The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-11-29
our letter box.
RrId@eton License Question

A correspondent from Bridgeton sends
us the following account of the status of
City Council on the license question:
Bridgeton Council at present is a tie on
the question Of license or no license for that
city, the vote standing 6 to 6. the question
of politics being ignored, the Democrats,
however, having a majority.
Al the last regular Council meeting, it
was found that this tie would be broken by
the enforced absence Of Mr.. Albert Wood
ruff. anti-license member from the list
Ward, on account Of serious illness. 1t
was not believed, however, that the license
party would take advantage of this fortiti-
Gus circumstance to thwart the will of the
people as expressed at the last city election,
although it is alleged, and generally be-
lieved, that this same object was once be-
fore affected by the license party brib-
ing a no-license member to remain away
and SO disannuled the voice of the majority
given against license.
Subsequent events however proved that
if the no-license members of Council were
trusting to the manhood and sense of hoD-
or on the part Of the license party to do the
square thing, they were reckoning without
their host, and doomed to disappointment.
At that meeting, in the absence of Mr..
Woodruff, no-license, Mr.. Jacob Daily,
member Of Council from the Second Ward,
license, moved that the regular order of
business for the evening be suspended, and
the question Of license or no license taken
up 6this was on the application of two Ger
man residents to sell rum.1 The anti-lieense
members took in at a glance the respon-
sibility of the situation and their duty TO
their constituents as custodians of the pub
lie trust. They were determined, too, that
this conspiracy against the majority vote
of the people should not succeed if possible
to prevent it.
Presidento Of Council Mr.. Frank Probasco,
reasoned with Mr.. Daily upon the inn
ed by the license party, and appealed to
their sense of manliness and fairness in
the matter, but all to no avail.
The license men had a majority present,
and right or wrong, honorable or dishonor-
able, they determined to use it, even though,
as they had reason to believe, a fellow
member whose vote would eheekmate theil
evil intent. lay on a dying bed.
The anti-license members very soon dis
covered that all remonstranee, entreaty and
appeal was lost or worse than lost on these
recreant servants of the public, and SO
rather than be a party to break faith with
their constituents by standing by, and see
the city franchise voted away, they resolved
to quit the chamber, which they did, leaving
that body without a quorum and as a con-
sequence blocking their little game Of Ii
cense for Bridgeton.
A short time later a special meeting OF
Council was called to again consider the
question of license for the aforesaid two
Germans, when happily Mr.. Woodruff was
able to be present, or rather was present,
the question of able or not able not enter
ing into the account with this faithful pub
lie servant. With Mr.. Woodruff present
the vote was a tie and license refused.
Too much praise cannot be given the anti
license members of Council for the firm
stand taken by them, and especially to
Mr.. Woodruff for the great service he
rendered the public at a critical time, even
at the peril of his life.
The above facts has led our muse to
apostrophise in verse as follows:
Way down in Bridgeton street,
Where the butcher sells his meat,
Satan thought TO raise an alteration;
So he called the twelve together,
In the meanest kind of weather,
And read his short (hair) proclamation.
zone Councilman is sick,
And the rest 1 think we'll lick
said his Satanic botheration;
Then with a sardonic leer,
Whispered .soh no, he won't be here
He's dead as all creation"
'He Woodruff il sure. if here,
Is what we all hands fear"
said the head d. of the eonglomerattcD,
$50 Wen get the pull together,
In this stormy kind of weather.
And hatch the license eonvocation.
ssee, there's Duy. Dad and STAGE,
Win all be in their place"
said this imp of the inferno,
"And me, and John, and Jack,
Are three that never back
Not at the DEVILS crackerge.f'
Then the six with one accord
Started for the council board
In the meanest kind of weather;
There was Duy, Dad and STAGE,
Each in their little place,
With the other three in tether.
the people have /; fixed,
Council now stands six to six,
Said the head d. with a CHATTER,
sBut as sure as I'm alive
I'll make it six TO i've
Or mighty quick know the matter
Then he pulled his legs together,
In that awful KIND OF weather,
Did this wicked son of q pop gun;
And as soon as he was able
Showed his Saratogas under the table,
And winked at number one.
Then he swung around his chair,
Grained his neck upon the air.
AS If in a terrible hdget.
And whispered "Duy, Dad ana STAGE,
Are each in their little place,
The rest will make the digit.
I'm not over handsome. true,
But I've got a point or two,H
said this windy preyaricator.
And while WoodrufTs sick abed,
Well kill no-license dead,
or I'm only a common later"
SO the eleven were there together,
In that stormy kind of weather,
with one behind the door,
And when the IL. D.. rose to speak,
one could have heard a hairpin sdueak
AS 1t fell upon the floor.
But the devil gets his due
When he bites too big a chew,
And. we'll
when Woodruff waltzed in with the eleven
six were lifted up to Heaven,
And six were dropped to-