The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-04-09
vICAR-CENERAL
ON LIQUOR BILL
Rev. John a. Sheppard Wig
orously Discusses the
Shape In Which the
Bishops Bill Has Passed
CLERGY WON'T ACCEPT IT.

AND SALOON MEN HAS PASS
ED A MEASURE THAT PLEAsEs
NOBODY
The Rev. John A. Sheppard, vicar
general of the Newark Diocese and rec
tor of ST. Michael's Roman Catholic
/ Church, in Ninth street. Jersey City,
who was one of the prime movers in the
recent agitation to make the liquor laws
more stringent, says the bill which was
passed by the Senate "looked as though
its remains had come through a railroad
wreck or a sausage factory"
The energetic priest spoke with much
feeling to correspondent of the Sun
/ day Call'' on the subject. He said:
"The combined moral power of the
! State some months ago had bill drawn
by former Supreme Court Justice Gilbert
Collins. It's object was to limit the num-
! ber of saloons. to do away with dives
and to add tone of responsibility to
behind this bill were not extremists; they
| simply wished to do away with certain
abuses that have been known for some
| time to have existed in many of our
cities One world imagine that their re-
quests would be granted, since there was
| nothing unreasonable or fanatical about
them. To put the matter briefly, We
asked the legislators of the State to raise
the license, as high license would have
the effect of diminishing the number of
saloons. We were aware that local ex-
| else boards had the power to do this from
| the Werts law already on the statutes,
| but we knew that the local politicians,
recognizing the liquor power as a factor
| in politics, and as we were not in the po-
liticai arena, the only thing left US to do
was to appeal to the State. We have
received our answer.
sThe Legislature seems to be as tfmid
as the local politicians, and, after weigh
| ing the pros and cons, its answer. is: No,
we cannot raise the license as high as
$500, though other States may afford to-.
but we will try to appease you and not
| offend the brewer, and will just add $50
more to the present $3.50 for cities over
| 10000 inhabitants. If the license were
$500 many would have to retire from bus
mess; that is, many of the brewers
| agents would have to retire. We cannot
tolerate that; in fact, we have not suf-
| fcient number of saloons throughout the
! State, and. therefore. we will allow one
! saloon to every 200 of the population, or
one to every forty voters. Surely, this
| bill will satisfy the stockholders of the
breweries and do ourselves no harm. The
| the joint punishment if saloons We're not
| kept properly, was considered drastic.
| We will not declare for the joint applica-
| ton, but we will impose a quasi joint
punishment. See how guarded we arc.
| We are doing something for YOU for
which you should be grateful. and again
| the brewers will be satisfied. as they
know we are under a certain pressure,
and, as a consequence, they, too, ought
| to be thankful to us. In fact, this will
bring the clerical force to applaud us
and the liquor element ought to be de-
| lighted, since We have straddled the knot
! ty problem AS to minors, we will be
| terribly severe; the law is already rigid
| in that matter, and we will simply em-
phasize it. In the past it has accom-
plished much and in the future it will be
about as nugatory.
Back rooms-they were never lsgalz-
ed. We will make an, attempt now to
legislate them into existence; each saloon
may have two. Surely. you gentlemen
who are opposing the Bishops bills and
waiting upon us, to do us justice viii not
| take an exception. Screens and blinds,
aye, there's the rub! How will it do to
take them down on Sundays OF election.
days. Why, these are the best days for
the business. Let US be. therefore, as
hypocritical as ever Sundays cur sa-
olons are closed, and 50 are they on elec-
tion days. Who does not know that?
aIs this fair? Is it honest? Ycu repre-.