The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-13
COUNCILMEN
FAVOR OPEN
SUNDAY LAW
continued from First Page,

Continued from First ase.
by the votes of three Republican alder
men, Lorenzo Boscaino, Henry B. Sny'
der and Henry Screitmueller. who rep
resents wards that desire changes In
the liquor laws. The vote on the
| amendment to the ordinances was Il
to 3.
A long and bitter argument followed
the introduction of a proposed amend.
ment by Alderman julius A Meyer
which simply sought to allow of Sun
! day selling so far as the municipal al
thorities are concerned. Mr.. Meyer
said that two-thirds of the people OF
the city were DESTROYS of having the
! excise laws changed. He maintained
that the Thirteenth Ward, which he
represented. was particularly in favor
of such changes, and charged his pres
ence in the Council as being due only
to the demand for such changes. He
admitted that the passage of the
amendment was in opposition to the
spirit of the State law, but he said that
the people demanded IN amended law
and ought to have 1t.
SlQCt Hull L . AAoA Nahb
nority leader. made a futile effort tc
have the question of the right of the
Aldermen to permit, so far as the city
is concerned, the sale of liquor on spe-
ciic hours, referred to the city counsel
When he saw that plan was of rJ avail
he went after the Democratic majority
demanding that the amendments Inc
printed, so that all might study them.
He called the amendment of the ordi'
nance a political trick to put common
Council on record against Sunday-clos-
ing. He did not see why the Demo-
cratic Aldermen were anxious to act
against the spirit of the State law,
since a Democratic House of Assembly
had failed TO pass a repeater to the
Bishops law.
Several other Aldermen gave their
opinions pro and con about the amend
ment before, by a vote of Is to IL, IT
went to second reading. When the
matter was at hat stage Alderman
Frey. the dissenting Democrat, offered
a substitute in the shape of a repeater
of both the sections which Mr.. Meyer
desired to amend. my people do not
care for a change in the Sunday laws"
he said, and l do not favor any half
way business"
This proposed substitute precipitated
another discussion, but 1t was defeated
promptly by the same vote, which later
passed a motion to suspend the rules
and pass the amendment to a third
reading and final passage.
The Mayors message, which was
filed, is as follows:
Through a variety of causes there has
lately arisen in this city a situation which
may be truthfully described as becoming
more and more acute. and to which / deem
II my duty to call your attention Whlle
other large centres of population are more
or less concerned. this city is so peculiarly
you to petition the Legislature of the
State for measures to relieve what q very
large number of our citizens regard as q
pernicious and exasperating interference
with their personal rights md liberties.
The sllouor laws of the State OF New
JERSEY follow in the main the model con-
structed In colonial times. They were
doubtless suited to the public need when
the Commonwealth consisted almost alto,
gether of small rural communities. Thai
they are ~antiuuated and out of touch witt
modern need and sentiment; now that TN
State possesses a great number of populous
cities. has been demonstrated SO repeated.
ly and c~onclrsively as to be scarcely
worthy of debate. In particular, the pro-
NlSlOnS Vi tltSG lHW6 tQbtiAA ~ II ~
ing on Sunday of places where alcoholic
beverages are sold, are obnoxious to the
great mass Of the residents of this city.
So apparent has this been that In thu
immediate past and for at least half a
century heretofore, the law; so far as thu
closing of saloons on Sunday was con-
ce,ned, was a dead letter. not only in this
city, but in practically every other large
centre OF population in the State; Tho
Legislature of a year ago undertook the
amendment of the liquor laws: hut In
desires of the people; only made them mor(
drastic and offensive. The citizens Of
Newark. ALWAYS disposed to be law-abid,
Ing, have observed these more stringent
hoped for adequate relief from the Legis.
lature which took its seat in January Of
this year. And, indeed. n measure some
what In line with public sentiment was
passed by the House of Assembly during
the first part OF the current session. Il
failed. however. in the Senate. TIL hoo'
that other remedial legislation might. b.
possible in the session which has JUS
closed by formal recess has failed. Before
the Legislature shall adjourn sine die Their
will be another opportunity. to give thu
people what they desire.
l think the time has come for Newark
through its constituted authorities, to de
fine its position on this question in al
unmistakable manner. This issue canno
be ignored or put inside. but must be me
fully, frankly and unequivocally. Their
is no moral question involved In Thinking
on sunday 1T IL DC wrong on tne mrs
day OF the week it is wrong on all othe
days of the week, and IL 1t be wrong II
the licensed saloon 1t Is wrong In thu
club and the home. The dictation of out
side authority with the individual as L
his habits and customs: the interference
with his personal right Is not alone pro
ductive Of evasion, subterfuge and t
mischief. but is intolerable oppression;
| call upon you as the representative
of the people of Newark to ask of tn
Legislature of New Jersey, and particular
ly Of its Senate that the city of Newarl
shall be permitted to regulate the hour
and the manner In which liquor shall b
sold within its borders.