The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-27

| call upon you 10 perform your
official duty; take the matter In
hand which is at your door ana
with which you are familiar, ana
proceed 70 see that the laws are
forced in your county.
The evidence taken in your case
and in the case of one or two other
officers In your county would be sur
ficient for proceedings for impeach-
ment. This should not be resorted
TO except In the gravest emergency
and the most fragrant disregard OF
official duty.
You still have opportunity TO
remedy conditions, and il you neeo
assistance, either financial or other-
wise. you shall have 1t in an ef-
fort to compel a cessation Of the
violations of the law which are al
mittedly openly occurring in your
county. Yours respectfully,
tSigned)
JOHN FRANKLIN FORT.
Sea Girt, N. J., August IL, 1908.
Letter to Mayor stoy,
Honorable f. p. Stoy,
Mayor of Atlantic City,
Atlantic City, New Jersey.
My Dear Mayor:
1 have just arisen from
the evidence in the Atlantic clty
case taken before the Excise Com
m~issioners. Your evidence IS OIL
such a character as to shock the
executive. 1t is quite apparent
that YOU know all about conditions
in your city, not only with regard
TO Sunday violations, but the much
worse violations of the law In the
form of gambling and vice anu
crime of an unmentionable charae-
Ter. II you do not know, then IL
would appear that there was pu,
one excuse. and that excuse wouio
be that you do not care to Know
7 ave a report on my desk, IN
addition to the evidence taken pc
fore the Excise Commission, mace
bv members of another commission,
who visited your city, which SHOWS
that 1t is very easy to discover the
real conditions as they exlst III
Atlantic City. They, without DIM
Guilty. obtained entrance INTO THESE
places and put themselves In pos
session Of the facts.
You admit, in your
that the police authorities are I'M
der your control; that they would,
tt YOU gave the order, close these
places, and yet you do not give that
order.
Every law of New Jersey must be
enforced. 1t cannot be that you are
NOT interested In Atlantic City. 1t
must be that you wish to see II
prosper and maintain public conf
dence. 1t is the great ocean resort
of our State. IT Is attractive In
every way. Its future Is promising
In a remarkable degree, and yet II
present conditions are allowed 10
continue and the character OF vice
and crime that there exists is per-
mitted to flourish, people OF repute
will be compelled to refuse to go
there. You do not want this, h
State Of New Jersey does not want
this, and the people of Atlantic
City surely do not want this.
The laws Of the State bear equally
upon all the people of the State.
They are not sectional, to be en-
forced In one place and not enforced
in another. They must be enforced
everywhere.
If YOU cannot enforce all laws In
Atlantic City and will simply drop
me q line to that effect, l will IN
force the laws in Atlantic City, as
the Governor of the State. There
win be no difficulty to do 1t. The
criminal will run away from the
law every time when he under
stands that the law is to be en-
forced.
Nor do 1 believe it true that the
grand jurors of Atlantic County Will
not indict, If you and the authorities
make the complaint. The present
grand jury, which Is still subject to
call and has not been discharged, /
am informed, indicted in every
gambling case that was brought
before them at the last term. and
one of the members of that grand
jury informs me that they stand
ready to find indictments in every
case, IL the evidence Is brought to
their attention.
You have occupied the office of
mayor of Atlantic City for many
years. You owe the people Of that
city something, and Rs the execu-
tive of the State, I appeal to you
to enforce the law or notify me that
you cannot enforce 1t, and request
that the State shall do 1t.
Yours respectfully,
(Signed) JOHN FRANKLIN FORT.
Sheriff Replies, Mayor Does Not.
Both of these letters were admitte
ly received. The sheriff replied In
perfunctory letter containing no prom
Use of aid. The Mayor has not reptile
He called upon me after receiving II
letter, but made no suggestions
promises of action. Somers Point w
found to be open by the Excl
Commission. This Is the residence
the Judge of the county court. He w
also written to by me. He called up'
and said he stood ready to aid
every way to enforce the law, and e
following letter indicates that he Is d
ing so and will do so:
Atlantic City, N. J., Aug. "a, 1908.
Hon. John Franklin Fort, Ses
Girt, N. j.:
MY Dear G~overnor-I beg to in
form you that the saloons ir
Somers Point. through the efforts
of myself and the Mayor, have
been closed for the past two Sun
- zz-- that I ahnI
do all in my power, so far as con
sistent with my position, to main
tain that result. I am quite conf
dent, however. that this could no
have been done but for the fear re