4 Democrats Give G.O.P. Jersey Assembly Control (Published 1972)

TRENTON, Jan. 11—In a surprising and dramatic rever sal, the Republican minority, succeeded in organizing major ity control of the New Jersey Assembly in a tumultuous opening session here tonight.

The Republicans gained con trol through a defection organ ized by Assemblyman David J. Friedland, a Hudson County Democrat. Mr. Friedland said he had acted because the Dem ocrats were not paying enough attention to Hudson County.

Mr. Friedland was given the chairmanship of the important bipartisan Assembly Conference Committee, which clears legis lation from committees. He is also reported to be in line for another strong post and for a substantial share of the patron age controlled by the Speaker.

The defection produced four Democratic votes for the Re publicans, who succeeded in electing Thomas H. Kean of Essex County as the Republican Speaker even though they have only 39 Assemblymen to the Democrats' 40.

Since Mr. Kean's election was made possible by Demo cratic votes, neither party in the Assembly was expected to have much control over legis lation or, for that matter, any thing else. This could mean serious political trouble for Gov. William T. Cahill, a Re publican, who appeared before a joint session later tonight to deliver his second annual legislative message.

Called a ‘Judas’

Mr. Kean received 43 votes, two more than the absolute majority of 41 required to elect a presiding Speaker. The vote followed an angry debate that provoked charges of racism and in which Democrats accused the Republicans of making deal with Mr. Friedland in order to gain the Speaker's office.

“Jesus Christ had his Judas, the Democrats now have their David Friedland,” shouted Ken neth A. Gewertz, a Gloucester County Democratic Assembly man. Because of his defection, Mr. Friedland was ousted from the Democratic Assembly Con ference.

The Democrats had nomi nated S. Howard Woodson, a Baptist minister from Trenton, as the first black nominee for the Speaker's office in New Jersey's history. His defeat caused George C. Richardson, a black Democrat from Newark, to charge that the Republican deal for Democratic votes con stituted “black racism in its most ugly form.”

Another disgruntled Dem ocrat remarked bitterly in an aside to a reporter, “They might have gotten the Speaker's office, but they won't get enough votes around here from now on to get the ash trays emptied.”

As a result of the voting in the Assembly, the Republicans retained control of both houses, which they had commanded by 3‐to‐1 majorities since 1968. In the Senate, the Republicans have a comfortable 24‐to‐16 majority.

Governor Cahill, in his legis lative message, called for both parties to unite behind his at tempts to restructure what he called New Jersey's chaotic and regressive local property taxes. Although Mr. Cahill did not say so specifically, he also strongly indicated that lie would ask the Legislature this year to approve a graduated state income tax.

Although Mr. Cahill attempt ed to minimize the deep, parti san split now apparent in the Assembly, a number of Demo crats and Republicans agreed tonight that he probably was the biggest loser because of it.

He has already conceded that his chances of getting a reform tax package through the Legislature depended upon a large degree of bipartisan har mony.

For example, Mr. Woodson announced after the Governor spoke that the three Democrats who had defected with Mr. Friedland had also been ex pelled from the Democratic Assembly conference, which decides party policy on legis lation.

The Democratic fight over the leadership began right after the November election when Mr. Friedland, then the Demo cratic minority leader, insisted he be made Speaker. But at a series of conferences, Mr. Fried land was rejected on two major grounds: his suspension as a lawyer for trying to quash a criminal complaint against a reputed loanshark who alleged ly had ties to organized crime, and the concern of the Demo cratic leadership that the re cent Hudson County political scandals would create an ad verse effect if a Democrat from there became Speaker.

Last week, Mr. Friedland of fered to settle for a specifically created leadership post that would enable him to control a part of the Assembly patron age. But the Democratic con ference refused, thus prompt ing Mr. Friedland to approach the Republicans today with his offer of support and the votes of three other Democratic As semblymen—Michael F. Espo sito, and David Wallace, both from Hudson, and Edward J. Higgins of Elizabeth.

At first, Mr. Kean said the Republicans had rejected the Friedland offer by a close vote. But then the Republicans re versed themselves on the floor.

“The deal has been made,” said Mr. Woodson as he ac knowledged defeat in a tightly packed Assembly chamber. “But we will not be black mailed. We're not selling our selves to anyone. We won't give David Friedland 50 per cent of anything.”