The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-03-07
Somerset County has established q


Somerset County has established a
Law and Order League" Judging
from the following remarks of the Som.
erset Unfonist Gazette such an organiza-
ton would be a good thing for Hunterdou
county
We commend to every good citizen of
this county the objects OF the Law and
Order League, as they were stated in the
constitution of tlnt orgahization publish
ed by us last week The'consiitntinn de
clares that
It's object shallb be TO suppress the H.
legal sale of intoxicating liquors, and 10
enfotca the Laws of This state ON the sub 3,
iect of lntempetalce, Immoral Publ
cations, Sabbath Breaking, Profanity,
Bribery at Elections and every evil or
practice subyersive'of good public morals
and good citizenship.
III there is among us any citizen who
values the higher interests of society, and
who believes in administering govern.
ment of law according to the law, he eau
hardly find an excuse to decline to give
his hearty support, and, indeed, his full
cooperation to 'suchi society as that
named. There is no cost attached tn the
membership. 1t is expected that volun-
tary donations will be forthcoming as re-
quired to eriable its executive committee
10 carry outlthe designs Of the League.
The work to be dome Is all con dmore.
It is nlanifestly the. case that this coun
ty, like all others il the State, allows
many crimes against the public morals,
and hence against the public welfare, to
pass unnoticed by grand juries. One.
private citizen alone will not take it IN
hand to see thatllaws which do not par
ticnlarly concern him as an individual are
thoroughly and rigidly enforced. It may
not be expecting too much of him to de-
mand this, but we arc not living IN any
millennium of citizenship yet, Neither
willgfand jnries act, as u rule, upon their
own investigation and ferret out matters
which are known only by public rumor
and without direct complaint to them
under oath. And prosecutors of the pleas
are not expected, it seems, to go hunting
up cases of public transgressions and pub
lie immorahties, although it would puzzle
an ordinary man to understand why not
in some certain grave cases. Asa matter
of experience, therefore Che public itself,
through number OF its Representatives,
must unite to push prosecution CON
corning the public morals through to con-
vielion if it is to be done.
We all know what combined effort ac-
complished in this county during the in-
vestigation into its public finances in 1879.
No one or two men could have brought
any offenders against the public veal to
justice. 1t is precisely so us to many of
the crimes mentioned in the constitu ton
of the Law and Order League Take,
for instance, the first subject of all, the
enforcement of the laws relating to the
licensing of drinking places. While the
courts are warned to take care that no
more places are licensed for the sale of
Intoxicating drinks than are necessary and
conducive TO the public good (and the
courts will hold that under the statute
some few are conducive to the public
good) they are always open to information
upon this point and especially as to the
worthiness of the applicants, the lawful
status of the freeholders who certify to
their applications aud the truth of the
certificates. Here and there is a locality
which will look out after its public well
fare IN this direction every time, but
other localities are discouraged and do
not press objections when valid. And,
in any event, it is much better to have
one county organization for the examina-
ton of all license applications and for OPP
posing the unworthy. UNNECESSARY or IL
legal ones than for nine or ten local sos
cieties 10 undertake it. ...i
And, take the second matter alluded
to--the crime of bribery. This is an Of
fence which is becoming so rank in this
State that it smells to heaven. And what
does it need SO much as public prosecu-
torsp Private prosecutions there will not
be. Public organizations, irrespective OF
party ties, can alone present that front to
it which will conquer. All good citizens
must deprecate the evils of purely NOR
cenary elections aud none should refuse to
aid in their overthrow. 1H
When it comes to REFRESHING the sale
of immoral newspapers, books and pic
lures, which are sold In this county to an
extent that will surprise the uninitiated 4;
10 the subject Of the Sunday laws, which
In their true spirit ATE wise and necessary
to The welfare ofevery community /; to the
ordinary street vices of drunkenness and
loud profanity; to gambling. perjury and
various crimes affecting society at large
whose name is legion, il is tno patent to
need discussion that Il Law and Order
League should meet II felt public want and
is about the only society which ctn pro
perly take hold Of these crimes.
So we welcome the new organization
and bid it God speed IL seems to be
well oilcered and our Information is that
it Etmeans business. Could il carry out
half its plans or inns it will make som
erset county a more desirable place in
which TO live than it has been for few
years back. ~ iif