Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-10
BILLS FATE THAT
OF DEMOCRATS
Read Says if C. Q. p. Jury
Measure Fails Opponents
viii Lose Majority.
EFro.n . stan Correspondent

TRENTON. n. J.. May Ex-senator
Read, minority leader in the upper
House. in a statement yesterday. de-
ciared that the Republicans had been
standing consistently for jury re-
form for two years and that he be-
iieved that If the present special SEES
sion does not pass his bill for Circuit
Conrt-appolnted commissions. the
people Of the State win elect a Re-
publican Governor and a Republican
legislative majority in the fall ito
have progressive and constructive
legislation next year"
In discussing the situation Senator
Read said:
..si.i here seems to be a nlisappre-
hension on the part of many of what
the Republican members of the Leg
islature have assumed in the spe-
cial session. 1t is charged that there
are political reasons that prompt our
acts because of the fact that there
are eighteen Democratic sheriffs in
the state of New Jersey.
This is absolutely untrue as Is
shown by the fact that in the fall
Of 1911. when the majority of the
sherins were Republican, the Repub-
lican convention pledged itself for
Grand Jury reform. admitting that
even though there were many good
sheriffs our present system of draw
ing grand juries was not ideal and
gave too much of a chance to have
political favor in the selection of
juries.
'sRepublicans We're for Jury Reform"
The Republican members of the
Legislature OF 1912 were consistently
for jury reform, as are the Repub
lican members of the present Legis-
lature. but last year We found the
task too great to consider in the
mass of legislation that was given
US to consider at that session, and
50 the matter was referred to a
commission to impartially investigate
the q VS. of all of the States and the
conditions in other States and of our
own State. with the result that a con-
structive and progressive jury re-
form measure was introduced into
The legislature of 1913, and for this
bin the Republicans have proved
consistent When they found that
they could not get this bill through
Because of partisan politics they
agreed 10 take the best bill that the
democrats had to offer because that
bin was better than the present
method Of drawing juries
1.-THE defeat. therefore, of jury re-
form was due to the inability of the
Democratic party to unite as such
upon any real constructive measure,
ana thereby showing their incapacity
to legislate.
THE calling of an extra session
was a confession upon the part of
the Democratic party that they have
failed in the responsibilities which
they had assumed and had to sub
nit to the unusual procedure of call
ing an extra session to try and pass
Z purely party pledge, which is the
Grst time such a thing has occurred
IN the State Of New Jersey.
Wilson should Welcome G. o. p"
1T must be humiliating to the
Democratic party to have the Presi-
dent Of the United States. our former
Governor, come back to lecture mem
bers Of his own party because they
have failed in their public trust and
it is peculiar to note that President
Wilson did not mention the Repub-
lean party in his recent speeches. It
seems to me that he could have con-
sistently given the Republicans cred
It for their jury reform measure, for
It embodied practically all the things
IN the way of jury reform which he
advocates and practically all reforms
upon which his reputation is based
were passed by the aid of the Re
pubIIcans and many times the meas
ures were actually introduced by
them Therefore it would seem that
he should advocate the return of
Republican Legislature which could
he depended upon to do the right
thing rather than Democratic Leg
fslatIre which has been shown to be
confessed failure.
3 ie apparent TO the people of the
state that the present controversy in
the Democratic party in this session
Is not matter of reform, but purely
matter of politics, in which the
Democratic aspirants for a Guberna-
torial nomination are endeavoring to
out -naneuver one another, and hav-
ing failed as a party to keep their
pledges. are trying to blind the peo-
pie by posing as the advocates OF a
measure the legislative failure of
which is due to their own lack of
faith.
There is only one real jury reform
bill before the Legislature, and that
Is the one introduced and supported
by the Republicans. and if jury re
form is to result in the special session
Il should be this bill or one similar
TO it, and there is none such now be-
fore the Legislature. But, failing in
this, the people of the State will have
a chance, of which they no doubt will
avail themselves, 10 have progressive
and constructive legislation next year
when they return a Republican Gov
ernor and Republican legislative ma
jority to State control"