Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-01-23

the people.
During my term | shall regard 1t as
an obligation cast upon me by the peo-
pie to veto any measure suggesting any
modification of existing law on the
question of the sales of liquor on Sun
day.
The excise laws can never be proper
| ly enforced until the local officials do
their duty. To accomplish this they
must be held to strict accountability
for the nonenforcement of the law.
To this end, therefore, several acts of
legislation are essential:
First-A more simple and effective
provision for the revocation of. a IL
cense by the granting power in case of
the violation of the excise laws in any
respect.
Second.-An act making a revocation
OF a license result upon conviction
of the violation of the excise laws or
upon a plea of guilty or non vult.
Third.-An act comforting upon the
governor the power to remove any
mayor who fails to take measures to
enforce excise laws within his mu-
nicipality, such removal, of course,
to be only after notice requiring such
enforcement and after charges, trial
and hearing.
Further excise legislation should be
enacted in the following respects:
a. a general statute should be pass
ed which will increase the present min
imum license fee in all places for the
sale of intoxicants; and,
~ In cities of the first class the min
imum should be at least $500. One
thousand would be better, and in lesser
cities and towns in proportion.
80 The number of saloons should be
limited on some basis of population.
az No more than one or two saloons
at most should be allowed to be locat-
ed upon any city block.
o. Fix a closing hour for saloons and
bars for each night, say at 1890 a. m.,
after which no bar can be open until,
say, 6 a. m.
g. All right to transfer a license
should be abolished.
"a Establish a state board for the
revocation of licenses, with power
upon the petition of any citizen to re-
yoke any license for violation of the
excise laws, this board to be required
to sit in different parts of the state at
stated times.
81 Pass a supplement to the evidence
act providing that where proof shall
~ baJ 4l,o+ a,xr Ii,,,,i,5 drink woe sold
or delivered in any saloon or at any
bar on any prohibited day it should
be presumed to be intoxicating liquor,
and in any trial upon an Indictment or
any other proceeding the burden of
proof that such liquor so sold was not
intoxicating should be upon the de-
PENDANT
(9) No person or corporation engaged
in the sale of malt or spirituous liquors
should be allowed to establish a sa-
loon in some other persons name or
to furnish money for that purpose.
Agreements. leases or mortgages here
after made for such purpose or to
secure money for such a purpose
should be deemed absolutely void, nor
should any agreement be lawful which
obligates any person to take, buy or
sell only the product or output of beer
or other malt or spirituous liquor OF
any other person or corporation in or
at any licensed place of business.
If these suggested laws can be enact
ed and the existing excise laws enforc-
ed, there will come an increased legiti-
mate revenue for municipalities, with
probably a large reduction of the num-
Der of licensed saloons and also quiet
observance of Sunday under conditions
which will guarantee proper rest and
recreation to the men of our state and
their families
Jury Reform.
The selection of the grand jury at
the mere personal within of sheriff is,
In the hands of sheriff who holds
lightly his obligations of Office, a most
dangerous power. The liberty of the
citizens is in the hands Of one man, and
the criminal machinery of the state.
with all it's power and ignominy, may
be directed most unjustly against any
person or be used to crafty personal
or political ends.
This has been done in our state, and
grand juries have been selected at the
behest of power foreign to the sher-
iff's office 1t should be made impossi-
Bile hereafter It is not wise to take all
the power from the sheriff in the mat
ter of selecting jurors, saying nothing
of the question Of the constitutional
right to do SO. But the drawing of
grand and petit jurors should be regu-
lated by strict law under system Of
drawings either by the sheriff alone
or in connection with other persons as
commissioners, so that impartial re-
suits may be obtained and citizens in
different between the state and offend
ers may be selected for all classes Of
jury duty.
Removal Of Municipal Officers.
FTyforo rho,,ld f,r ,,orx,o, T., Az -