The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-03-23
VOORHEES, R[BUKED.
Senator Hudspeth Exposes
the Hypocrisy in New
Gambling Law.

Especial to ''The Jersey city News."l
TRENTON, March 49, 19O1-Senator
Hudspeth succeeded before the Senate
adjourned yesterday in administering a
well deserved rebuke to Governor Voor-
hees and the Republican party on their
hypocrisy in the matter of gambling.
The Governors bill was taken up, pro-
viding that whenever the mayor, chief
of police or other head officer of police
in any municipality shall be personally
notified in writing by the Governor, At
torney General, Justice of the Supreme
Court, county judge or prosecutor of any
county in which the municipality is
situate, of rumors of violation of any
criminal statute by any persons occupy
ing or carrying on business in improper
places or manner, such mayor or police
officer must at once take steps to enforce
the law and raid the places and prevent
the further continuance of such practices,
and officials refusing or neglecting so to
act for a period of ten days after such
notice shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
The receipt of such communication shall
be sufficient warrant and authority for
such official to make complaint charging
such illegal practices and violation of the
law, and any police court having criminal
jurisdiction may issue warrants for the
arrest of the offenders.
Mr.. Reed, the introducer, said that the
cases referred to by the Governor were
special cases and required special rem
edies.
Mr.. Hudspeth said that it was too i'm
portant measure to be rounded up at
the last minute with a mere perusal of
the bill. 1t would seem as if the State Of
New Jersey was in state of anarchy
and the Governor had been forced to in
sIst upon the enforcement of the law.
This is a remarkable state of affairs. He
was not opposed, Mr.. Hudspeth said, to
the bill, but desired to put Hudson in
proper light in this matter. An attack
on Hudson was implied in the bill. He
could truthfully and sincerely say that
less crime existed in Hudson than in any
other county in the State. This was SUBJ
stantiated by the reports of Chief of Pc
lice Murphy of Jersey City for four years
past. which showed that crime did not
flourish to any great extent. They were
scarcely any disorderly houses in Jersey
City. There had been some pool selling in
had been put down by Democratic Off
cials and the offenders punished.
The finger of scorn had been pointed at
Hudson, Mr.. Hudspeth continued, when
as matter of fact Monmouth county was
the only county that needed legislation of
this kind. The crime of the character re-
ferred to in the Governors communica-
ton fourished there and there dens of
iniquity were encouraged. The doors of
the gambling houses were wide open and
the proprietors publicly advertised their
wares. Children on the street prattled of
the crime committed in these places. Mr..
Hudspeth referred to the race tracks in
Monmouth county which a few years ago
were freQuented by thousands, but public
opinion was against them and asserted it
self, AMI racing was abolished. But other
vile dens f1ourished there today.
Mr.. Reed asked if the bill would not ap-
ply to Monmouth and remedy the con-
dition of affairs so bitterly complained
of by the gentleman of Hudson
Yes replied Mr.. Hudspeth, 'T would
not have spoken on this bill had 1 been
given chance to explain the resolution
offered yesterday"
Mr.. Hudspeth said he would vote for
the bill because he believed half a loaf
was better than no bread at all. His
resolution, if it had been adopted, would
have extirpated the evil effectually.
Mr. Reed said he could find no reference
to Hudson in either the message or the
bill.
Mr.. Francis offered NO excuse for Mon
mouth. He had no personal knowledge
of the State of affairs in Monmouth as
the gentleman from Hudson spoke of and
he courted investigation.
In reply Mr.. Hudspeth said that if the
| Long Branch officials were all as pains
taking and conservative as Mr.. Francis
| there would be no necessity for the bill
under consideration. This tickled the little
Senator from Monmouth immensely.
Mr.. Martin, of Sussex, spoke against
| the bill, saying he could see no necessity
| for it, but 1t passed nevertheless and the
| Governor signed it later in the day.