The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-01
HUDSON COUNTY VIEWS.
ssIf the Bill Passes the League May Go Out
of Business, - Says Cow1es.

- If the Bill PasSfS une League WAY 0O Out
of Business, z Says Cowles.
E. S. Cowles, President of the Law and
Order League, was diving into the recesses
of his safe when he was approached yes
terday on the subject of the new liquor
bill AS he rose to talk to me, he threw
one leg over the heavy iron door of the re-
ceptacIe and rested on it Will he spoke.
ssThe fact is, y he said, 9TH the bill has
undergone so many metam( phoses that /
am not in position to express judgment.
I'm getting sick of thinking about it;
there has been SO much delay and so many
changes As / understood, the bill pro-
yided for trial of accused Sunday sellers
by petty jury summoned on a venue by
the sheriff. OF course, the. sheriff would
draw favorable juries; and conviction
would not be likely. That's what the fel-
lows are after-to get their cases in the
hands of men whom they can control "
II suppose you know that, besides trial
by petty jury, the liquor men are pro
tected from trial until presented by the
Grand jury? ?" / remarked.
ssNo; is that so?o he asked in response.
"And they are talking about repeating the
jury Commission act, tool Ii that's the
case the Law and Order League may as
well shut up shop. Because the Grand
Jury would never indict, and if they did
the Prosecutor would never try themp
1.-THE Prosecutor would never try them
--do you mean that?" / asked.
mo- was Mr. Coroleo's rejoinder "He
has a lot of indictments against liquor
dealers pigeon-holed in his office now.
The witnesses are all ready, and the cases
are clear. / don't know how many such
cases there are There are twenty-five at
least on my list; can't say how many are
on other lists.
You evidently don't think then,"
put in by way of summarizing his notions,
Ssfh of c11pb a law thiQ that, 10 the
point of being put through the. Houses
would meet the conservative sentiment of
this community ?o
inject ii, rejoined Mr.. Cowles, with a
show of animation IF the Democrats
pass such a law, will beat the Democrats
out of their boots next fall"
Mr.. Cowles, it should be explained, is
not prohibitionist. He, in fact, described
the Temperance Alliance, when / men
toned them, as band of cranks. He
represents conservative temperance SEN
timent, and his twe' was q convertible
term for Republicans.
He did not think that Bakers tow, local
option scheme would help TO ref.eeJ. The
Democrats in the eyes eft tDs LacoCic, be-
cause local option would 3ot amount to
anything in Jersey Cily
THAT remark suggested an inquiry
whether steps had been tS-keE for local
option election in E,r1sCn allG put it to
him:
ssWell, /" he replied, "a conspicuous Re
publican came here soGlc time ago to con-
suit me about the saGrisability of prepar-
ing for local opfiGE election here, and /
told him that II you'd only be asswaste of
energy for loct. option could never carry
here
& & Don't yon ae too sure about thatl' my
friend said to me.
ssAnd there She matter dropped. had
not heard of anything definite being done
in that ciraction since, but it seems to be
in the air that the liquor men wouldn't
have it al their own way If such an cleo
tion were held here, and some day it may
be tried or. One doctor told us that he
would take the petition around with him
and get us hundreds of signatures for it.
John Edelstein is president of the Hud-
son County Liquor Dealers Association.
He vas entertaining Judge Rankin, when
/ oDened the door that admits to his to-
bacco factory on Railroad avenue last
The Specific object Of my visit to him
wGs to learn whether the Liquor Dealers
Association were prepared to aid in the
passage of the Werts' bill if Bakers pro-
hibition amendments are to be incorpor-
Eted in it.
4 have not seen the amendments, ? he
answered, evasively, when put the ques-
tion to him, "and shall be in no position
70 express judgment concerning them
till / have read and digested them"
Elk Governor Albeit, who is counsel for
the Liquor Dealers Association, said that
he knew nothing of the Legislative move
ments Of the liquor dealers; his business
Is wholly with the legal department.