The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-17
EFFECTS OF LIQUOR
The w. C. T. u Bill Passed
BY the Assembly Last
Evening.
A LONE OPPONENT.
Mr.. Eisele Said the Passage Of
the Bill Would Wreck the
Republican Party.
specfa1 to tne Jsrseu oitu Neaus.

Special to the Jersey City Neaus.
TRENTON, April II, 1S94.-The feature OF
last nights session of the House was the de-
bate over Assemblyman Wilbur's bill,
House 848, which provides for scientific in
struction on the effects of alcoholic drinks
and narcotics on the human system IN the
public schools. A~ssemblyman Wilbur, who
was the special champion of the measure,
took the floor when 1t came up on third
reading and final passage, and delivered a
long speech in its favor.
He told of the benefits hat must
necessarily accrue from a knowledge of the
effects of liquor on the human system gained
in early life, and cited numerous authorities
to prove the advantages of teachings such as
his bill provides for. Mr.. Wilbur spoke for
nearly twenty minutes, and was not inter
rupted once, an unusual thing in the present
House of Assembly.
The ladies' gallery was crowded during
the time the discussion of the measure was
in progress, and a majority of the ladies
present were present to watch the passage OF
the bill.
Assemblyman Harrigan followed Mr.;
Wilbur, and he doomed up as 4 out and
E out champion of the bill. He wasn't either
a temperance man or a prohibitionlst, he
6Xp1alQeQ, ana lie QlQQ I OSleNC LIS ACAu "
neighbors would suspect him OF being one
or the other, but be knew a good thing
when he met it, and to teach the youngsters
the effects of alcohol on the human system,
was certainly an excellent idea.
Il believe in intoxicating temperance
habits-in others.n Harrigan went on, II
make soda water and other mineral waters
myself There was a laugh at this, and
Speaker Holt began to beat a tattoo with
his gavel. Resuming his remarks, Mr.. Har-
rigan said that he hoped that nothing he
might say in a ~jocular sense would be con.
sidered as deriding the subject at ISSUE Of
course, if the bill was so amended as to re-
ouiIe the public to buy all temperance
drinks from him, so much the better, but
he proposed to let people know that when q
measure that was calculated to be OF lasting
benefit to the youth of the State was be-
fore the House he would do all in his power
to help it along.
If / could give proper expression to the
effects of drink on the human system l
could tell a story that would be a lesson in
ITSELF said Harrigan. His speech from that
time on, according to the opinions of old
timers, was the ablest and most effective
ever delivered by him in his career as q legis-
lator.
Nh. Beekman urged the passage of a bill,
and declared thai there could be nothing OF
q partisan political nature attached to 1t.
EISELE
There was something Of q surprise in
store for all hands. Qenteel and good look
ing Mr.. Eisele of Essex arose and stepped to
the front to speak. The ladies in the gallery
looked down upon the young man, and they
probably felt confident that i'll him they
had an advocate who would eclipse all others.
They were doomed to disappointment, how
ever, for Mr.. Eisele sailed into the bill in
great shape. He would oppose it, he said,
because it was g blow at home rule: it was
1oroar,Icoru education in eUat-V coOcn of fhQ
word. Unless a city would comply with the
requirements Of the law, the State funds
would be withheld from that city. Newark,
he held, paid S474, 1914 last year to the
State school fund and only received S427,-
200 10 in return.
.We must pay, but we can't get a dollar
back unless we comply with provisions laid
down in this bill, " he went on. The teach
ing of temperance should be left to the
home and no club should be welded by the
State in this matter. 1t is far better to APP
propriate money for physical culture and for
the erection OF ~gymnasiums. 1t is better to
develop a healthy body than to try to teach
children things they are too young to ap-
preciate or understand"
Mr.. Eisele kept on in this strain for about
ten minutes, and was succeeded by Mr..
Harrigan who alluded to Mr.. Eisele as a
greet reformer who would do anything to
get democrats out of Office, and place re-
IA ooO 'AX wv No
hind legs against a bill that was moral in its
tendency, and had the welfare OF the rising
generation at heart, so to speak.
biz. Wilson Of Warren, espoused the cause
of the bill, and devoted sometime to a dis
cussion Of its merits.
Eisele to further efforts. He declared that
legislation Of the nature embodied in the bill
had brought disaster to the Republican
party in the past. 1t was nothing short of
prohibition and temperance, and the Repub-
1icans had been kept outside the breastworks
for years because of mixing up in such mat
tiers. In Mr.. Eisele's estimation the State
hnd no more right to legislate in this par
ticular case than it would nave to legislate
as to religion or language. The beautiful
Grafton by Mr.. Wilbur and the political lee
ture by Mr.. Harrigan were all very fine. but
there was more to be considered than either
had discussed.
HARRIGAN
"May / interrupt the gentlemang' sud
denly broke in Mr.. Harrigan.
Eyes if he is satisfied" returned Speaker
Holt.
Then l want to tell him there is no
religion in this bill. We had too much
religion last year" said Harrigan. He then
told Mr. Eisele that he had G number of
peoples bills that he didn't seem anxious to
push.
THAT'S not a parallel case,n retorted Mr..
Eiseie.
Mr.. Wilson declared that the people had a
right to,say what should be taught in the
public schools and they were exercising that
right now.
Mr.. Cross said he was glad to see that but
one member of the House opposed the bill.
He then launched out into a eulogy of the
measure.
The vote was taken and of the ffty-four
members present MIR. Eisele alone voted in
negative.
THE STATE REF0RMAT0RY.
important Message TO the Legisla-
ture by Governor Werts.