New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-02
THE TEMPERANCE ISSUE IN NEWJERSEY.

THE TEMPERANCE ISSUE IN NEWJERSEY
One difference between parties, the sincere
friends of temperance are beginning TO learn.
What the political Prohibitionists do i'll the
way Of legislation is apt to be done so eXtraya-
ganty and bunglngly that it gets upset by the
courts. OF this there have been many and
painful illustrations. But what the Repub-
lcan party does is apt to be done with such
care and strict regard for the Constitution that
it stays done. OF this the decision by DEM
ocratic court Of last resort in New-Jcrsey sup
plies another illustration The Democratic
Governor and Ex-Governor and AttOrney-Gen-
cral, and various other legal lights OF distinc-
ton in Democratic circles had declared most
positively that the Option-License law passed
by the Republican Legislature Of New-Jersey
was unconstitutional, and would be upset by
the courts, and because the highest court in
New-Jersey was strongly Democratic many
supposed that the veto Of the Governor would
be followed by a supporting decision. So great
was the confidence of liquor dealers in the legal
infallibility Of Democratic lawyers and poll
ticians that they made haste to force issues be-
fore the court of last resort testing the new
law at every point.
The New-Jersey Court of Errors and APP
peals is composed of ten law and six lay judges,
and only three of the sixteen are Republicans.
Chief Justice Beasley and Justices Scudder and
Van Syckel, who decided in favor of the act,
with Judges Clement and Patterson, are all
Democrats. and Justice Garrison from whose
decision in the court below the appeal was
taken. In addition to these there were tho
three Republican Justices, Depue, Dixon and
Magic, so that nine Of the sixteen, including
seven Of the ten law judges and six of the
thirteen Democrats, go on record In favor OF
the cOnstitutionality of the act in all its parts.
As to the license part of the act, the court
was unanimous The decision, read by Dem
ocratic justice, Van Syckel, had the support of
those justices who have been most eminent in
the law, moreover, while Of the law justices
who opposed the recently appointed Chancellor
was so little known that his selection was a
surprise and was attributed to political aims.
"The New York Sun" in its Trenton dispatch
says of the decision:
The wholesale Endorsement Of the law was not
dreamed Of generally when the court mot to-day. Tho
court room hrongcd with lawyers including many
leaders the bar and large contingent OF politicians
came to witness the wreck Of the temperance ship.
When Justice Van syckel began the reading of tho de-
cson of the majority of the court. the first sentences
carried diSmay to tho liquor associations lawyers and
the further the Justice read the worse it got There
was smash and wreck indeed but the killed and Injured
were all among those who had come to look on.
. The opinion took up the arguments in Gov
ernor Green's and in the briefs Of the liquor
ciation's counsel by and knocked them over
one after another with the pondcrous precision and
monotonous regularity OF pile driver. each successive
blow hammerlng the hopes of the liquor men further
down in the slough Of despair.
The act stands, and the liquor interests are
again taught that the legal opinions Of Dem
ocratic political lawyers are not worth much
however much they may cost. There will now
be desperate effort by the liquor interest and
its instrument, the Democratic party
to overturn the law by securing
majority in the next Legislature. In
order to repeal the act they have to elect
four out of the six Senators to be chosen this
year, but three of them represent strong Re-
publican counties, Burlington, Cape May and
Passaic while Hunterdon was carried by the
Republicans in 1885 and is now represented
by a Republican, and Middlcsex was carried
the House, moreover, they have to gain eight
members, which will not be altogether easy.
The political Prohibitionists-who are for
revenue only'-may be expected to help the
Democrats and the liquor interest by dverting
votes to candidates who cannot be elected
Genuine and Sircere temperance men will help
the Republican party by supporting its cam
didates, and many Of them have already de-
clared their purpose to do so.