Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1892-06-16
TO TEST THE LAW
WORKING TO PUT DOWN
LICENSED SALOONS.
A Stirring Meeting at she Opera
House Last Night to talk
Against License.

The weather was very warm las
night, and In consequence the Mass
Meeting at the Opera House was moi
as largely attended as it would other
wise have been There we're possibly
three hundred people in the house
during the evening. and all seemed
generally interested in the movement
On the stage sat Councilmen BENZ
Hancock, Eli E. Rogers, D. Ed Smith,
Revs. Peter Provost, Mr.. Tilley, J. F.
Heilenman, W. D. Stultz, J. 8. Heisler,
Henry Reeves and w. J. Bridges
Messrs. Geo. w. Ireland and G. W.
Shoemaker.
The meeting was called to order by
Rev. W. D. Stultz, and after prayer by
Rev. Peter Provost, g. w. Shoemake er
was unanimously chosen Chairman OF
the meeting. He made a short ad
dress outlining the object of the meet
ing and called for the selection of a
Secretary. Rev. j, F, Heilenman was
elected unanimously.
Resolutions were read by the Secre-
tary and laid over until later in the
evening, when they were acted upon.
Geo. w. Ireland was announced as
the first speaker, and he said he had
been asked to speak upon What is
the Saloon Doing in Bridgeton p He
went on to picture the home of the
man who was drinking and compared
1t with a year ago, when license was
not here. He said that one saloon
man said that during the month of
May he sold 5000 bottles of beer, be-
side the whiskey and other stuff. The
reports learned by Mr.. Ireland are that
the saloons are taking in $1,000 per
month. There are ten saloons, thus,
the speaker figured that $4,000 was
spent in this city per year for rum.
This sum of money would buy every
man, woman and child in the city, 25
bushels of potatoes, 25 pounds of meat,
and pair of shoes and a suit of
clothes. Mr.. Ireland characterized
the law as g Beer Brewers enact
ment. He had no further use for the
gilded saloon, than the lower classed
debaucheries.
Rev. Mr.. Tilley said, 81 have been
/ asked to speak upon the legal aspect"
While he knew little about law, he
ventured to say that this iniquitous
law was unconstitutional He believed
that New Jersey would stand by
honesty and fair play. If the liberty
loving people had their way, they
would soon be settled.
He claimed that we are in the hands
of the beer brewers, bound hand and
foot. If rum selling is good, there
should be no monopoly.
Rev. VIM. J. Bridges was introduced
and said that he had forgotten just
what part he was to take, "but it is as
big as barn door, and if I don't miss
it, will hit it."
Mr.. Bridges spoke exceedingly plain
concerning the matter. He said, II
am no friend of the liquor cause. :"
| True, he said one of them had mort
gage of $4,000 upon his church, but he
was glad of it for the odium of the
thing had awakened the people, and
the members were going to pay the
debt off.
Mr.. Bridges further said that the
Scriptures taught him to honor his
rulers, but he could not, and he was
willing to cry ''over with them" Mr..
Bridges said that people differed too
much in their way of working for the
desired end. He said he was willing
to go any way and with any body to
| assist in wiping out the evil. The
speaker said further that he did not
! believe in these meetings. He thought
1t the work of the church, and declared
that If the church would do its duty
there would be better progress made.
He believed In binding together. He
believed In unity. He believed in the
Law and Order League, thought it
should be resuscitated and supported.
The resolutions of the meeting were
then taken up as follows, and unani-
mously passed
WHEREAS, Previous to August, 1891,
the city of Bridgeton was for seven
years a local option town; and
WHEREAS, Is would be such now, out
for the enactment of the Excise
| Commission law, which has taken
from the citizens the right to deter
mine the matter for themselves; and
WHEREAS, The Excise Commission
appointed by the Governor. has
granted ten licenses for the sale of
J liquor. against the will. of majority
Of the people; and
WHEREAS, The evil results of the
drink habit are introduced again to
the detrlment of the peace, morals,
| good government, life and property
of our city.
Therefore be it resolved.