Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-19
HOUSE PASSES, BUT
AMENDS JURY BILL.
Wilson's Order Regarding Ref
erendum Disregarded by
Members of Assembly.


governorship between the Wilson
forces on the one side and the anti
Wilson forces on the other. is already
on. and with such a bill as the Dem
Gratis have supported, the grand jury
would become the football of State
politics The Democratic scheme per-
petuates political control of the in
strumentalities for drawing juries.
the very thing their platform de-
olared against, making 1t possible to
build up a Statewide political ma
chine. 1t is mere transfer Of po-
litical power from local to State au-
thority. 1t has been ridiculed and
condemned BY influential Democratic
newspapers. The people should not
be deceived by such a subterfuge
Every Republican in each House
has voted and gone on record for
divorcing the grand jury from poll
tics and the responsibility for final
action is therefore clearly up to the
Democratic majority and their die
tators."
AS the result of receiving a tele-
gram from Joseph P. Tumulty. pri-
vate secretary to President Woodrow
Wilson. to the effect that the Presi-
dents feelings as to referendum TO
a jury commission bill had become
altered and that the President was
now in favor of a bill without any
referendum. Mayor II. Otto Wittpenn
today sent a telegram to President
Wilson himself, promising TO do what
he could for the Davis bill. Witt
penis activity, however, did not aid
In passing the unamended bills as the
President wishes.
Yesterday Mayor Wittpenn sent
Secretary Tumulty a telegram saying
he was for jury commission, but with
IAN honest referendum" This was
after Governor Fielder had sent Mr..
Tumulty a message complaining that
Mayor Wittpenn had refused to aid
him in having a jury reform bill
passed without any referendum.
Mayor wittpenn's telegram TO Presi-
dent Wilson is as follows
White House, Washington, d. c.
Il agree with you and will do what
can for the Davis bill. Ny demand
for an honest referendum on the jury
bill was in accord with your last dec
laration on the subject. / am, how
ever, committed to jury reform. and
will aid in the passage of the bill
without a referendum. l have favored
the Zisgen bill from the beginning, be-
lieving only that it should not De
adopted where not wanted.
my position on this measure has
always been clear, and, with you,
have only sought the fullest measure
of home rule. Senator Fielder's effort
to direct the fight for the jury re-
form has caused confusion until your
telegram was received, for the reason
that he publicly accepted the per-
nicious Martin referendum and stated
that he expected TO sign such meas
ure. On the other hand, my position
was in favor of an honest referendum
and absolutely opposed to the Martin
referendum.
III. OTTO WITTPENN."
The telegram 10 Mayor Wittpenn
from Mr.. Tumulty defining President
Wilson'S attitude toward the Davis
bill was as follows:
"The President fears that the effort
to tack referendum will be con-
strued in the present circumstances
in a way of multiplying and perhaps
defeating the measure. The Presi-
dents feeling is, therefore. altered.
Our party's obligation is plain, and
the President hopes earnestly that
you will join with the advocates of
the original measure"
Governor Fielder last night said
he had been urging upon Assembly
man Martin the necessity from a
political point of view, of passing the
Jury commission bill In the form
which the Senate passed 1t yester-
day, without a referendum, and that
he thought Mr.. Martin was beginning
to withdraw his opposition.
"I have been trying to show Mr..
Martini" said Mr. Fielder, that TO
pass the bill without a referendum is
the only way we can redeem party
PROMISES. and that if it does not pass
that way, no other jury bill will pass
and the Legislature will adjourn
without having performed this inn
portant pledge. J think Mr.. Martin
might stand for the election of jury
commissi Jrers but | would not under
any circumstances. l do not believe
the fact that this bill was referred to
his committee will make any differ
n. 4. sv.er "A,
give the bill fair run on the flooi
of the House, although he might re-
port it with another referendum.
have consulted Messrs. Steurwald
Egan and Kuhlke, of Hudson, about
the bill, and believe they are friendly
"It is most unlikely that the House
having passed the bill with a proper
referendum, viii rescind Its action"
Governor Fielder met the news
paDormen at noon and discussed free.
ly the situation with respect to the
jury commission matter and the tole'
grams that had passed between Tren
ten and Washington on the subject.
He said there was no confusion
about the matter except ia. Mayor
| Wittpenn's mind, as ne (Goyernoi
| Fielder had never favored an,
amendment, and that this was know
from the start by President Wilson
The Governor said that he drew til,
original jury commission bill withou
the referendum clause, and gave it t
Assemblyman Zisgen to introduce
The Davis bill is identical with thu
zisgen bill except that it provides TO
the appointment of commissioners b.
the Governor instead of by Suprem
Court justices.
The passage of jury commission
bill without any referendum, Gov
ernor Fielder said. he considered wa