Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-12-23
%ESS
HOPELESS

vorL Sun regarding sentiment throughout the nation on the prohi-
biHon amendment to the federal constitution. According to the IN
vestgatiOn made by The Sun the country will be dry by january
], 1920.
Hopeless. What an awful bitterness there is in that word. To
see one associates moving on toward the light, having a glorious part
in the uphft Of mankind and the development of the future, but Tor
You, to have your case put down as hopeless; how utterly dlScoufaghg
and disheartening it is. :,
Favorable action on the prohibition amendment to the federal
constitution may be expected in such states as Missouri, Pennsylvania
and Rhode Iland-even New York gives some encouragement In that
direction. But New Jersey-alone-an outcast-in a class entirely by
h,rself-is hopeless.
And there is reason, too, for this utterly detected feeling toward
New Jersey. Dispatches from Trenton, published Saturday, giving
an account of the meeting of Republican legislators with Governor
Edge. told how the mention of the ratification of the prohibition
amendment at the coming session was greeted with derlslon' one
member is quoted as facetiously saying after the meeting, In speaking
Of the amendment, we will discuss that over our cocktails This, IN
spite of the fact that the Republicans have IN their PLATFORM ADOPTED
before election, a plank favoring the ratification of the prohibition
amendment to the federal constitution unless the candidates IN a
county were distinctly pledged against it.
True, the recent election was fought out in Essex ON the prohlbl
ton issue with the Republicans standing for prohibition and the Dem
ocrats against, and the latter won. Now the twelve votes of Essex,
under the domination of the unspeakabe Jim Nugent and the brewery
interests, are combining with the twelve votes of Hudson, also Demo
cratic, to force upon New Jersey the odlum OF beng the my al III
the Union that is classed as hopeless.
But the Democrats, in spite of the fact that it was a Democratic
congress that passed the amendment and a Democratic president who
signed il, have a legitimate excuse for opposing ratification, as they
had no such plank in their platform, although the vote IN the adop-
ton of such a plank was a tie. showing that even among the Demo
cratic legislators there is a considerable sentiment in favor of placing
New Jersey in line with other progressive states.
Were the Republicans honest with the people they would make
an effort to carry out their platform mromise to secure the ratification
of the prohibition amendment by New Jersey. There is reason to be-
leve that enough votes could be found in the senate, where the Re
pubicans control, to pass it. In the assembly where there is a tie,
there is a chance of gaining enough Democratic votes, judging from
the sentiment at the Democratic convention when the ratification
plank was kept out of the partyis platform by a tie vote, to put it
across.
Or is the Republican party, too, afraid of the brewery interests in
Essex and HudsonP If they are, why not come out like men and
say so, not make a pretense at respectfully by declaring in favor of
ratifying the prohibition amendment and then joke about the way
they fooled the people cover their cocktails
Nationwide prohibition is coming even if New Jersey is hopeless
as far as voting in favor of i. is concerned. The Suns investigation
shows that the federal amendment has already been ratified by fifteen
states, five of which were known as "wet' states when the ratification
was made. These five are Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, Massachus-
cts and Louisiana. When it is realized that sixty per cent. of the
whiskey in bonded warehouses of the country was stored in Kentucky
when that state ratified the amendment, and that Louisiana at the
time she ratified it, was known as the "wettest state in the South, !" it
is easy to see how the sentiment of the country is going.
Of the states that are to act on the amendment this year, twenty
two are already dry" and naturally can be counted upon to act
favorally. Five other states, acc, riding to The Sun, have elected leg
islatures a majority of the membership of which is favorable to imme-
date ratification. These states are California, Vermont, Minnesota,
Wisconsin and Illinois.
But even these five states, not to mention the Missouri Pennsyl-
vania, Rhode Island and New York group, r not necessary for the
accomplishment of nationwide prohibition, as it only requires thirty
six states to accept it and the fifteen that have already acted favorably,
C mbined with the twenty-five dry states that are to act this year,
make a total of thirtyseven, or one more than enough to make the
amendment a part of the federal constitution.
Here we have one of the greatest progressive movements in mod
ern times. TIL value of prohibition is admitted by the action of the
government in making all territory dry wherever men are trained
&c serve the country or where they have been in camp and the greatest
efficiency is required. Not only has such action been taken in re-
gard to military posts, but industrial establishments have been IN
cluded. Wherever men have been at work for the government liquor
has been tabooed.
If we needed such sobiety during time of war, we certainly need
ii in peace, especially during the trying times of reconstruction. The
people have awakened to a realization of the awful waste and loss to
the individual as well as to the nation caused by the liquor business
and they are ranying IS N great nation to stamp it out-al but IN
New Jersey here the situation is classed as hopeless.
1t is enough to make every true Jerseyman hang ms Ill
shame.