The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-29
Definite Declaration by Sena-
tor Colby on Sunday
Liquor Selling.
BISHOPS BILL
Appeared With Sheriff Sommer
at Meetings Last Night.
Sheriff Says Legislators
Have Been Playing
With Subject.

At an open air meeting at Sherman
avenue and Astor street last night
Senator Colby expressed himself as per-
sonally in favor of a closed Sunday;
said tina he had voted for the Bishops
bill and asserted he would like to do
1t again.
81 do not care whether any of you
are for me or not, but | have never
failed and will not fail here to speak
from my heart. l want to discuss this
Sunday closing with
Honestly, l would like to see every
saloon in this State closed on Sunday.
1 have studied the question here and
in other countries: / la examined
the records in h past and compared
them with those of the present, n l
say to you that 1 know that the peo-
pie would be better If they were closed,
despite this constant clamor about the
man and his quiet glass of beer?'
81 advocated the Bishops pill, and
when 1t came up in the Legislature I
voted for 1t. 1 don't regret the act
and would do 1t again"
Previous to this discussion of the
liquor question Senator Colby reiterated
his old charge that the corporations are
in control at Trenton, n that no law
was passed without their approval. He
dilated at some length on this feature,
concluding with the introduction of
Sheriff Sommer as the man who would
fulfill the platform of the New Idea"
A crowd of 800 or 900 was present
at the meeting when Alexander Lin
nett, who was the New Idea candidate
for the mayoralty nomination at the
last election, opened 1t with a short
address. The speakers gathered a
crowd abou them, Grating from a truck
that was ixed up as a platform. The
crowd was still large when the Sheriff
began his short speech.
He outlined his career as Sheriff and
his promises before election and their
fulhllment a~fterward. He stated that
he was not responsible for the laws,
but that he would enforce those h a
were on the statute books.
Harrison Van Duyne closed the meet
ing with a talk on Equal Taxation"
He advocated further legislation, so
that individuals and corporations
should be subject to the same tax.
Az soon as Sheriff Sommer had con-
cluded his speech both he and Senator
Colby hastened to Cort's Hall at South
Orange avenue and Wallace street. A
fair crowd was awaiting them. The
Sheriff went moro into detail here on
the liquor question. saying, in part;
NV w sstitu you toward 90 the Sunday closing
law really is. You know that for years
and years there stood upon the statute
19oo5 s : lsS Prompting You sn tRe ' Ks we'll St liiq aus I
know, that this law was not enforced
that 1t was not enforced because there
it's enforcement, and because the people
in general seemed to be content to let
we'll enough alone.
nected with the business, an agitation
grew up In the State. That. agitation re-
suited in the enactment OF what you know
as the Bishops law. Realizing that many
of the saloons were used for improper and
illegitimate purposes and realizing that
the back room OF a saloon was simply, a
place of designation in many cases. the
Bishops law provided that q saloon should
consist of a single room. Surely no man
who was familiar with the situation which
existed has criticised the Bishops law be-
cause OF this provision.
Further than that, the Bishops law rem
dered the law, as it was, enforcible-read-
NV enforcible because 1t required the re-
moval of screens SO that the interior of sa-
looms might be open. to the view OF the
the Bishops law the Sunday closing law
was observed. and It was enforced. The
Bishops law did not forbid the selling of
liquors on Sunday; the sale was forbidden
before the enactment OF the Bishops law.
Now, il Is said, that 1 compelled the OBJ
servance Of the law; that l compelled Its
enforcement. L have been told that time
and time again, and i must accept the re-
sponsibiiity for existing conditions, be-
cause whenever a complaint came into our
office, I transmitted 1t to the police on
cials. and they, in many, many instances
took that letter which / had written to
them to the keeper of the saloon that was
complained of. They didn't say: This Is
the law, and you must observe III" They
said: THE Sheriff sends us this complaint.
and he wants you to close They closed,
and the responsibility is mine. ! am will
ing to assume 1t.
We have had a great deal Of discussion
about this Bishops law. There is nothing
The returns last fall at the election would
indicate. after a fashion, that general pub
lie sentiment in this community was not In
favor of It's provision with respect to Sum
day closing. Nevertheless. so far as I can,
end because the law is now enforcible, be-
cause of this new provision, while / con-
tinue In this office l occupy. I Will do what
l can TO compel its observance. We might
Just as we'll understand that situation right
now.
However. for years and years the legts-
lators whom YOU sent to Trenton have
played with this question OF the saloon.
and your public officials upon whom was
imposed the duty of enforcing the law have
likewise played with the question, and the
game played with the question by each Of
these bodies or men was simply n game of
politics. Apparently large numbers of our
people are not satisfied with the situation
which these legislators produced. Now, II
you are dissatisfied with the situation which
your legislators produced, then, but one
thing remains open for YOU people to do,
and that Is for the people OF the several
communities affected by this problem to
take the problem into your own hands.
express your will with reference to the
saloon. and see whether You. who are not
playing politics with the question, cannot
solve it.
NV proposition is this: That the legisla-
tors having failed In their attempt TO
solve the question. IN view of the fact
that the law is enforced in certain places
and not in others. that you, the peopie,
apply yourselves directly to its solution.
There can be no other wayi OF permanently
disposing of this question and taking 1t out
Of politics and out Of the hands of the poll
ticians. who find in hat law the means or
accomplishing some of their own Interior
purposes. And | want to take II out OF
politics when 1t is submitted to you. |
want that question submitted to you. and
submitted at a special election. I want it
submitted a given time before an election
and not within a given time after an cleo
ton. / want 1t submitted In such a man
ner that you nave that question:. and that
question alone. before you, and don't have
the solution of that question mixed up
with any mans political ambition.
Now that Is enough for that excise uues-
ton tonight, SO we will turn our attention
to some other matters which / purpose
bringing before you now.
In concluding his speech, the Sheriff
said.