Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-27
MAJORITY BOUND.
s SSVi
HOUSE DISCARDS
CALF FORNIA PLAN
Supporters of Recess Plan Are
Forced by Caucus to Give
Ground.
M'DERMOTT LAYS BLAME
ON SENATE'S ATTITUDE
Sponsor of the Measure, How
ever, Confident of Its Success
Another Year.
Especial to the newark star.I

TRENTON. Jan. 27-Assemblynan
Walter L. McDermott's California
plan Of legislation was Unexpectedly
put in the discard by the Democratic
majority Of the House of Assembly
today The conference Of Democrats
TINS afternoon was turned into an
out-and-out caucus, and the Demo-
Gratis were bound TO the decision OF
the majority.
OF thirty-three who attended the
caucus twenty-three voted against the
modified recess plan and ten support
ed it. Several who upheld the plan
last night were absent from the eau
Gus today. The twenty-three assem-
blymen who voted against It could
not nave stopped the adoption Of the
resolution were it brought out on the
floor because the Republican minority
at a conference this morning stood
~ to in favor of the modified plan.
With the caucus binding all Demo-
Gratis present. however, the vote
against it must be at least 80. a ma
Jority OF the House of Assembly, with
two votes to spare.
There were a number of protests
against the caucus. The most out
spoken were Assemblymen McDer-
mott, Thomas F. A. Griffin and Clin-
ton z. Fisk. Their protests did not
avail to prevent the binding of the
caucus. On a vote to caucus prac-
tically the same lines were drawn.
The minority accepted the rule of the
caucus.
Senate Attitude Responsible.
Assemblyman McDermott said after
the caucus that there was no reason
TO bolt it. The California plan is
beaten, not because the majority of
assemblymen do not want it, for it is
no = - -
of the Senate is responsible. To have
1t pass the House of Assembly only
to be beaten in the Senate would
cause delay, unrest and uneasiness-
believe it ought TO pass. and will
when brought up another year"
Emerson L. Richards, leader of The
Republican minority. said after he
learned the result Of the caucus that
the Republicans will support the
modified recess plan.
1 believe the vote will be % to /
in favor of it by Republican meln-
bers when the plan comes up for ac-
ton by the House of Assembly he
said. IF number of the Democrats
Assemblymen choose to free them
selves of the caucus the plan can still
pass the Assembly
The successful binding of the Desnd
cratic members TO the voice Of the
Z " ao q n44 P44St TO Tie Mise
ones in the gallery who assumed from
i the independent vote of some Demo-
cratic assemblymen last night that
party lines were to be permanently
broken Rumors of a coalition of the
Republican minority with some Dem
ocratic assemblymen from Essex and
Hudson were circulated. They prob
ably grew out of a late realization
that a small body of Democratic as
3 SO hi Ian III
could join with the Republican MI
nority to control the House. The same
thing was true the day after election.
| but the wiseacres failed to notice 1t.
Protests Against Caucus.
Assemblyman Bennett II. FISHER.
of Essex while voting against the
McDermott resolution, protested
against the caucus. II don't believe
in caucuses, he said But he did not
leave the meeting.
Assemblyman Bredenbek. of F1nd-
son, did not attend the caucus because
he did not hear the call for ii. Never
theless I shall abide strictly by the
caucus, he said. Last night he voted
for the resolution. Majority Leader
Branegan. addressing the Conferences
/ in favor of the vote to bind the eau
Gus. had this to say about caucuses
in general and Democratic caucuses
in particular:
There should be no objection to a
caucus which serves a good purpose.
l would like to ask what would have
been the fate of the currency bill and
the new tariff law at Washington il
the caucus had not made possible
their passage This plan you have to
consider has been so criticised by
Governor Johnson. of California that
we all must feel its lack of utility for
the Legislature of this State"
Indications last night pointed to a
victory for the California plan as
proposed by Assemblyman Walter L
McDermott, with notifications by As
semblyman John P. Kirkpatrick. Of
Middlesex, to which the Hudson man
had acceded. Today's outcome was.
therefore, complete surprise such
reversal of conditions not having
been looked for.
Signs OF trouble were not lacking
at a gathering of the Democratic
members early in the evening, and
it was freely predicted that the first
big battle of the present session
would break this afternoon when a
newly-formed combination of Demo-
Gratis and Republicans is expected to
line up in support of the plan for
California legislative plan or a modi-
fieation thereof.
Ramblings of the impending storm
were heard at a conference of Demo
cratic assemblymen last night, when
Assemblyman John P. Kirkpatrick, of
Middlesex county, submitted an
amendment to the McDermott reso-
luton TO divide the recess planned by
the latter between the times of
submitting and considering bills. The
Kirkpatrick resolution provides that
all bills must be submitted by March
2; that all committee reports must be
made by March 16. and that a recess
lCnnfinued On Pnoa 8. CaIumu Ii