Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-01
sen. LEAWTT FOR
SHER|FF'S JUR|ES
Mercer County Legislator An
sWers Attack and Declares
His Stand.
fFrom stan Correspondent,

TRENTON, y. j.. April 1.-Defend-
Ing himself from attacks made on his
stand on the jury bill, Senator Harry
| d. Leavitt. Republican, of Mercer,
who, as the Star pointed out
last week, will stand for a bill by
which sheriffs will retain the power
to draw juries under strict regula-
ton, has issued a statement which
shows that IN doing so he is only
acting consistently with the views
which he has held for a long time
and with bills introduced by him in
former Legislatures.
In part Senator Leavitts state
ment Is:
MY record on jury reform should
be q sufficient answer to all such
criticism as has recently appeared.
The only just excuse for that criti-
cism would be ignorance of my work
for jury reform l have been con-
sistently for Grand Jury reform for
number Of years. Indeed. before it
was popular measure and before It
had the support of the newspapers of
the State; when it required courage
to be on that side of the question.
Men will, of course, honestly differ
as TO what constitute real Grand
Jury reform. For my part [ do not
call it reform to take the power Of
appointing Juries out of the hands Of
the sheriff, elected by the people of
the several counties, and put it in the
hands Of partisan Governor, who
could readily make of the Grand Jury
under such a law a State machine
President Wilson himself has evil
IDENTITY changed his attitude upon this
measure, as the Democrats. who do
not seem to be competent to manage
the State Of New Jersey without get
ting orders from Washington, have
dropped this form of BILL which but
Q. few weeks ago they claimed was
the only real reform. If President
Wilson has a right TO change his
mind, some of us smaller fry think
we have a similar right
My record upon Grand Jury re-
form cannot be impeached. intro
duced a bill and voted for it some
time ago, I voted for the Read bill,
and ] voted also for the bill author
izing the Governor to appoint jury
commissioners. although I did not
think 1t was the best kind of jury re-
form that could be devised. and ON
the floor of the Senate at the time
the vote was taken so expressed my
self. All Of these measures, however.
have had their friends and their adj
yocates and in my willingness to ac-
cept any kind Of measure that
seemed an improvement upon the
present system. | have voted for all
Of these things which at the time ]
knew that the measure I voted 'r
was the only thing in this line thar
could fe gotten.
81 haye right. however. to my
opinion as to what is the best kind OF
jury reform. and in my capacity as a
rlember u tie conference committee
[ have the right to advocate the kind
of jury reform that ! think is best
ThatesL have done. The measure I
have urged upon my fellow conferees
is the one which ! introduced and
which [ believe to be better than any
of the measures now pending.
"The act which introduced and
which | am now advocating provides
that the sheriff may make up an
eligible list, and If this eligible list is
not satisfactory to the judge of the
court the latter may strike out any