The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-20
IS ASKED
TO AID LOCAL
OPTION
Anti SaIOon League Sends
Letter to Await Him at
State House.

When Governor Fort takes Office one
Of the communications he will find
awaiting him will be that of the re-
quest from the Anti-Saloon League of
New Jersey, asking him to use his in
iuence with the Legislature to nave an
act passed that will give cities and
other municipalities in this State a
local option bill.
In this communication to the Gov
ernor the Anti-Saloon League claim to
represent $50, 900 men and women who
are anxious that such a bill be
enacted. .
The Governor will be Informed through
this communication that of the twenty-one
counties in this State not one is known
as dry" and while alluding to this the
Anti League people point out that
of all the other States in the Union only
four, including this State, are without
local option bills of some sort.
The cry for such a measure, say the
Anti-Saloon League officials. ''can be heard
in every part of New Jersey. Politicians
and pulpit preachers. social circles and in-
dividuals are clamoring for such a bill"
Then the letter to the Governor goes on
and says in part;
I'VE make this request of you on be-
half of the entire people of the many
localities OF the State, who certainly are
as qualified to decide this matter for them
selves as are the citizens of all the other
States. We make this request on behalf
of the many localities of the State which
certainly are as qualified to decide whether
the retailing of liquor is for their veal
or woe, as are the excise boards, city
councils. or county Judges. to decide for
them. We make this request in the name
of rights denied; of independent and pa
trlotic citizens, who believe that any
traffic that must die under the application
of the fair and democratic principle of
majority rule, is not fit to live; we make
It in the name Of values reduced, property
conhscated, investments in homes, charac-
ter and morals destroyed, by this institu-
ton thrust into a community from the
presence of which the people have no legal
escape.
aside from the justice of this PROPOSE
ton, we feel hat your welf-known position
upon kindred matters and the boldness of
your utterance along similar lines in the
late campaign, together with the plain
evidence at the polls that your position
and utterance on these matters had met a
most general response, encourages us to
believe that you are in hearty accord with
these suggestions
The clergymen whose names are signed
10 this letter are the Rev. DR.. George u.
Neal. pastor Broadway Methodist Church.
Camden; the Rev. John l.. Scudder, pastor
First Congregational Church, jersey City;
the Rev. Minot c. Morgan, pastor First
Presbyterian Church, Summit; the Rey.
q. l.. Mead, pastor Centenary NJ. f..
Church, Newark. the Rev. Oliver c. Hsrs-
man, pastor First Baptist Church, Morris
town; the Rev. Joseph Lyons Ewing, pas
tor West Presbyterian Church. Bridgeton;
the Rev. Joseph Howells, pastor First
PRESBYTERIAN Church, Hamilton Square; the
Rev. s. MuDroe Van SAINT. pastor Central
Methodist Church. Trenton; the Rev. Jnd-
son conklin, pastor Clinton Avenue Bap
list Church, Trenton. The other slsners
are prominent laymen Ct the State.
Superintendent Burke. Of the league. said
today in regard to the letter and prospects.
THE people are expecting the Governor
to take this position and they believe this
right will Mt last be granted. We have
every reason to believe hat our Lesisla-
ture will respond TO the popular will and
right this wrong"