The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-11
Democracy and Rum.


Did the liquor dealers of the State
think they owned the Democracy? If
they did. it is very fortunate, indeed,
that they have been disabused of
their error. Their action at their
Convention In Orange on Tuesday
was about as consummately impudent
as anything we eve heard of in poll
tics.
The Democratic party was on their
side last year. 1t passed the Werts
bill, not indeed in their interest, but
for the protection of their rights.
The Democratic party is opposed to
class and sumptuary legislation. 1t
is opposed to narrow ideas and fac
tious interference with personal lib
erty. For INSCRIPTIONS political pur-
poses the Republican Legislature of
the preceding year enacted n
of the most grossly oppressive
and unjust laws that was
ever placed upon the statute
books of any State. The purpose
failed. The act recoiled on its perpe-
traitors, and the Democrats coming
into control of public affairs righted
the wrong that had been done as a
matter of principle and duty, Incl
dentally giving New Jersey the best,
fairest and decentest liquor law it has
ever had-not only that but the best
enjoyed by any State in the Union
But now the rum selling element,
with its customary %effrontery, begins
to kick. 1t is not satisfied. 1t has
only got its rights, while it wants the
whole earth. 1t has got such a hold
on the petty ward politicians of this
and other cities that it actually
imagines it has a grip on the great
party throughout the State, and that
the party is under obligations to it.
1t will be pretty effectually taught
the contrary. The Democracy will do
justice to a decent, well regulated
liquor traffic; but it will not open the
door for cheap rum holes and grog-
geries, and its leaders will not be bull
dozed or browbeaten by all the power
of liquorint the State. If you please, the
rumsters threaten to secede. Let them.
Respectable Democrats will hail
their departure from the party fold
with joy, and they will find that rely
ing on their own u they will
degenerate into the smallest kind of
ward wire pullers, like Mike O'Mara
and Terry Mcdonald. Or perhaps
they will flock to the Republican side.
Since General Sewell became a brewer
doubtless the party of moral ideas
will welcome them with open arms.
We would be glad to see some pro-
vision made for the legal sale of beer
and light wines on Sunday after
moons. People who go out driving
like to stop at some respectable hos
telry for refreshment. They dislike
to break the law in doing this.
Our Teutonic fellow citizens like
to take the open air of an after
noon as it floats across a table on
which the foaming lager is amber in
the cup. The honest working mar
likes a glass of beer at dinner o. be.
fore bed time. We think all this il
innocent and proper. We do not see
why any one should desire to prohibit
1t. We consider the pretence of pro-
hibiting Railways futile-is immoral
and calculated to diminish the general
respect for law.
We say we are in favor OF a Sunday
afternoon clause like the English one.
But when the rum-sellers come swag.
gering and threatening, we hope the
Democracy will rebuke and punish
their insolence and teach them that
IN honest politics they are of no more
account than grocers, or tailors, o.