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The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was promoted by Gog the Mild via FACBot (talk) 9 January 2023 [1].

New Jersey's 1927 biannual elections proposal

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Nominator(s): Wehwalt (talk) 23:53, 20 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

This article is about... an incident in the history of New Jersey, the state where I grew up, that I learned about, oddly enough, when I was playing College Bowl as an undergrad and a question came up mentioning it and asking us to differentiate biennial and biannual, as the legislature of New Jersey had some trouble doing. I've been meaning to write this for years and finally have enough material to put it at FAC. New Jersey is not famous for spelling or grammar, and, as this article will show you, there's some reason for that. Enjoy.Wehwalt (talk) 23:53, 20 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Comments from HAL

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This made me chuckle. Here's what I noticed:

  • I would link Jersey City in the lead, as you do in the body.
  • "That document, which would remain in force until 1947" - "which remained in force...". More concise.
  • Maybe add {{See also|History of the New Jersey State Constitution}} the Background section. Feel free not to
  • Unlike the two other fellows, A. Harry Moore isn't linked in his caption.
  • "Legislators could have re-passed" --> I think it's just "repassed"
  • "The Bergen Evening Record editorialized" --> Should "The" be italicized as well?
  • There is a duplicate link of The New York Times
  • I would link Parimutuel betting for the uninitiated

That's all. ~ HAL333 23:40, 21 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I got those things. Thanks for the review.--Wehwalt (talk) 19:51, 22 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
( Peanut gallery comment) The Record (North Jersey) tends to include "the" in the proper name of the paper, so I agree with HAL's suggestion that it be italicized. — Red-tailed hawk (nest) 18:48, 22 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Agreed. In my youth I was a paper boy for The Record so I should have known. Wehwalt (talk) 19:52, 22 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by FrB.TG

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  • Before the proposal could be put before the voters for final approval, it was noticed that it provided that Assembly members, instead of being elected biennially, once in two years, as was meant, were to be chosen "biannually", meaning they were to be elected twice a year. The three parentheses between "assembly members" and "were to be chosen" make the sentence a little hard to read.
  • "Prior to 1926" - I would just use "before" and have one less word.
  • "In 1915, amendments for women's suffrage, allowing excess condemnation" - I feel like there's something missing after suffrage because it looks like an incomplete sentence (without the verb-ing modifier)."
  • "Several amendments, sponsored by Assemblyman Clifford R. Powell of Burlington County, a Republican.[8] were" - there should be a comma after "Republican" instead of full stop.
  • "...trying to get rid of a watch dog, the Democratic governor, that the people had placed to guard against Republican excesses" - it reads as if the watch dog is the Democratic governor?
  • Governor Moore said that the vote "shows that the people of New Jersey hold the constitution too sacred to permit political manipulation." Full stop after the quotation mark, per MOS:LQ.
  • If it had been adopted it would have plunged us into endless confusion".[83] Full stop within the quotes, per MOS:LQ.

Interesting article. FrB.TG (talk) 11:04, 27 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. I think I've gotten to everything above.--Wehwalt (talk) 14:49, 27 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Support FrB.TG (talk) 20:23, 27 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for the review and support. Wehwalt (talk) 23:55, 27 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

SC

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1926 passage
  • "Several amendments, sponsored by Assemblyman Clifford R. Powell of Burlington County, a Republican,[8] were passed". It's a bit choppy. "Several amendments, sponsored by Republican Assemblyman Clifford R. Powell of Burlington County,[8] were passed" may read a little easier (although I leave that to your discretion.
I'm afraid that if I do that, the Jobtitles MOS hawks will deem it not a title but a descriptor and lower case it.
  • "the Senate on June 29 adjourned until July 7," that also reads a little inelegantly: "the Senate adjourned on June 29 until July 7" may be a thought?
Done a bit differently.
Campaign
  • "Hague disciple": this description is a bit POV for me
The source describes Hague as Daly's "political mentor" and Daly as the "Hague representative" in Bayonne.--Wehwalt (talk) 18:28, 28 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Is there a reason we have "Governor Moore, Senator Edwards" at one point and "state senator William B. Mackay" at another? I don't see the difference in the use of title, so shouldn't they all be capitalised?
I'm really not certain what to do with "state senator" so I've capped the Senator.--Wehwalt (talk) 18:28, 28 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • "Edwards, Norton, Hague and Heher" has no serial comma; "Italian-American, African-American, Jewish, and rural voters" has. It should be consistent.
Done.--Wehwalt (talk) 18:28, 28 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

An interesting article - beautifully written as always. Cheers - SchroCat (talk) 18:02, 28 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

All done. Thank you for the review.--Wehwalt (talk) 18:28, 28 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Excellent stuff - a support from me. Cheers - SchroCat (talk) 18:34, 28 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Comments Support from Ceranthor

