New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-05
SENSLELE NE4NTRE.

hill is pcnding n Albany which provides
that every editor. editorial writer and reporter
Of = dailv newspaper. regularly employed ~
such and not filing any other vocation. shall
he EXEMPT from jury duty. A>>cmhiyman
Rhodes who introduced it. made an argument
in its favor a few days ago before the com
mittcc having il in charge. the leading points
Of which were published in THE lRlBl NJ
Of Yesterday. That the argument was regarded
=, sound and the bill a> mcritorious one Is
attcStcd BY the fact that the committee de-
cidcd to and did subsequently make favor
able rcpot TO the Assembly.
We believe il will strike conservative law
maker, that they will make no mistake. that
they will grant no unreasonable concession. 10y
giving their votes for this measure News
uapcr men have no desire 10 shirk their public
duties. and can Justly claim that they do more
for the promotion Of the civic wcal than al
most any other st Of workers in the com
munity. 4 leading local event forclbly Illus
trates the signal value of their professional
services 10 the public. II l. agreed hy all
reputable citizens that the investigation now
in progress into the administration OF the ai-
fair, of this city and county l. of the greatest
importancc Bur if il were not for the news
papcr> the Investigation would have little effect
upon public sentiment. since comparatively
few persons would bee aware of what was
brought 70 light OF cour~" the newspapers
Of the state do no' ask for the passage 81 the
bill in question ~ a reward for any services
they NAV have rendered. But some OF them
feel that If the craft was relieved from jury
duty the public would not suffer. while the
efficiency Of the press A. a whole would hc
promoted 1.-THE work OF journalist upon
daily papcr." remarked Mr. Rhodes in his
argument. "cannot be- postponed. II must bee
done daily and within given hours simply
10 mention this fact j. 20 demonstrate that q
papcr employing a small force j, seriously
embarrassed when one or more members Of H.
staff are summoned 20 the iur! -hoN. Nj
Rhodes made another good point when he
argued that from the very nature OF their
business newspaper men are certain IN nearly
all case, to have formed and expressed opin-
ions which causes them TO be set aside. 80 that
1.-The main effect OF having them eligible Is 10
subject them 10 the annoyance and incon-
ycnicncc Of attending cour az periodic inter
walls. where they must spend an hour or two
excused in the end
TO prove that the newspapers are not asking
for something which could not with entire
propriciy he granted them. il j. only necessary
10 note who are now exempted from jury duty.
On the list are the State officials. including the
Governors private secretary. members OF the
legislature Judges -hcIiliS. clerks of courts OF
record clcrgymcn. physicians. surgeons. law
ycrs. persons employed in glass. cotton, linen
or iron manufacturing company. >upcfntcnd-
cnts. engineers and collectors on the canals,
masters. engineers and frcmcn employed upon
steam vessels superintendent. conductors and
engineers of steam railroads. telegraph opcrat
ors. members of the National Guard, mem
bcrs of fire companies, licensed engineers
Of steam boilers professors and teach
crs in colleges. academies or schools. Now
we will not claim thar all of these persons are
not Justly excused from jury duty. But we
do submit that several if not more Of them
havc far less occasion to ask TO be excused than
have newspaper men. The Rhodes bill ought
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