The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-18
To That and Ministers Threat
to Legislators Is Ascribed
Its Defeat.
VOTE Is FOR, Al AGAINST;
BURKE TO KEEP UP FIGHT
DR.. Scndder's Threatening Let
ter to A~ssemblymen De-
liounced by Recipients.
lFrom a stan correspondent

TRENTON, March 1S.-Assemblyman
Crosby's local option bill died in the
Assembly last night, a quiet and orr
derby death. Only fifteen votes out of
sixty We're recorded in favor of it,
forty -four Assemblymen voted against
it and Frank Buck of Cumberland,
supposed to be in favor of the bill, was
absent.
Asseinblylnan Guy Fake, of Bergen
County, was the only one who made
any sort of a plea for the measure.
Assemblyman Crosby, of Ocean. who
fathered it, made a ~perfunctory speech
in favor of it, but only those who sat in
his immediate vicinity heard what he
said.
Asselnblyinan F. b.. Potter, speaking
FOR his constituents in Cumberland
County, and for Frank Buck, who was
unavoidably absent, was the only other
man to raise his voice in favor OF the
bill.
On the other hand many Assembly,
mon spoke against the bill. All agreed
that the ward-line provision n the
attitude of the ministers in threatening
Assenblymen with political extinction
If they voted adversely were the main
causes for their hostility to it.
Assemblynan James Baker, of Hud-
son County, made a strong speech. He
said that he would be a moral coward
if he voted for the bill, and that be
trusted that at no time would that
stigma be placed upon him.
1T seems at this late day that we
arc not permitted to think; others In
high places think for us. I recently
received a letter from an eminent
clergyman | presume he proqes his
title to that appellation by the letter I
have in my hand.
Mr.. Baker then read a letter which
the Rev. DR.. John l.. Scudder sent to
many of the Assemblymen in which he
declared that he would follow to the
end of his life and drive from politics
amy Asscinhlyntan VINO voted against
the local option bill.
u shall vote against the bill. and
that missive is responsible for my at
titude." said Baker.
Assemblyman John r. Moxon. of
Union County. supported what Mr..
Baker had said. He said he had not
only received a similar letter from the
Rev. DIR. Scudder, but also had three
letters from the Rev. George G. vogel.
of Emory M. e. Church, Jersey CITY,
In which he had bee threatened with
POLITICAL extinction If he dared oppose
local option. 1T seems that most OF
the anarchistic feeling and utterances
come from Hudson County, said
Moxon.
Assemblyman William p. Martin, OF
Essex County, majority leader in the
Assembly, said:
Majority Leader votes No.
81 don't think it should be within the
power of any man to write threaten
ing letters and change the vote of any
Assemblyman in this house. 1t seems
to me, however, that no friend and no
foe of local option can vote for this
bin as it Is presented to us now, pro-
viding as it does for two tribunals to
try the question of whether there shall
be the sale of liquor or whether a ter
ritory shall go dry. 1 refer to the
ward-line feature of the bill. and say
that that is not local option, and could
rot accomplish the object which the
authors of the bill claim they are seek
ing.
IT the ward-line feature was
adopted there would be a constant
changing of ward lines to take care of
tho favored ones. Further, I defy any
man to show me any authority or de-
cision which holds that there shall be
two tribunals and that the man who
is defeated in one shall have no APP
peal, while the one who wins in one
tribunal must appeal to another to
have his contention affirmed before
winning his case
One of the wittiest and ablest
speeches in opposition to the measure
came from Assemblyman Austin Col
gate, of Essex County. when an amend
ment proposed by the local o%ptionists
providing for a referendum of the bill
to the people of the State was under
discussion. Colgate, who voted against
the referendum clause and also against
the bill said:
The people pay me $500 a year to
come down here and bear their bur
dens, and I don't believe they would
thank me IL I pnt up to them such a
problem as we have had bothering us
for the last six weeks. l don't think
The referendum feature is anything
moro than a subtorfuge to shift the
responsibility which some of us do not
care to bear. I do not think that a.
majority Of my constituents favor the
passage Of the local option bill. al
III