United labor bulletin., 1909-10-29


position to know the sentiment of the
people.
The Ward AS Unit.
The proposed principle is not only
novelty among us in itself, but it in
wolves another novelty. 1t practically
creates a new political unit mean the
ward. 1t is true that the ward has eX-
listed in the cities of New Jersey for
long time as quasi political unit; but
its active existence has been, so to speak,
only occasional momentary, htfui. FOR
compare it with other and live political
units The county has it's laws, its law
makers, its officials, and machinery that
are active all the time. The village has
| it's laws, lawmakers, officials, and ma
chinery that are active all the time. The
city has its laws, lawmakers, officials
and machinery that are active all the
! time But the ward, what is the ward?
When does it live? What does it do?
Where are its laws, its lawmakers, its
officials. and machinery that are active
all the time? In fact, at no time has it
laws and lawmakers, and officials and
| only momentarily and occasionally ma
chinery The ward is merely political
unit for the election of aldermen, and
perhaps. here and there, of school com
missioners And in the very act of crea-
tion it expires, for the aldermen elected
by its become at once officials OF the city
and not of the ward. 1t is not the alder
man of the Ninth Ward, but the Alder
man from the Ninth Ward"
But this bill enacts the ward into an
active and constant political unit, leg
islative unit. 1t may be doubted whether
this is a good thing to do. The munich
pality has hitherto been the political unit
for all its citizens They have all had
common municipal Legislature. And
this common Legislature has constituted
the CITY one. But this bill would make
of Newark, for example, for some pur-
poses not one city but II. This is con-
trary to the general trend of the best
thought on municipal matters, which
calls for simplification and concentra-
ton of powers under one responsible
head None of our cities has yet reached
such legislation dividing the community
against itself it may be doubted whether
they ever will. But if they do, it will be
time enough to consider a division and
apportionment of powers. And IN that
event it is certain that the division will
not be on ward lines with us any more
than it is in the city of New York.
But if the Legislature should think 1t
its duty to act one way or the other on
this proposition rather than to seek the
sentiment of the people, l submit that
this proposition is not what it is repre-
sented to be, and that it will not accom-
plish what is claimed for it. 1t is repre-
sented to be home rule measure, and
it is commonly understood by the people
to put the settlement of the question OF
alcoholic beverages as a business prop
osition into the hands of the groups OF
people most nearly affected by this
trade. That claim indeed is its only
title to be a local option measure.
1t is also represented that this will re-
suit in the elimination of the liquor ques-
ton from state politics and from the dis
cussions of our state Legislature. In
both quarters this question has to some
extent been a disturbing issue and no
doubt has impeded useful legislation.
Thus both a theoretical justification
and a practical recommendation are
claimed for this measure: on the one
hand it will satisfy the principle of home
rule; and on the other it will, as far as
state politics are concerned, settle the
liquor question.
But what reason is there for accepting
these large claims?
What Local Option" Masks.
First, it must be observed that the
very title by which this bill is popularly
known is deceptive misnomer. 1t is
not true local option measure at all.
1t is the product, not of any individual
but of an extensive and Jealous propa
ganda all over the country, whose pur-
pose is the destruction of the traffic in
alcoholic beverages. Every measure
tending to that end receives the support
of the people that variously figure as
anti-saloon, Prohibition, w. C. T. u.
stood that these people will never rest
till the whole liquor business be wiped
out This is their principle, and Local
option happens to be handy weapon al
the moment, name to conjure with, and
to be cast aside when any other weapon
seems more available. At this very mo
ment, in the city of Washington, the cap
ital of the country, you are using all your
influence to induce Congress to give the
state more control over the liquor traf
fic within its borders than it has ever
had To effect this you are asking the
national government to discard prin.
ciple of law that has stood since the
foundation of the country and to adopt