The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-09-03
HOME RULE
OPEN SUNDAY
Sommer and " New Idea : AS
sernbly Candidates Favor
Broad-guage Local Option.
WANT VOTE ON SUNDAY SELLING

In a naG-TOObeO declaraUlon, lSSueu uu
: Saturday, the leaders and candidates
Of the new idea movement in the
Republican party, put themselves,
squarely on record as favoring home
rule in the regulation Of excise affairs
The statement made by them asserts
the principle of local option on all
phases of the saloon and excise dues
tion, including Sunday selling, and
pledges the candidates Of the move
ment, if elected, to support and labor
for the enactment of aState law which
will permit each locality to decide for
itself what kind of excise laws it wants.
The decision of the form of excise reg
ulation is to be made by the voters in
each municipality by referendum
vote.
The declaration on the subject made
Saturday was adopted at a conference
held on Friday afternoon at the Colby
headquarters in the Scheuer building
on Broad street. 1t is agreed to by all
of the eleven candidates for the Re-
publican Assembly nominations, and
BY Senator Everett Colby and Sheriff
Frank Fl. Sommer. The statement
made Saturday afternoon, in accord
ance with the agreement reached at
the conference, is as follows:
In his recent public utterances,
!. Sheriff Frank 81. Sommer has defined
his position on the excise question and
has shown that until it has been taken
out of politics by leaving to the people,
on the principle of home rule, the set
Element of all matters pertaining to
this question, it will continue to con-
fuse the public mind and detract at
tention from the consideration of 9TH
er problems.
:" We heartily concur with the sher-
iff in his attitude, and if nominated
and elected, will labor for the enact
ment of law which will leave to the
voters of each municipality the right
to vote as to the regulation of the liq-
uor traffic In all it's phases, including
that OF Sunday selling"
am in entire accord with the
agreement Of the Assembly candidates
on this proposition, y said Senator Col
by Saturday afternoon. i voted for
the bishops bill and am personally
opposed to Sunday selling, but if our
movement means anything it means
that majority rule should govern on
all questions of Importance, and am
entirely willing to have the people de-
eide for themselves what kind of excise
laws they want, as | do not believe
that there can be successful general
enforcement Of any law that is contra,
ry to the prevailing public senti-
ment."
1t was asserted by Sheriff Sommer
and the Assembly candidates that
while the Colby movement did not
start the agitation for changes in the
excise laws, and did not consider the
excise question paramount issue,
they believed it only honest to meet
the issue, now tnat it had been raised.
The idea of letting the people settle
the question for themselves, by form.
of home rule, which would let each
municipality have the kind of excise
regulations majority Of the people in
the locality wanted, it was said, was
considered to be only in line and con-
sistent with the demand for direct
nominations, popular election for
United States Senators and advisory
initiative and referendum, which are
parts of the Colby program, and the
general purpose and intent of which is
to secure majority rule.