Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-03-18
LOCAL OPTION
TURNED DOWN
BY ASSEMBLY
First Amendsd TO Nothing, iha
Crosby Measure is BOally
Thrown Out.
WAS DEFEATED EY "A TO l5

TRENTON, Mar. 1s:-The Crosby
local option bill was defeated in the
assembly last night by vote Of A
TO IS.
Republicans who voted for the bill
We're: Cattell, of Gloucester; Crosby,
of Ocean: Fake, of Bergen; Jess, Of
Camden; A1cCoid, of Passaic: Pierce,
of Union; F. B. Potter, of Cumber-
land; j. Potter, of Camden Ridg-
way, of Salem; Smalley, of Somerset,
and Whitehead, of Passaic.
The democrats voting for the bill
were HendricksOn, Jr., of Hudson;
Morris, of Sussex; Tantum, OF Nom
mouth, and Van Cleef, of Middlesex.
Buck, of Cumberland, was the only
absentee.
The negative votes were By Auf
der Heide, Baker, Beecroft. Blohm.
Braun, Burpo, Buxton, Clark. Cob
gate, Daab, Devine, Jr., Eppinger.
Firth, Gibbs, Ginnelley, Hines. Hol.
Icombe, Holzapfel, Housel, Trick. Kef-
fer, Kenny, Keough, KRISTEN. Lewis,
Lowrey, Lyon, Martin, Miller. Nor
gan, Moxon, Olwell. Prince. Rads
cliffe, Ramsay, Roberts, Smith, Stille,
Sullivan, Thompson, Tumulty. Valx
ente, Voorhees,, Young, Jr.
The committee on municipal corr
lporations reported the bill at opening
of the afternoon session. It was inn
mediately put on second reading, and
upon motion Of Mr.. Buxton, the floor
was cleared of all outsiders
The first amendment, proposed by
the committee, permitting the use of
wine at communion, was adopted.
An amendment by Mr. Crosby. re-
Elating TO the eonstitutionality Of the
sections of the bill, was also adopted.
Referendum Beaten.
Mr.. Fake. submitted a referendum
proposition, that the bill should be
approved by majority of the voters
OF the state at the next general elec-
tion. This was lost by a vote Of 21
to %.
Mr.. Hines offered several amends
ments, one providing that no local
option vote should be taken within
sixty days of any special primary or
special election, and eliminating the
ward option. Both were lost by
votes of 80 to 26 and 45 to IA. Mr.,
Martin spoke strongly against the
ward feature, as he held it to be lln4
fair and against tn. principle of the
bill. He said it established two tris
bunals. If ward votes 'wet" that
majority would be over-ridden by the
municipal vote for dry 1T is
heads l win: tails, you lose," de-
clered Mr. Martin.
Mr.. Sullivan desired county option
only, and this got the "skidoo," as
did an amendment of Mr. Hines that
the bill should not apply to counties.
The later vote was Al to II.
Mr.. Martin moved for a suspension
of the rules so that the bill could be
placed on third reading.
Burke on Deck.
]. Frank Burke, superintendent OF
the Anti-Saloon league, was stations
ed at the brass railing just back Of
the seat of Mr.. Crosby, and when the
sponsor of the bill was asked a ques-
ton concerning it he turned to Mr..
Burke for information. This led to
comment on the man back of the
biil' on the part of those opposed to
the measure.
secure support for the bill, but the
sentiment was too strong for him to
overcome. He defended the minis
ters and said they had right to tell
a legislator that if he did not sup
port the bill he would be opposed.
This was to refute the attack upon
the ministers, who sent letters to the
assemblymen threatening them with
defeat should they vote against SO.
Mr.. Crosby made quite a speech
for his bill, but the house was rest
less, and but few could hear what ha
said and little attention was paid to
his requiem =
F. B. Potter referred to Cumber-
land county, where there are but FIVE
licensed places, as an argument for
| local option.
Messrs. Braun, Baxter, Prince,
Blohm, Martin. Baker, Colgate, MoxA
on and Hines spoke against the bill.
Their remarks were based on intimi-
dation, prohibition that does not pro-
hibit, the urging of local option by
the Anti-Saloon league when prohibi.
tion is the real motive, the wishes OF
their constituency, objection to feat
ures of No. 80, and a desire to settle
the problem as was their duty as
members of the house.
Cries of Question" brought the
vote and the end of local option for
this legislative session.