Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1910-02-21
Movement Has Again Reach
ed This City and Interest
Is Being Aroused.
TO COMM UNICATE WITH
: LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS
Rev. James H. Northrup In
Presbyterian Church Yes
terday Gave Views.

The local option movement has
again reached this city. In the To-
cal churches yesterday some of the
pastors took up the matter for dis
cussion, and Rev. James H. North
rup. pastor of the First Presbyterian
church, who went into detail on the
subject, expressed himself as fol-
lows:
"The emotional language and
seemingly exaggerated statements OF
the early preachers and refOrmers
have not only been confirmed by the
statistics and Investigations of our
time, but the facts now at hand show
that the reformers of the past but
beggarly stated the evils of strong
drink.
Modern thought accepts the doc
trine that a man is his brothers 8
keeper 1t is the keynote of this age
social obligation. Worse even
than individual sin Is sin against So
ciety. The obligation to make condi-
tions decent is Just as imperative as
to be decent yourself.
Thirst for liquor is acquired, not
- natural. We are compelled to han
die more carefully those evils that
are misdirected natural tendencies.
But this is an abnormal, acquired
taste, and should be treated accord
ingly. Disordered function certain
ly requires treatment different
from that for malignant growth. !
Much of the contest has been
won. Sentiment has been won, the
scientific argument has been won;
the barkeepers, the saloon men and
the drinkers could not resist us
twenty-four hours. But the last
great fight is now before us, viz. !:
that against the millions of dollars
invested in the liquor business. So
with slavery, after the sentiment
against the Rlave-driver had been
made strong, the. fight had to be
made against the capital invested in
Southern securities.
$50 we appeal to business men to
take up the fight at this point, to
Offset che power of money invested
in the liquor business. The legisla-
tors will listen to them. But some
times these men are lukewarm, be-
cause they fear taxes may rise a. lit
tie il the license money is lost, some
times they fear that trade will tenn
porarily fall in dry town. And the
legislators want to know II you are
willing to take the risk of these tenn
porary changes. Won't you do it for
the sake of the boys and unhappy
homes? When we consider the de-
creased cost of the courts and police
force, and asylums, and institutions
of charity, and then the increase of
money men will be able to spend in
trade. 1t is easy to be seen that the
xxyt11 hp
capital except that in the liquor bus
mess. But the senators and assem-
blymen ought to know that you are
not Indifferent.
Local option, the Gebhardt-
Ridgeway bill, is the approved meas
ure for the temperance people of this
state this year. Urge your repre-
sentatives to vote for it. Atlantic
City, after rebelling against the state
and defying her laws, has the mon
umental audacity to ask the legisla-
ture to pass a bill by which she
could have the option of breaking
the Sabbath legally In the way that
is most Injurious to the state.
This is option with vengeance.
The ten commandments are not mat
ters Of local option. Option should
be granted to the people at the point
where the problem lies. The prob
lem before the people Of New Jer-
sey Is not how liquor selling may be
made more fragrant, but how 1t may
be further restrained. That is the
problem and there is where the op-
tion should lie. This position as
sumes something. Yes, it assumes
that the liquor business is under con-
demnation. And the highest court
assumes that. The only question Is
how severe shall lie the penalty of
restraint on It's liberty.
I'VE are told that local option
doesn't decrease the sale of liquor.
Yet the internal revenue in 1908 fell
off fifteen million dollars from 1907,
and in 1909 it was twenty-five mil
lion less than 1907.
Local option, because a special
vote for it must be taken before it
becomes operative, is constant
guarantee that there will be ma
iority sentiment to enforce 1t.
Write a brief. courteous note
with no threats, to the senator and
three assemblymen of Middlesex in
the legislature. Better still, send a
telegram. Send them to:
Hon. George S. Silzer, senate
chamber, Trenton, N. j.
Hon. William g. Ramsay, M. D.,
assembly chamber, Trenton, N. j.
"Hon. J. v. L. Booraem, assembly
chamber, Trenton, N. J.
Hon. Edwin L. Burt, assembly
chamber, Trenton, N. J.
This is what citizen of Illinois
sent his assemblyman:
al trust you will support the To-
cal option bill in every particular.
You need not take the trouble to an
swer this letter. / know where to
look for that
''Our representatives have right
to expect you to say so, IL you want
this legislation The liquor inter-
ests speak very loudly to them; and
if you say nothing, they will have
right to consider you Indifferent, and
the disloyalty to our interests will
then be yours and not theirs.
Send your letters this week.
Next Monday the 2Sth, there will be
a hearing on the BILL"