Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-06-12
PROMISES AND THINGS.

u hAONtAFtN1 49,
The members of the excise board
need not think for a minute that they
can fool the people of this city. By
absolutely ignoring the pledge made
Just prior to, and Immediately after
election the members have brought
themselves into ~disrepute and, as a
board, can never hope to regain the
respect Of the citizens at large. The
board is now trying to do business
on the promise plan. This was
attempted by the previous excise
board and was proven an utter
failure. Saloonkeepers are supposed
to know the law before their license
Is granted and when they accept the
license they promise to obey the law
in every respect. There is no excuse
for them violating it. If they do
violate it after once promising not
to, of what good is a second promise?
Every saIoonkeeper knows, or
ought to know, that dance halls run
in connection with saloons are
against the law. 1t was this very
matter that was up before the pre-
yious board. At hat time had the
licenses been revoked or a renewal
refused, it might have had a salutary
effect on all the liquor dealers and
it is probable that dance halls run in
connection with saloons would have
ceased. The guilty ones, however,
when the time for renewals came
around, were merely summoned be-
fore the excise board and made to
promise that they would obey the
law hereafter, whereupon the re-
newals were granted. This was easy
enough and all the saloonkeepers
who wanted to ignore the law began
to get their promises ready a week
or two before the time for renewal
came around.
Now the present board is adopting
the same tactics. 1t Is a Joke among
the liquor dealers and a matter Of
disgust with the rest of the citizens.
1t throws the members of the excise
board open to suspicion which all
the explanations they may make will
not aliay. If they were men who
were doing their duty without fear
or favor they would not need to
make explanations, Their actions
would speak for them. In c~onversa-
ton they have admitted that there
are too many saloons in the city.
They also do not deny that they
promised to cut down the number
whenever possible. But this is only
their talk. Their actions are entire
,lv- different =Tf~th~
s~i9ners ever intend to live un to their
promises and enforce the law, surely
the saloonkeeper found guilty of con-
Quoting a dance hall in connection
with his saloon, where young men
and girls are permitted, is the man
to be put out of business. He is let off
With a promise, however, which, to
him, means practically nothing. The
excise commissioners are to blame,
not the liquor dealers.
Benjamin Franklin says a good
name is rather to be chosen than
great riches. What is there that
the excise commissioners, or at least
a majority Of them, value more than
their name and reputation?
The commissioners talk of not
wishing to make one man a scape-
goat for the others that are violating
the law. There need be no scape-
goats, The excise hoard would he
merely doing its duty by turning
down the men before it who had
been found guilty and then turn
down the others that are guilty also.
By talking of scapegoats the COM
missioners admit that the law is be-
ing pretty generally violated, yet
they take no steps to end the law
~lessness except to get promises. The