Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-21
FIELDER MAKES A
Jury BILL APPEAL
Talks Before Small Audience in
Asbury Park Methodist
Church.
LspeeIaI 70 tI,e Newark star.l

ASBURH, PARK, N. j., April IL
Governor. Fielder's initial appear
arce before the public as an ex-
ponent Of a bill providing for the
selection by Supreme Court justices
of commissions to draw juries, in
which position there shall be no OPP
portunity for the people to accept or
reject it, was made here yesterday at
the Second NJ. e. Church.
Invited by the pastor of the church,
the Rev. DeWitte c. Cobb, and the
Mems Club, the executive talked to
an audience composed of slightly less
than 100 men, several women and a
number of children. In several ways
his appearance here was regarded as
being like carrying Goals to New
castle" In the first place it was
admitted by the city's head, Mayor
Bennett, and others, that Monmouth
County has never suffered from
sheriffs who have acted improperly
in drawing jurors. furthermore,
Speaker Taylor, of the House, who
was another speaker asserted that
he had always stood and always
would stand for the kind of a jury
law that Governor Fielder wants.
and that Assembiyinan Mount and
Senator Slocum, the other represen-
tatives of the county in the Legis-
lature, also had committed them
selves to vote similarly.
To those who remembered the stand
that Governor Fielder took against
the compromise jury bill that Assem-
blyman McDermott offered in the last
legislative session, one part of which
threw many safeguards around the
selection of jurors by the sheriff,
while the other provided for court
appointed commissions, a remark
made by the Governor in the course
of his address savored somewhat OF
inconsistency. 1t was to this effect:
81 don't think the average man
cares much what individual or in
dividuals draw the juries so long as
they are drawn carefully l don't
believe the voter cares whether that
official is called a sheriff or not, as
long as safeguards are guaranteed In
the selection of jurors"
What the Governor said was large
ly condemnation. of the system
which, he said, allowed one man to
have absolute control over so inn
portant a question as the selection
of juries. He asserted that choice
of commissioners by Supreme Court
! judges would entirely eliminate poll
tics from jury drawing because the
commissioners would be bipartisan
and the courts were known to be
| 90
should be no referendum before such
a law became operative in the State
he asserted, because for two years
he said, the Democratic party hao
pledged itself to the sort of jury re-
form that the public generally under
stood to mean would abolish the
power of sheriffs to name juries.
In discussing the plank on thu
subject of the jury law, the governor
quoted from the Democratic plat
form Of 1911. This, he said, wal
drawn mp In a convention Soyei
which the man who has done hi
utmost to prevent the passage of an
jury bill without a referendum" pre-
sided. IT is presumed that the gov
ernor referred to Assemblyman Mar
tin, of Hudson. when he said this
The plank which he. quoted read a:
follows:
1.-THE successful administration Of
! the criminal law OF the State hav'
| ing again and again been defeated
| by the fact that the sheriffs of coun-
| ties have been able to use and con-
troll grand juries for personal and pc.
litical purposes, we favor a recast'
| ing of the law of the State so fan
as it affects the choice of grand
jurles and the supervision of the
drawing Of petit juries."
1T is difficult" said Governor
Fielder in opening his remarks. &c
induce people to take personal in
terest in matters affecting them sc
vitality. This question of jury reform
is n matter that ought to receive
very careful consideration from every
citizen of the State of New Jersey
and | regret to find, not only In my
own county, but elsewhere, woeful
lack of knowledge of the subject. Ii
is a subject that men like you
Christian men, men interested In
matters of religion and who believe
that good citizenship and religion are
very closely allied-can assist in get
ting reform in which is sadly needed
in this State.
II have no quarrel whatever with
any member of the Legislature. Dem
ocrat or Republican. who does not
feel on this subject as l do. or who
has not been willing to vote for a
commission bill without a referen-
dunn, but | do disagree with them
for not doing so and with their rea-
sons.
1.-The difficulty is one that Is eX-
perienced in counties that have grown
up under an improper system. | fine
no fault with any sheriff now In
Office, and 1t is not necessary to men
ton any previous sheriff. am moi
condemning men, but system which
makes IT possible for one man to have
absolute power and control over the
men who shall serve on grand and
petit juries. The sheriff, If he deems
it necessary or for any reason desires
to do so, can select a certain class
or reject certain class of men, q
fact which has made it possible In
the past for the sheriff to say to one
man through a grand jury drawn fol-
specific purpose, You shall go free
although you are guilty and to an
other. You shall be indicted and run
the risk of a trial."