Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-01
WOMEN WITNESS
CLASH At LOCAL
OPTION HEARING
Senator Gebhardt and Mayor
Rose Pass Lie as Clergy
Look On.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
AVERTS FIST FIGHT
Sarcasm of Milwaukee 0fficia!
Greeted by Mingled Storm
of Cheers and Kisses.
From a staff Correspondent. ]

PRODUCER of the Senate local option
4 bill, and Mayor David S. Rose. of Mil
b waukee, who appeared in behalf of this
y liquor interests. Rose was inclined IT,
n be sarcastically funny and GebhardI
resented. The session was held in the
assembly chamber, and only the inter
> ference of Sergeant-At-Arrns Flavell
! prevented, a .fisticuffs exhibition.
The House was crowded with min
! listers, members of the w. c. T. u,
and politicians.
While several sentiments that Mr..
Rose expressed failed to set we'll with
the local optionists, 1t was his joke at
the expense of the opposition which
brought Gebhardt to his feet and elic-
tied murmurs of indignation from the
other advocates of a restricted liquor
traffic.
The Mayor of Milwaukee asked his
listeners to make a mental census Of
the number of people they remembered
who had gone to a %drunkard's grave. a
sdozen or more local optionists. Senator
Gebhardt among them, promptly replied
i'm chorus that they could recall thou
/ sands of them
Then" calmly n deliberately re
sponded Mr.. Rose, lit is evident that
you rave spent most of your time in an
.inebriates' asylum"
q Senator Gebhardt leaped to his feet
and accused Rose of having uttered UNI
& truths during his speech.
L Passes the Lie.
1 Rose answered that he would not
permit his statements to be challenged
by anyone, and added:
e Il can call a man a liar as quickly as
1.-THE next person
x Il repeat" shouted Gebhardt, whom
the shaft of ridicule had hit in a tender
spot. that certain statements you have
.msde are absolutely false
Only the prompt ruling of Chairman
sAckerman and the hurried progress of
tSergeant-at-Arms Flavell to the side
eof Senator Gebhardt, who had started
steward Mr.. Rose, averted an even mere
Eunpleasant scene.
Gebhardt finally decided TO sit down,
and Rose proceeded with his speech.
Even before the interruption by Geb-
4hardt. Rose had made SOM rather
f~caustic references to the opposition. For
iexample, after reviewing a statement
lby one of the local optionists TO the
effect that foreigners principally are
interested in liberal excise laws, Rose
sdeclared:
There are no real Americans except
THE Indians. After hearing some of the
speeches made by the opposition today
I'm convinced that many of those in
dams are speaking on the other side
of this question"
Rose minced no words in his charac-
Z t~erfzation of the a~nti-saloon people. He
called them "a gang of pirates and
declared that they were fostering
: upon the body polite of this nation"
Rockefeller, he continued, gave libef-
! ally TO the A~nti-Saloon League of Kew
York State and likewise the national
i body.
Y Don't come here with your hypoc-
risy.'' he exclaimed, for we're next to
Syou. I've met a lot of people like you
before all over the country
The hearing was upon Assem-
blyman Ridgway's and Senator Geb-
hardt's duplicate local option bills.
Z backed by the Anti-Saloon League, and
/ Senator Wilson'S and Senator Os-
borne's liberal Sunday excise measures
THE House committee on corporations
and the Senate judiciary committee sat
in joint session in the Assembly Cham
i Der.
Former Governor Glenn, of North
Carolina. a picturesque Southern ora
tor. made the concluding plea of the
local optionists.
Fl Pastor scores saloons.
The Rev. John Mcdowell. of New
ark, described the saloon as "a life
destroying institution, whose trail Is
marked with blood" ut fills" he said.
Our insane asylums and poorhouses
and may properly be regarded as a
source of moral and physical tubercu-
losis.
This problem is not your problem
exclaimed DR.. Mcdowell, directing his
remarks to the committee members, lit
is ours. This matter should be put VI
TO the people to settle. That is the
American way and the American way
must rule.
Hon. Robert H. McCarter, of Newark.
was introduced by William l.. Dill as
the first speaker against local option.
He explained that he represented the
New Jersey State Brewers Association.
representing about fifty concerns and
some of New Jerseys most influential
and respectable citizens. These inter-
ests, he said. are now paying over SO.
900. 900 annually into the State treasury
several times Mr. was M
~ferrupted by cheers and hand-clapping
that carried with them the ring of de-
arision. Once Mr.. McCarter seemed %
become nettled and shouted:
E"Don't interrupt me with applause:
you're taking up my time
'r7Mr. McCarter explained that human
nature craved stimulation and would
not abide by the strict Christian idea
of what a mans everyday life should
consist. He said he. too, condemned
and pitied the drunkard, out added that
every man who drank beer was not a
drunkard.
EDO not confuse the abuse with the
uEe." he urged.
- Quotes Governor Fort.
HE read from a recent message from
Governor Fort, whom he characterized
rs "a good Methodist, by the way In
which the States chief executive ex-
presses the opinion that the sentiment
for local option was not of sufficient
force at this time to warrant legisla-
ton Of this kind.
my friend. Senator Gebhardt, made
the statement this afternoon that he
won out IN Hunterdon county on the
strength of his local option position, :
Anclared Mr.. McCarter. why, my