The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-02-13

ton expires Wllu tne lillnpei III ihNi ~ -
so marked. The paper will be continued
to your address for a few following num-
beers until you have had an opportunity to
notify us, if you nave not already done so,
whether or not you desire to renew.
In March, 1888, Stephen Cox, Jr, was
elected to the B~ridgeton Council from the
First Ward of that city by the help OF
Temperance voters. Influenced by the
pledge on his part to vote against licensing
the sale of liquor. The following is his
promise as it appeared in the Bridseton
Ecening .Neps of March 9th, 1883:
BmpGEToN, March &.
10 The Caizeas Of the Fira Ward:
If elected to the City Council as member
from this ward / will vote in every instance
against the license of Hotels. Lager Beer St-
looms and Pool Rooms. Yours respectfully.
tsigncdl STEPHEN cox 9R.
Last Spring the question of license came
up in councils at a called meeting when lac
was absent from the city. He was tele-
yraphed for to be present, but claimed that
he did not receive word in season to return.
The vote was taken and license prevailed
by reason of his absence. The peculiar
circumstances attending the affair caused
many to doubt his good faith, but most
people were inclined to take the charitable
view of the subject and accept the situa-
ton, waiting for another opportunity to
free their city from licensed houses. Last
Tuesday night application was made
by ten hotel and saloon keepers for
license, and by the deciding vote of stephen
Cox. Jr.. eight of these applications were
granted. Before voting he attempted to
explain his course as follows:
Before proceeding to this matter, gentle
men. | wish to make a few remarks i'll re
gard to the position | hold on the subject.
suppose you all remember the position |
took when a candidate for Council. | sup
pose you also remember the TRADE that WAS
made upon me by the temperance people
a year ago in reference to a trip ! took to
Mays Landing. OF course they did not
say very nice things about me, and they
said them before | had returned. On that
Sunday. before | returned they held a meet
ing in Grosscup's Hall, where | was de-
nounced in umnerciful terms by a reverend
divine of this city. | heard about this
after | returned. and of course | did not
feel very pleasant about it Mr.. C0X then
went on to speak of a number of anony-
nous letters he had received, of IA most ill
sulting character. These things. he said,
had made him feel most unkindly toward
the temperance people, and he did not
know that he should ever get over it. Il
believe" he continued in substance, that
to-day a majority of the people are in favor
of a restricted or high license. We are
elected here to act according to the best in
terests of the people. There are a large
number of people coming here who must
have accommodation. | am informed that
if license is taken away the hotels will be
closed. What provision have the temper
ance people made for them? Y. year ago
the temperance people asked that the beer
saloons be closed. 1t was done, and yet
there is not a man in this Council who will
not say that there is just as much drinking
lone as there was before. | would there
fore recommend that license be granted.
If it be true that EVERY man has his
price Stephen Cox, Jr., has sold himself
for about the most pitiful remuneration on
record-that of qualification of his spite
against those who criticised, and, it would
now seem, justly, his official conduct. He
has forgotten. or chosen to ignore, the fact
that his duty as i law-maker is to consider
the welfare and wishes of the people, re-
gardless of his personal feelings toward a
portion of them, and the people at the last
city election by a majority of over 400. with
the matter directly in issue. decided EN-
phatically that they did not want the run
traffic licensed III their midst. And what
has he now to show as the proceeds Of this
miserable bargain and sale of his better
self to his baser part? His spite being
gratified, his passion cooled. when he sits
down to figure up the profit. where does it
come in? The STIR, in commenting with
approval of his course, says The die has
been cast. the Rubicon has been crossed. -
How sadly true, In the ignoble ranks Of
those who have proved recreaut to duty
and to pledges he has chosen to take his
place, and tn what profit? Is the cXecra-
ton Of honorable men to be desired , Is
the trcacherouS f~lattery Of the rum ring
and its pimps and parasites 4 thing
to be sought after. in lieu of the com
lilelltdllollS III u iibidl anu tuilStldl
community? If So, stephen Cox. .Jr.
certainly has his reward. but wc are
sure that IN after years he viii look back
upon last Tuesday night as the time when
he made the grand and fatal mistake of
his lifetime. and will seek place for rcrcu-
tance carefully and with tears.
Though Bridgcton is not Woodstown. it
is Il part rf the common battle ground be
tween Temperance and Rum and the MoNI-
TOR as deeply regrets defeat or treason in
that part of the field, aud is a. deeply in
terested in the success of Right at that
point as here at home, and has watched
with anxiety the progress. So abruptly
stayed for a time, of the work in that beau
tiful city. May it be Bridgeton's happy
future yet, and soon, to be freed from the
curse of strong drink.
Bro. Gwynne. of the .S0,tbeam, calls us
foolish for advocating the removal OF the
county buildings, in case the court house
is rebuilt, but he doesn't say exactly where
the foolishness comes in. Perhaps Bro.
Gwynne would rather not talk on the sub
ject.-Register.
Bro. Gwynne is not given to wasting
words on Improbable subjects. but we sus-
pect, if he does take a notion to talk, the