The Penn's Grove record., 1910-03-04
Local Option Hearing

For v hours last MOnuay aIl0Tuoous
from two until seven O'Clock, the Com
mittee on Municipal Corporations gave
a hearing in the Assembly chamber at
Trenton to the advocates of local option
and their opponents. the liquor inter-
ests, which want the right to sell on
Sunday. The seating capacity Of the
room was taxed to its utmost by one
O'Clock and hundreds stood for hours
to listen to the arguments.
The citizens of North Jersey sent a
large delegation of men to represent the
saloon interest. They wore red, white
and blue ribbons on which wa stamped
personal Liberty" The Church Fed
Grafton, the Lords Day Alliance, and
the Women's Christian Temperance
Union were there in great numbers.
Many wore small flags and white
ribbons.
Not since the hearing on the race
track bills in 1898 has there ever been
SO great a sensational hearing before a
legislative gathering.
The closing scene between David S.
Rose, former mayor Of the city of beer,
Milwaukee, Wis, and Senator VIM. c.
Gebhardt, the introducer of the local
option bill in the Senate, became so ex-
citing that the Sergeant at Arms Of the
House Was called in to quiet them. Mr..
Rose had the closing address and hurled
bitter ~invective at the prohibition
people.
DR. John D.. Fox, of Trenton, opened
the speaking for the local option people.
He ridiculed the idea Of wanting to sell
liquor on Sunday. After the command
ment to keep the Sabbath was wiped
out they would want to repeal other
commandments.
Former State Senator Barton b.
Hutchinson, of Trenton, and Rev. S. D.
Price, of Camden, spoke for the 'drys."
Senator Gebhardt explained his bill,
stating that it was democratic and in
favor of home rule.
Mrs. Emma Bourne, President of the
State w. c. 7. u, spoke in the interest
Of the Home.
Rev. Father ]. c. Mclean, of Jersey
City, told Of his fight for the city poor
in rescuing men from the gutter. He
said, that while the ministry differ, yet
he could unite in this fight. He paid y
high tribute to Senator Gebhardt.
Rev. John Mcdowell, of Newark,
Fillmore Condict, President of the
Anti-Saloon League, aud Rev. c. L.
Mead; of Hoboken, spoke in favor of
the ''drys."
Senator Wilson, of Atlantic county,
opened for the liquor men by advocating
the sale of liquor on Sunday. Other
speakers against local option were:
TO rmer Attorney General Robert H. Nc
Carter, DR.. Geo. Muller, of Philadelphia,
who is at the head Of the educational
bureau Of the brewers association; Rev.
I. A. Warren, pastor of st. Stephens
Episcopal church, Newark; W. F.
Kavenaugh, of Hoboken, a bartender
who spoke in behalf Of the men who
held employment in the business.
At the second inning Of tho "drys''
j. Frank Burke, of the Anti-Saloon
League answered the arguments of the
former ''wet" speaker, and ext Governor
Robert Glenn, Of North Carolina, closed
with a pathetic and powerful appeal to
the committee to do what wa good and
right. He said that forty.fve other
State Legislatures had given the people
the right to decide whether they want
Ii quor sold in their locality.
Mayor Rose closed for the s'wets."
Legislators have announced that there
will lie no excise legislation this year.