New-York tribune., 1920-11-05
|DenOcratsHave
Lone neMenber I'm
jersey House
Only Representative of His
Party Wifi Be Minority
Leader and Have Sea-
on Every Committee
Edwards Faces Trouble
With Only Six Votes in
~Senate, He Is likely To
Be Shorn of Much Power
spectn. Dispatch to The Tribune

TRENTON, N. j., Nov. 4.-Over
whe!ming domination of the Legisla
ture by Republicans this year WI
make the position of Governor Ed
wards even more trying than it has
been heretofore, when he has had fair
ly large representations of his party
both in the House Of Assembly and the
Senate. to support him in the political
fights by which his term has been
marked
The Republicans are inclined to look
upon the wholesale sweep of their
party on Tuesday as a reputation of
all things Democratic, and they will,
it Is believed, feel justified in trying
to embarrass the Governor at every
turn.
Defeat Is Complete
Every new return in New Jersey
serves to make the defeat of the Demo-
cratic party more complete. The most
disheartening feature of the election
from Democratic viewpoint is the de-
cislve defeat of all of the partys can
dldatoj in Hudson County, which al
most from time immemorlal has sent
down solid Democratic delegations to
the Legislature, ana which last year
gave Governor Edwards majority of
more than $4,000. Harding carried it
over Cox by more than 10000 and the
twelve Republican candidates for The
Assembly were elected. An almost
similar condition is found in Essex.
where twelve Republicans will supplant
a solid Democratic delegation.
The new House of Assembly will be
made up Of ffty-nine Republicans and
one Democrat, and the new Senate viii
consist of fifteen Republicans and six
Democrats. This is the first time in
the history Of New Jersey that either
of the parties has had only one repre-
sentative in the House of Assembly.
The Democrat who has the distinction
of establishing this precedent is As
blymanelect Harry Runyon. of
Belvidere, Warren County, and. as he
is the lone member of his party in the
House, he viii be the absolute minor
ity the minority leader, the candidate
of his party for every important House
office and the minority member OF
every House committee.
If Assem- blyman- elect Runyon proves
~ NC a man VI dDiIiSJ eISdt OppOl tulii-
ties for prominence will be open before
him, but he will have busy season as
legislator in keeping tabs on the
tifty-nine Republicans who will, in all
probability, be seeking to scuttle the
Democratic ship and its one-man crew
He will, however, have little difficulty
in getting himself together for eau
cuses.
Whatever designs Governor Edwards
may have entertained against state
departments, in which Republicans hold
positions of Importance, viii in all
probability either be Abandoned en-
tirely, or greatly modified in conse-
quence of Tuesdays election, and the
tremendous effect it has had in weak
ening the strength of his position in
state politics.
1t is regarded as virtual certainty
that the Republicans Will act early in
the 1921 session of the Leg gislature to
relieve the Governor Of a great meas
ure Of the joint power that Governor
is usually allowed to exercise along
with the Legislature, and there is every
reason to believe that among the first
bills of the new session will be those
to overcome the action by which Gov
ernor Edwards ousted from office the
State Highway Commission and the
Public Utility Commission.