The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-05
EARLY AND VIGOROUS.
The Prohibitionists Call a
State Convention at As
bury Park July 16
and II.
WILL THERE BE A DEALT
New Converts Likely to Try to Make
an Agreement with General
Sewell.
Special to the yerseu Ctr Ne,rs.

TRENTON, June s, 1889. The State Gem
trail Committee of the Prohibition party
decided yesterday to issue call for a
State Convention on July 16 and II at
Asbury Park and to prosecute a vigorous
campaign.
There was no talk of deal with Gem
eral Sewell. OF course, such a matter
would not be mentioned openly, but 1t
was not even brought up under the guise
of the policy of supporting candidates
pledged to promote temperance legisla-
tion,' to use General Fisk's expression.
Nevertheless, in private conversation
among the delegates, the fact was devel-
oped that there is serious differ
ence of opinion in the Prohibition
party as to what course shall be
pursued next autumn The old prohibit
tionists want to follow the policy which
they have held ever since the party was
created-to nominate candidate for every
office, and engage in hopeless fight, with
the idea that their cause will ultimately
triumph. Their views are those set out In
the interviews published in THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS with Chairman Courtlandt l..
Parker, Stephen B. Ransom, Thomas J.
Kennedy and others. On the other hand,
those members of the party who may be
called the new converts, such as General
Fisk and ex-senator Thomas G. Chattle,
of Monmouth, think that the party is
strong enough now to gain some substan-
tial benefit by alliances and agreements.
There are too many cranks IN this
party" one new convert, and big one at
that, remarked to THE JERSEY CITY NEWS
correspondent after the meeting of the
committee yesterday. II don't believe in
local option myself. Neither does General
Fisk But we believe that it Is educa-
tional and therefore it helps the cause of
prohibition. In the counties in which no
license was voted it closed the rum shops,
at any rate, although the jug taverns
were allowed to remain open. The WertS
law closes them. Here new complica-
ton comes in. By the interpretations
which judges have given to the Werts
law 1t is made much stricter than be-
lieve it's authors intended it to be. Pro-
hibitionists will hesitate to change this
law.
"The question of supporting republic
cans for the Legislature who are pledged
to temperance legislation was not brought
up today. This committee has no power
or authority to dictate the policy OF the
party. / believe they have passed some
kind of a resolution, but / left before it
was offered because, had to catch q
train. The question will undoubtedly be
brought up in the State Convention, and
rum devil is hard to down and don't be-
lieye that the three parties together
would have an easy task united to down
it."
The members of the committee consid-
cred it one of the most successful ever
held. There are sixty members of the
committee, and there We're forty-seven
persons at the meeting. One of these was
ex-senator Chattle, and as he was once a
democrat, a man fran Bergen county
challenged his right to be present DR.:
Chattle made a speech to which he proved
himself a prohibitionist.
Two interesting features of the call of
counties were the reports on the effect on
the party of local option in the counties
which voted no license, and the explana-
tions given of the falling off in the pro-
hibition vote last year. As to the latter.
it was accounted for by the tariff and the
local option law.
Lawyer I. j. Kennedy and Mr. Brown,
the lumber merchant, represented Hud-
son county. They reported that notwith-
standing the obstacles in the county to
the cause of prohibition, work was going
on favorably Meetings were being held
in various parts of Jersey City and the
party was doing well.
General Fisk spoke for Monmouth.
He declared himself third party man to
the core and said that the party should
fasten the colors to the front and keep up
the fight. Ex-senator Chattle reported
that the work was progressing very
favorably in the county.
AS to Mercer the Rev. DIR. Morgan re-
ported that preparations had been made
for carrying on a hot campaign There
was no hope for temperance legislation by
either of the old parties, and the Prohibi-
ton party was stronger than ever.
In Warren county, Henry johnson said,
the party did immense work last fall. The
Local Option law had lured weak-minded
%rNfN I,,t4 1,nfr,
eyes had since been opened and he ex-
pected recruits from both the Republican
and the Democratic party.
In Gloucester Thomas AnnadOwn re-
ported that the falling off in the vote last
fall was the result of tariff scare pro-
duced among the employees of the glass
works Local option also had some effect,
but the party intended to work harder
than ever this year.
Salem was reported as the most dis
organized county in the State. Cause
Local Option.
Chairman d. Edward Smith reported
that the party in Cumberland was in
better shape than ever before. The Pro-
hibitionists were already holding meet
ings and raising money.
Cape May and Atlantic were not repre-
sented.
In Hunterdon, Mr.. Everett, and in'Cam-
den, Nicholson Wood, reported that in
1886 General Fisk's personal popularity
Increased the vote, while last year the
tariff scare frightened weak Prohibitions
lists into the Republican party.
Mr.. Ely resigned as State Secretary and
Walter Wesley Winans, of Warrensville,
Somerset county, was elected in his
place. sa
There was a little discussion as to the
time and place of holding the State Con-
yention. 1t was decided to have an early
| and vigorous campaign, and July 10 and
| IL were therefore selected as the days.
| There was some opposition to Asbury
| Park as the place, on the ground that the
| temptation of enjoying themselves in
| stead of working was too great for some
delegates. For this reason, and also be-
| cause 1t was more central, Trenton was
| suggested. But Asbury Park won.
| This resolution was offered BY the Rev.
Nessrs Parsons and Mccormick
Resolved That we stand squarely by our prin-
einles and enter into combination or afhliation
with any of the old parties.
il was carried unanimously. Secretary
Ely and another gentleman declared that
General Fisk was present when 1t was Of
fered and adopted, but they We're probably
mistaken, as it was about the last busi-
ness transacted, and General Fisk was
Obliged to leave before the meeting was
over, Whether he was or not Is OF no
consequence, except that II he had al
lowed IT tn he adopted without opposition,