corporations of this state"
Restoration of the fve-cent fare
was demanded on the lines of the Pub
lie Service Railway Company, and the
following pledges in this connection
were made: To GUST the present Utility
Commissioners; to substitute new men
their successors shall be elected
an election to be held in November, |
1920; to elect a commission of three |
members, each to represent a district
of the State; to Immediately value and
appraise the properties of the Public
Service Railway Company.
The State Highway Department as
at present administered was strongly |
condemned and a single headed COM
mission urged to replace the presents
board of eight.
A pledge was made to remedy the
preferential act, and the New
York Income Tax Act as it applies to
New Jersey business people in New
York was condemned and a remedy
promised. A State insurance fund to
care for employerSsneeding insurance
under the Workmen's Compensation
Act was endorsed, and offered to re-
move the present system which is
claimed to give the insurance COM
panies mormon premium profits. A
issue for the projects like the
Hudson River bridge the Delaware
River Tunnel and the New Jersey Ship
Canal was endorsed as suggested last
winter by Senator Edwards.
Administration of the State instltu-
ITEMS and the importing" Of officials
to u hem with power to transfer
girls from the State Home to the State |
Prison was condemned. A pledge to
enact just and equitable labor laws
was inserted.
w now pledge ourselves to ap-
point at the opening of the next ses-
sion of the Legislature a commission
to inquire into these subjects and to
report back to the same session so
that immediate relief may be had"
said the platform on the question of
housing facilities and proiteering by
landlords.
The platform also touched on the
preservation of the public schools, the
Edge economy and efficiency, the In
ter-Coastal Canal. the Irish freedom
question, opposition to the state con-
stabulary and the Republican Legisla-
ture was scored for falling to pass the
bill of Assemblyman Donovan of Hud-
son giving every service man in the
State a bonus.