New-York tribune., 1913-05-13
WILSON MEN YIELD
ON JERSEY JURY BILL
House Passes Egan Measure
with Referendum After They
Get "Jim" Smiths Aid.
REFORM SEEMS DOOMED
Machine Gets What 1t Sought,
and Senate Is Expected to
Defeat Hybrid Pro-
posal To- day.
IRv telegraph 70 Tho Tribune

Trenton. May l2-As the result OF an
agreement between friends OF President
Wilson and the adherents OF the Smith
Nugent machine. the Assembly this af-
ternoon passed a hybrid jury reform bill.
after some Of the Presidents most en-
thusiastic supporters had asserted on the
floor Of the House that the measure was
makcshift and did not carry out the
pledge in the Democratic platform of last
fall. II was stated that President VIII
son had agreed TO this compromise. but,
despite this fact eight Democratic AS
semblymen refused to vote for ii.
Speaker Taylor took the credit for
bringing about the passage OF the COM
promise and he said that acting as an
agent FOR Joseph p. Tumulty. the Pres-
dents secretary. he had canvassed the
state. among those whom he called on
being Jim" Smith. the oldtime Demo
cratic boss of Essex County.
The bill. as passed to-day, IS the Egan
bill. which provides for the appointment
by the Chancellor OF a commissioner. who
is To act in conjunction with the Sheriff
in drawing juries. but instead OF the bill
t
was attached 10 it, with the result that IL
must be submitted 10 the voters at the
next general election and adopted by a
majority before becoming opefative.
The referendum was the concession
made by the Wilson leaders to the ma
chine. and IL practically means no jury
reform at all as II gives the machine an
opportunity TO concentrate its forces
and defeat the measure on Election Day
a situation they had been angling for all
along.
Although the Presidents friends had
enough votes to pass genuine jury re-
form bin carly last week. they found on
Saturday the machine had taken away
enough OF the Assemblymen TO make them
two votes short. 4 compromise was theh
suggested. and Speaker Taylor. according
To his own statement to-day. received
commission from Secretary Tumulty on
SATURDAY to see what ne could do toward
lining up enough votes To pass the hy ybrld
measure which went through to-day.
The news Of Taylor's visit 10 Jim
Smith after his talk with the President
secretary all came out ~ Il heated con
trovcrsy between the Speaker and As
semblvman Charles O'COnOr Hennessey
Of Bergen. during which the two nearly
came 10 blows. after Hennessey had
called Taylor "A liar ilenncssey was one
of the most strenuous opponents Of the
hybrid bill. although always a warm
supporter Of the President. and his III
yective and sarcasm was so biting that
Sneaker Taylor left the chair and ac-
cused the Bergen Assemblyman Of vio-
lating the Democratic platform pledge by
voting against the full crew bill
The bin Is expected TO come up ~ the
Senate tomorrow. but is not expected To
pass. the latest information here tonight
being that the nine Republicans Will stand
solidlv against 1t. II was even said that
onposition from the Democratic Side
would not be surprising. Governor Field
or said that while the bill was an eX-
tremelv weak one. he nevertheless would
sign it II II reached him.
Washington. May l2.-Presldent Wilson
Viewed with satisfaction the passage OF
turv reform bin to-day by the New Jersey
IIouse- The White House looked upon the
hin az a victory for the Efforts Of the
President in his trip to New Jersey. MI
wilson had declared he would favor "a
r.fereudum II II were genuine and op-
d ,,revious nrouosals because a per