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"You from Joisey? What exit?" 171 on the Parkway in my case.--Wehwalt (talk) 22:09, 29 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Lead
  • This is a very long lead. I think it should be consolidated to three paragraphs
Done, but there's a lot going on. I've saved words where I could and deleted some phrases as surplus.
  • "one, and also lengthen" - don't need the comma here
  • Why is the title "1927 biannual elections proposal" if it was in both 1926 and 1927? Just trying to clarify
Since the vote took place in 1927. I've relied on the titling of campaigns and elections where the campaigning bridged two years but the vote took place in the second year, for example William Henry Harrison 1840 presidential campaign, where the convention took place in 1839 and the election in 1840.
  • "The original version, passed by the Assembly, did not mention "biannually" but the version passed by the Senate and then accepted by the Assembly did use the word." - need a comma here before "but the version"
  • "and a vote set for September 27, 1927." - "was" is missing from "was set"
  • ", and set the referendum date for September 20, 1927." - don't need the comma here
Background

Looks good.

1926 passage
  • "o pass zoning regulations, in March 1926," - don't think commas are needed
  • Second and third paragraph should be combined
  • "The provisions altering the terms of the senators passed by 44–11, the same tally as passed the provision extending the governor's term.[15] " - not sure if this is a typo or missing a word, but "the same tally as passed the provision" doesn't read easily to me. What about "the provision extending [...] passed by the same tally"? Also switches to active voice.
  • "Sponsored by Senator Henry A. Williams of Passaic County[21] and a substitute for a version prepared by a Senate committee" - reads a bit weirdly since the first bit is "sponsored" but the second bit lacks a verb... what if you added a verb like substituted or something along those lines?
Substitute seems to be a legislative term and I'd like to stick to that. I've rewritten the passage a bit differently.
1927 passage
  • " governing document, but stated his opposition to the lengthening of the gubernatorial term" - don't need comma
  • "It was passed on February 22, with two of the Senate's four Democrats opposing (the other two were absent),[34] a vote of 13–2.[35]" - cut out "was", better as active voice anyway. I'd also switch the 13-2 to the start so it reads as "It passed 13-2 on February 22, with [...] opposing ([...]absent)."
Discovery and reaction
  • "The legislature was not limited to the subjects mentioned by Moore, and could consider" - don't need comma
  • "to change the date of the election, and to authorize two more judges" - no comma
  • "urged that the amendment be abandoned.[57][56]" - refs should be in ascending order
Campaign
  • "supporting the zoning amendment, but opposing the term extender.[63]" - don't need comma
  • "routine in presidential years, and that national issues " - no comma
  • " that they were trying to get rid of the Democratic governor, that the people had placed as a watch dog to guard against Republican excesses" - comma splice here I think, but easy to fix. Just get rid of comma and add and, so convert to "governor and that [...]"
I've gone back to the source and rephrased. See what you think.--Wehwalt (talk) 22:07, 29 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Election and aftermath
  • "beaten amendments, and voted for zoning" - don't need comma
  • "He called it "a bad things to use the state constitution " - Need an [sic] tag or to change things to thing if it's just a typo
  • "1947,[94] and provided that the General Assembly shall consist of members "elected biennially".[c][96]" - don't need comma

Looks great otherwise. Nice work. ceranthor 18:57, 29 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, I think I've either done or responded to everything. Thanks for the review.--Wehwalt (talk) 22:07, 29 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. Support. Happy with the explanations/actions in response to my comments. ceranthor 14:28, 30 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Image review

  • Suggest adding alt text
  • File:1927_New_Jersey_Question_4_results_map_by_county.svg: see MOS:COLOUR
I've made it more clear that full statistical information can be found in the freely-available source. The alternative would be to add an effective duplicate of that to the page. While MOS:COLOUR says not to rely on color to convey information, it doesn't say that the alternative means of getting the information to the reader has to be on the page.--Wehwalt (talk) 20:32, 30 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • File:Ex-Gov._E.C._Stokes_(...),_2-17-23_LCCN2016847236_(cropped).jpg: when and where was this first published?
The Library of Congress says no known restrictions on National Photo Company, but I see there's a PD-no-notice tag. I've removed that.--Wehwalt (talk) 20:32, 30 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Nikkimaria (talk) 20:02, 30 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for the image review.--Wehwalt (talk) 20:32, 30 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Source review by Z1720 - pass

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Version reviewed

  • Ref 26: "Assembly bills". Legislative Index.: Is there a way to get a link to this anywhere? Should a longer ref be included in the Bibliography section?

No other concerns, please ping when the above is addressed. Z1720 (talk) 23:07, 1 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Z1720, the Legislative Index is not online, it was most kindly emailed to me by the New Jersey State Law Library. And since it is a periodical and we're putting periodicals in individual references, I'm trying to be consistent. Thanks for the source review.--Wehwalt (talk) 23:12, 1 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Pass: I did a random spot check for formatting and verifying, and I have no other concerns. Z1720 (talk) 23:19, 1 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]


The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.
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