The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1907-09-14
RAPED
ON LIQUOR
QUESTION
Alderman FrOeIich Takes
Exception to Attitude of
Some Ministers.

MEMBERS OF the WlllldIn -. HlCOn As
ISOLATION, in Semers Hall, Montgomery
and Prince streets, last night applauded
an excise speech by Alderman Dr. Jo-
seph c. Froelich. Alderman Michael
Leveen, of the Second Ward, and Alder
man James Bray, of the Fourteenth
Ward. both spoke on the Sunday dues-
tion, too, and said that the Democrats
had kept their promise to the people
last fall by fighting for freedom"
I'VE made good, gentlemen" said
Alderman Leveen. land If you place
any faith in the promises made in the
Republican platform at its convention
Thursday night, after their placing the
Bishops law on the statute books, why,
vote for their candidates"
Alderman Bray told how the Demo-
cratic party had reduced the tax rate,
and promised that If the present Demo-
cratic candidates were elected 1t would
be reduced still further. He referred to
a certain Democrat in Sussex County
who stood out In favor of the Bishops
bill when his supporters were opposed
to it. "I want to say" remarked the
Fourteenth Ward alderman, that | Wis
tied old Sussex County, and while
was there 1 put a nail In that gentle
mans coffin"
Candidates for alderman, Louis
Semel, and School Commissioner Joseph
Papscoe promised larger Fairgrounds
for the children of the schoola in the
ward, and bath house
1t was reported that the Kowner K.
U. Verein indorsed the warl candi-
dates. and a resolution from the Leveen
Democratic Association indorsing the
candidates was read. The Leveens
were present in a body. Chairman
Nathan Steinfeldt appointed a Commit
tee of fifteen, with Alexander Melville
as chairman, to arrange for a recep-
ton and ball to be held at the Kruger
Auditorium October rs next.
Alderman F'roehlich's speech included
rap for the clergy on the score that
some had misstated facts In discussing
the liquor question. He said:
From the annual report of 1905 of
the public department of health I
learned that Newark has had 5.025
cases of death. of which I ind only
forty-two are credited to alcoholism.
Now, just think of it, the city of New
ark with 100000 inhabitants and so
famous for its breweries and 60 numer-
| GUS IOI It's SdiOOilD, anu pLiy IpiAS wv
cases of death credited to alcoholism!
1 have been so surprised that | have
lost my capabilities of being astonished.
I also learned from one of our Western
States some time ago Of an assertion
| that a million of American people die
annually from the effects of strong
drink Statistics of experts show that
there were only 1902 credited TO alco-
holism. But l also notice on the other
4 hand that there We're 30,094 cases
credited to the disease of digestive
organ This plainly shows that our city
is not dying from alcoholism, as our
great reformers claim.
THE doctors have ever claimed thai
more people die of overeating than of over
drinking, and the census report bears ms
out. for in the very year in which 1,59:
people were taken away by alcoholism
3O,O94 deaths are accredited to diseases OF
the digestive organs.
| "Banish beer and liquor and man will
find a substitute. even If It be opium, NOR
| phine or cocaine So far as [ am con-
cerned ] would care but little If every
ounce of liquor was banished from the
world and its method of manufacture for
ever be forgotten; but | object to having
lot of he-virglns sit at my muzzle and
| dictate now L snail lOdu UlyStll- II an
| an American sovereign. | propose to oe
supreme autocrat Of my own stomach.
When l want advice regarding what
| shall eat and what / shall drink I will
consult a doctor of medicine instead a
! doctor of divinity. I do not oppose the
present law for the closing of saloons on
Sunday. not because 1 am the friend OF
liquor. but because L am the friend of
| liberty.
"The reformers inform us that the
brightest men of the world are ruined by
strong drink Let me tell you that the
idea that the brainiest men Of the world
die drunkards is the merest moonshlne
| Take the thousand greatest men the world
| has produced the thousand immortelles
and not per cent. of them died drunk
ards. yet 9S per cent. of them drank liquor
IF these reformers. gentlemen, really
| desire TO have a sober State let them raise
a purse and place their booze on the side
walk in buckets, accompanied by tin dip
pers and signs, Help yourself; funerals
furnished Free Men would then run away
from the very smell Of the stuff who now
sneak up dirty alleys and pay Is cents fol
the privilege of poisoning themselves.
! Don't tell your boys that every mar
who sells liquor is an emlssary from hel
and that every man who drinks is a worth
less sot. If you do he will soon find on
that you are a liar. Tell him that llquo
| is a pretty good thing to leave alone. bu
that millions of better men than his daddy
/ have drunk 1t and lived and died sober ant
useful citizens.
prohibition was first tried In the Garder
| Of Eden. 1t proved a failure there, and I
has proven failure ever since Wine hal
been used in almost every religious rite ex
| cept Mohammedanism and devil worship.