Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-08-26
FIRST GUN FOR
LOCAL OPTION
Receptive Candidates for
GubernatoriaI Nomination
Asked to Go on Record.
FIGHT In MIDDLESEX
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

trenton, Aug. 26:-The first sign of
activity by the New Jersey Anti-Sa-
loon League in relation to the Guberna.
torial campaign came yesterday when
j. Frank Burke, of Newark, Superin-
tendent of the League, sent letters to
each of the avowed or receptive can
didates among both Republicans and
Democrats, asking for a declaration on
the subject Of local option.
Those to whom letters were sent In
clude Banking and Insurance Commits.
sioner Vivian M. Lewis, Senator Jos
eph s. Frelinghuysen, former Assembly.
man William P. Martin, Senator Ed
mund Wakelee and Prosecutor Pierre
P. Garven, all Republicans. The Dem
ocrats who are asked to commit them
selves are Frank s. Katzenbach, Jr.,
Woodrow Wilson, Senator George Sill,
ger and Mayor H. Otto Wittpenn.
To each candidate was sent with the
Anti-Saloon League letter copies of
the local option bill introduced by SEN
ator w. G. Gebhardt and Assemblyman
Samuel A. Ridgway last spring. This
enclosure was made in order that each
candidate might see "that the law that
is being urged by the local option peo-
pie is simply to provide that the vot-
ers in any particular municipality shall
have the power by their own initiative
to determine by means of a majority
vote at a special election whether they
shall have licenses issued or whether
they shall not"
In his letter to the Gubernatorial as
pirants Mr.. Burke says: 81 am sure
if you will reflect on the methods by
which candidates and politicians often
seek to evade a plain, simple, straight
forward question, you will pardon our
plainness and our insistence that the
simple interrogation placed before you
be answered in such O manner that
the people Of New Jersey shall know
where you stand on this specific legis-
lation."
The letter gives four reasons why
the League asks the candidates to de-
clare themsselves. The first reason
given is that the people have a right to
know before casting their votes on
primary and election days just how
each candidate stands con the funda-
mental proposition of whether the ma,
jority shall rule in New Jersey as they
do in every other State, with the ex-
ception of Nevada and Pennsylvania
AS a second reason the letter calls
attention to the fact that Governor
Fort declined after election to take
a position on the local option question,
because he had not announced his po-
sition before election, and "to take
such a position after election would
be to betray a large number who had
voted for him with the understanding
that his public pledge covered the ex-
tent of his endeavoTs on this question. -
In the next place the letter says
that a candidate may seek to avoid
committing himself on the issue be-
cause Of a feeling that the Governor is
not a legislative officer. To offset this
position, the League asserts that the
Governor is by custom the directing
power In legislation and the most pow
erful single factor in the enactment
or hindering of legislation.
In the fourth argument, the League
notified the candidates plainly that it
is their attitude toward local option
and not toward Sunday closing that Is
being asked. The League says that
as long as the present system Of equal
county representation exists in the
State, the Sunday closing law will re
main unchanged, for in fifteen coun-
ties at least there Is no sentiment for
the slightest weakening Of present
government.
awe sincerely hope you will not in
your response to this plain, fair ques-
ton, endeavor to evade or avoid the
by strongly affirming other mat
which are not involved or ques-
says the letter in conclusion.
Local Option In Middlesex.
New Brunswick, Aug. 26:-Local OPP
ton will play a part in the assembly
campaign in Middlesex county this fall,
two candidates who are known to favor
!oeal option legislation, having filed
petitions, both republicans. They are
Leslie E. Molineux, Of Metuchen and
William ]. Campbell, of Cranbury.
This makes five republican contes-
and a lively primary fight is ex-
Mr.. Campbell s petition, which wal
lied late Wednesday afternoon, is sign
I'd by many prominent Cranbury peo-
pie, headed by Rev. Adolos Allen and
Dr.. Henry c. symmes. He has the en-
of those who are working
or local option and it is believed that
le will conduct his campaign along
lines.