The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-04-12

ELI, Mills, Morris, Patterson, Perkins,
Prince, Reed, Roebef, Scott, ScoTel, Som
mer, Fl. D. Thompson. H. +. Thompson,
Tucker, Vandeyeer, Warren, Woolley
and Wright 40.
Absent Messrs. Arrowsmith. Buck,
Dippel, Hunt, Joerg, Kayser, Smith
urst and Tiilman-S.
Mr.. Morgan offered an amendment
striking out section 5, providing that
the judge of the court of common pleas
shall appoint the excise commissioners in
cases where they are now appointed BY
mayors or common councils. He made
a strong speech in its favor.
Mr.. Martin supported the amendment.
He said the bill had been stripped on
every moral safeguard asked for by the
bishops and tackled on it was this one
political amendment abolishing the ex-
wise boards in Newark and Jersey CITY,
In ringing tones Mr. Martin Denounced
this as political trickery Such an ac-
tion,'' he said, Smells to heaven and
he was sure the House would not stand
for it. He declared that this section
made the bill hypocrite.
The gentleman from Essex said also
that this section put into the hands of
the judiciary what should belong to the
executive. He insisted that section 5
was a direct blow at home rule. Then
lie showed that it would not make poll,
tics better, but the judges worse.
Mr.. Martin argued that the judges
have control over the grand juries. and
if section 5 were adopted it would make
the judge the executive. the legislative
and the judiciary. ais well as the judge,
prosecutor and jury. That would be the
worst institution in the State. Mr.. Mar
tin said the section was put in by the
Lord knows who"
Mr.. Crowther, of Middlesex County,
supported section 5. Mr.. Bierck, of Hur-
sou, opposed it and asked for the adop-
ton Of the Morgan amendment. He said
the Legislature should not be made a
tool for any politica. faction. He char
acterized the section as dastardly polit-
ical trick. He said IT was purely a rip
per measure, bad faith with both the
bishops and the people.
Mr. Barber, Of Mercer. said the sec
ton should be judged on its merits, and
not on the bass of how it would affect
present excise boards. He claimed the
provision in this section worked we'll at
present in small towns and townships.
He insisted that the section would take
the saloon out of politics.
Leader Perkins fayed Mr.. Martin for
calling the section political trick. He
said it was not. He attacked the Jersey
City excise board, and said the board
was now under Indictment for malfea-
sance in office. One member is a saloon
keeper and another a bartender. Such
boards as that, he said. would not exist
if the members were appointed by the
judges.
Mr.. Bierck returned to the attack, and
said ,the Indictment of the Jersey City
Excise Board was a political conspiracy
to put the Fagan board out of business.
They indicted the board, he said. when
they should have indicted the Eaw-break-
ing saloonkeepers.
The Morgan amendment was lost, 21
to 30.
Mr.. Morgan then moved to amend this
section by striking out of it the applica-
tion to cities of the first elass-Newark
and Jersey City. Mr.. Perkins said those
cities were just the places where it was
most needed. NJ Bierck said the onpo-
sition to this amendment plainly clarac-
aterized the section as a political measure
and nothing else. He said the party
whip had been cracked, and, of course,
the Morgan proposition would be killed
Mr.. Colgate said Newark and Jersey
City were the home of the reformers 50
obnoxious to the Republicans. II this
were such a bad measure, he said, the
Republicans should vote for it and give
it to the reformers as a rope with which
they could hang themselves; that would
end them
The amendment was Lost, p to 30
Mr.. Morgan offered a third amendment
to put the minimum license fee at $500.
as fixed by the Bishors. The bill as
passed by the Senate fixes the minimum
I at $500. He said that the trend was to-
ward high license. He cited Englewood,
where the fee has just been raised to
$500 and Ohio and Chicago, where fee
of 81, ,00e has been imposed.
Professor Thompson, Of Mercer. oppos-
/