Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-12
URGE STATE VOTE
ON Jury MEASURE
Essex Trades Council Scores
Legislature for Alleged Vio-
lations of Pledges.

Without a dissenting vote, feso-
luton demanding that the voters of
the State should decide whether or
not there is to be a change in the
jury law. was passed by the Essex
Trades Council at. its meeting last
night The council, representing more
than 10000 laboring men and women,
made clear its stand on the jury
reform question by the following
resolution. a copy of which will be
sent to Governor Fielder:
Resolved, by the Essex Trades
Council in regular meeting assembled
this 18th day of April, 1913, that we
again voice our opposition against
any so-ealled jury reform bill' that
does not carry with it an amend
ment permitting the voters of each
county to elect their commissioners
after they have decided by the ref
erendum to adopt the commission
form of selecting their jurors
BY this resolution the labor people,
representing a large percentage of
the total voting strength of the
county, show their attitude on the
proposed change in the jury law
which Governor Fielder is about to
stump the State for. In the first
place, the labor men are opposed
to any sort of a change without a
referendum provision. which the
Jury refonmers" in the recent legis
latiVe session would not stand for.
After making sure that the voters
themselves should decide to have
jury commissioners, if there were to
be any, the labor men by their reso-
luton, insist further that each county
shall elect its own commissioners
This is exactly opposite to the sense
of the jury bill which the governor
is advocating, that of having the
jury commissioners appointed by the
governor. The later proposal of hav-
ing Supreme or Circuit Court judges
name the jury commissioners is also
rejected by the labor men in their
insistenee of electing their own COM
missioners.
The councils resolution on the jury
question was offered by Henry f.
Hilfers, secretary and legislative rep
resentatiVe of the council.
Another who spoke against a Gov
ernor-appointed commission was
Hugh V. Reilly. He pointed out that
If Governor proved TO be unworthy
it would naturally follow that the
jury system throughout the State
might be expected to be corrupt
The speaker declared an unworthy
sheriff affected but one county.
The Senate was roundly scored for
it's refusal TO accept any of the va
rious jury laws proposed which had
referendums attached. A. j. Cozzo-
limo. former president of the council,
declared that this refusal of the Sem
ate was an insult to the laboring
people of the State as well a others,
by implying that they were not in
telligent enough to vote on ques-
ton so vital to their lives.
Members of the upper House were
also criticized for their refusal to
pass the anti-injunetion bill Gov
ernor Fielder will be asked to recon-
mend that such bill be passed dur
ing the coming extra session of the
Legislature which convenes on May C.
The labor men maintained that such
legislation was indorsed in the ma
tional platform of the Democrats
and the State Democrats were bound
to support it.
The other unredeemed pledge
was the constitutional convention
bill which The labor men wanted en-
acted. The anti-injunction bill. which
passed the House. would permit
peaceful picketing during strikes.
1t was reported by Delegate Lohse
of the Buffers and Polishers' local,
that $2,143.a0 had been received for
the striking garment workers during
their recent strike.