New-York tribune., 1919-12-13
Anti-Saloon League, Al
leging Illegal Expendi-
tures, Seeks to Nullifv
Victory at the Polls
Attorney General
Urged to Start Suit
Allege $4,000 More Than
Law Allows Was Spent
for Governor Elect

cation of the election Of Edward I.
Edwards as Governor of New Jersey
was started yesterday by the Anu
Saloon League of that state In a
letter addressed to Thomas c. Nc
Gran, Attorney General of New Jer-
sey, the Saloon League charges
illegal expenditures in connection
with the Edwards campaign and calls
upon Mr.. McCran to bring proceed
ings to set aside the election.
Governor-elect Edwards. in a formal
statement issued from his Office in the
First National Bank in Jersey Cit:
yesterday. characterized the charges
as absurd. At the headquarters OF
the Association Opposed to National
Prohibitions. which is alleged by the
Anti-Saloon League to have financed
a part of the Edwards campaign, the
charges were called "a joke"
Attorney General McCran refused
last night to indicate his probable
course of action, and declined to say
whether he would take any action at
all.
Twelve Assemblymen Involved
The Anti-Saloon Leagues charges
also involved the election of twelve
wet" assemblymen, chosen to rep
resent Essex County on the Demo
cratic ticket.
The charges in the case of the AS
mblymen-elec are the same as those
against Mr.. Edwards. The question at
issue is whether the advertising of the
Association Opposed to National Prohi-
btions should be Included as a part of
the campaign expenses of the wet"
candidates. The AntiSaloon League
says it should. Governor reject Edwards
and the Association Opposed to Ma
tional Prohibitions assert such a state
ment is unreasonable and absurd.
The letter addressed to the Attorney
General is signed by G. Rowland Nun
roe, counsel of the Anti-Saloon League
Of New Jersey.
Election Law Quoted
1t reads as follows:
Permit me to call your official at
tention to the evidence of gross and
repeated violations of the corrupt prac-
tees act in the election of Governor
elect Edwards and of the twelve AS
semblymen-e from Essex County,
which seem clearly to render their cleo
ton null and void.
"Chief Justice Gummere yester rday
charged the grand jury of Essex Coun-
ty to investigate, from the criminal
side. these violations occurring in that
county. but Section 55 of the act
(Chapter 1S4, Laws of 1919 vests power
quo warranto proceedings to remove
from Office any person whose nomina
ton or election shall be void under the
provisions of this act, and having col
lated material facts showing these fla
grant violations, clearly voiding these
elections under this act, | beg leave to
submit them herewith.
Election Alleged Void
CAS- you are aware this act (Section
2> strictly limits the amount which
may be spent in aid of the candidacy
OF any candidate for election to the
office Of Governor. and provides it shall
not exceed S25,0O0
81 charge that in aid of the election
of Edward |. Edwards there was spent
more than the sum Of $4,000, and
that, therefore, under Section As of
said act the election of said Edward
I. Edwards is void
This act also most strngently pro-
hibts the use or expenditure in any
manner of any money BY or on behalf
of any candidate except through his
campaign manager.
II charge that money was freely and
openly used in behalf of the candidacy
of Edward |. Edwards and of the twelve
semblymen-elect in Essex County by
persons other than the campaign man.
ayers of these candidates, and that
therefore the election of said Edwa rd
|. Edwards as Governor and of the
twelve candidates for Assembly from
Essex County, under Section 4S of said
act Is null and void.
1000 Alleged Spent
The Association Opposed to National
Prohibitions is understood to be incor-
porated in New York State. 1t estab-
Iished a temporary office in this state
in the Aldine Building, corner of Broad
and Lombardy streets, Newark and an
nounced as New Jersey directors a num-
ber of men OF standing in this state.
After wide newspaper publicity, in
connection with their establishment of
a New Jersey branch, they began 8
widely conducted campaign in behalf of
Edward |. Edwards, taking large ad-
vertising space in newspapers IN New
ark, Paterson, Trenton, Camden, At
lantic City and other cities, space cal
culated by the published rates of these
papers to have cost more than $4,000,
all marked paid for by this Associa-
tion Opposed to National Prohibitions.
This sum, which undoubtedly Is
much undere stimated, would carry the
total expended on behalf of the candi-
dacy of Edward |. Edwards to about
Co,t;,,,,oJ o,4 ,.noe threa