The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-05-23

alert, to snatch up such crumbs as ehat
from Bridgeton last week, which seemed
to carry with it a sort of yindication for
their bargain and sale compact. with the
rummies.
We haven't a copy of the paper contain
ing this libel on the city of Bridgeton be-
fore us lust now, but as we recall 1t the
specifications Of the charge are to the Ell
feet. first, that more liquor is sold at pres
emit in that city than under license; second,
the city loses a large revenue; thiid, that
business enterprise languishes there, and
eermane to this, that trade is being Diverted
from Bridgeton to Salem, a neighboring
| city, because of no license to sell ram IN
Bridceton. There may be other counts in
| thu indictment, but the above are the ma
terial points.
Before attempting all analyses of the
above presentment, we wish to say that
SO far as the city of Bridgeton is concerned
no harm can possibly come from its pub
LEGATION, absurd and prepesterous as most
Of it is. In fact, We are quite sure
that the author of that article. let him be
ever so much besotted in reputation and
habit. would not dare afix his nSme to 1t
and live in Bridgeton, in fact he could not
live there, but would probably be laughed
to death. The Bridgeton rummies them
selves know most of the statements to te a
tissue of lies, and only smile when they
=. - - 81, .oo..;hI., ia y,aun cunl t,ub
locations may do the cause Of prohibition
abroad; albeit, the y~enality of the Phila-
delphia press in selling ont body and
breaches to the rum power has greatly
weakened their assertions on this line.
But to the statements: First, then, that
more liquor is sold in B~ridgeton now than
under license. This venerable and moss
covered legend has an air of great fanil-
iarity about 1t, in fact Is somewhat stale
from over-keeping and over-iteratlon.
They said exactly this thing the first week
of prohibition in Bridgeton five years ago,
they said it the second week and they
have rung its changes on this line, not
every week only but several times a week,
over since. Iu fact this charge that more
liquor is sold in Bridgeton without than
with license has been the chief and, as
they conceive it, the most potent argument
in their case. But here's a little hitch in
their story that needs elucidation. They
say first that more run is sold in Bridge
ton now than ever, and in the very same
l...a.l J,aiaro 4Lat F,rpoarc ro nunr "a
Salem to buy their groceries" because
they can't get rum in Bridgeton. These
gentlemen labor under the hallucination
that high license is al cflcetual bar against
liquor selling, (haying, probably, the oper-
alton of the Brooks high license law of
Pennsylvania in mind), conveniently for
getful that lots of liquor Was sold in
Bridgeton ION the sly" during its low
license regime and will be under any
license, high or low.
A single line only may be Sufficient all
swer to the second charge that the city
loses in the way Of revenue, in saying that
Bridgeton receives more than enough in
crease of taxes from the improvements
placed on the one, single, defunct tavern
stand, the old Davis House, than was paid
the city e%xchequcr annually for the grant
ing of licenses for the entire city. Now,
gentlemen, please ''tell it all, will you?"
But the last point, that business enter
prise languishes at Bridgeton because the
farmers can't get 1um, fairly takes the
| H.. III, =, 80. -, .,ot, - vn.1a
laugh, and would ~titillate a whole drove
to tell them that it is being diverted from
Bridgeton to Salem. OF all places in The
world, Salem for business. Salem is one
of the most beautiful spots on this green
earth to live and die in; has the prettiest
streets, the p~rettiest women, the bluest
skies, the greenest verdure, the most mag.
%nificent homes, and some of the best,
noblest and grandest specimens Of man
hood that we ever knew, but busincss-ii
has none. Why here at Woodstown We
regard Bridgeton, eighteen miles away, as
more our competitor in business than
Salem, ten miles away.
How we would enjoy having a committee
Of investigation so to Bridgeton and report
on the comparative progress of Bridgeton
during the last five years Of prohibition.
and Salem the same time under license.
Was the writer for run and revenue un,
fortunate in his selection of Salem as a
parallel, or was it only a Slip Why didn't
lie cite wide-awake Vincland, or prosper
GUS Millville for illustration. May it not
be just possible that the fact of these two
driving, go-ahead cities being strongly
prohibition has "soured'' this monumental
romancer on ''the likes of them" Possibly.
Bridgeton never increased in such a ratio
Of population, never gathered to herself sc
much of the solid elements of prosperity
never had her churches and schools better
patIonized, never had so much money in
vested in improvements in a given time,
never had such quiet, %thronging streets,
not only on Saturdays but every Other
day of the week, never, in short, was The
peerless, urban centre of South Jersey trade
it now is and has become, under It's five
gears Of prohibition rule, and never had
more reason to be at peace with itself and
tba raSt pf uaapkind Erop1 pur 1n,uI