opposition of a majority of the Legislature, were passed. Some normally
anti-machine members in such a situation become worn out, get
discouraged and vote for machine policies to secure machine support for
measures, the passage of which their constituents at home are demanding.
Others, in the confusion of a whirlwind close of the session, vote for
measures which they have no time to read, and which they cannot
understand. Thus, even with a majority of Senate and Assembly against
machine policies, the clever machine leaders often slip through measures
which could not be passed early in the session, when the members have
opportunity to study the bills upon which they are called upon to act,
and before the ranks of the reform element have been broken.

This was very well illustrated at the Session of 1909 by the passage of
the so-called Change of Venue bill[74a]. This measure was introduced in
the Assembly by Grove L. Johnson. Under its provisions a person charged
with crime would have been permitted upon his whim or caprice to allege
bias and disqualify the Judge before whom he was to be tried. The
Legislature of 1907 was admittedly controlled by the machine, but even
the Legislature of 1907 did not dare pass the Change of Venue bill. The
reform Legislature of 1909, however, did pass it. The manner in which it
was passed is a lesson in machine methods. To the credit of Governor
Gillett let it be said, however, that he vetoed the measure[75].

Grove L. Johnson having introduced the bill, it was referred to
Johnson's committee, the Judiciary Committee of the Assembly. The
Committee held it until February 5, when it was referred back to the
Assembly with the recommendation that it "do pass." On March 13, eleven
days before adjournment, it passed the Assembly, by a vote of 42 to 15,
41 votes being required for its passage. Assemblymen like Drew, Telfer,
Wilson and Stuckenbruck, men who fought the machine and machine policies