The Penn's Grove record., 1919-08-08
GOVERNOR MUNYON'S PLAT
FORM

W.
FORM
In the first place, | believe the most
imnortant proposition before the
American people today is that of 10y
9ltv to our Government and its in
s+;t,tions. Of far more concern than
nv w candidacy for office or that of
anv other. is the need that every man,
woman and child in New Jersey as
well as elsewhere who enjoys the bene-
fits of American life and American in
situations. the fruits of American sac
rifce and devotion shall support them
Fundamentally and without reserve;
shat the forces which stand out
AGAINST such loyalty shall be driven
from US, and that in every part of this
Great land and in all its outlying pos
sessions, there shall be a firm and I'M
swerving spirit of patriotism. The
great. the paramount requisite is that
the people who are the nation, and
who elect their representatives to
office shall be loyal beyond suspicion
and Rn0uesti0ned supporters of Amer
lean doctrines and principles. The
Judgment of such people will be sound,
and they may be depended upon to
place in office those who will best
represent their beliefs and their in
t~erests.
Concerning my own candidacy for
the office of Governor, the following
is a brief summary of my attitude to-
ward the more prominent questions.
of State Importance, and of some
things | shall hope to accomplish, if
nominated and elected:
Prohibition
Upon the subject of the national
prohibition amendment | am quite
aware that the treatment of this issue
in the State thus far, both from the
standpoint of the individual citizen,
whichever way his views may lie in
the matter, and in connection with
political candidates. has tended to con-
Iuse, if it had not succeeded in con-
fusing, the public mind. For my own
part the situation seems perfectly
clear to me as does also my duty
should | be elected the Chief Execu-
tive of the State. AS | see it, the
eighteenth amendment to the Federal
Constitution having been ratified by
the requisite number of States, has
made prohibition the supreme law of
the land, beyond the reach or power of
any individual State to alter or pre-
vent, just as truly as the thirteenth
amendment abolished slavery beyond
the power of any State to revive.
Everyone familiar with our political
institutions knows that the assump-
ton of jurisdiction over a subject by
the United States through the process
of constitutional authority forever eX-
cludes State control of the same sub
ject. 1t follows that those who would
attempt to lead the public to believe
otherwise either deceive the electorate,
or themselves do not understand the
fundamentals of our system of gov
eminent. Prohibition is not a State
issue, and no one a make it a State
issue. No act of mine as Governor,
nor any act of the Legislature during
my term, car write out of the United
States constitution what has been
written in it before the next Governor
of New Jersey takes his oath of office.
That oath will be among other things,
to support the Constitution of the
United States. No ambition, no lure
of office, however great, can cause me
to take that oath with a mental reser-
walton not to keep it. The problem is
one, not of prohibition, OF non-prohi-
bition, but rather n of respect for
the fundamental law of the land. Our
America can not permanently endure
if those seeking power and authority
can acquire it through promise, direct
~, tnanl11 Yoa4 - lafO,aA fhn InE-C
1t is certain that Federal agencies will
take supervision and control of the en-
forcement of the constitutional amend
ment; but if there be any issue in
volved, and that issue be enforcement
of law l will respect my oath of office
in this as in all other matters, if and
while | am Governor of New Jersey.
Economy And Efficiency
The affairs of New Jersey have be-
come so vast that they necessitate the
expenditure of many millions of dol
lars. My thought and policy in this
matter would be no undue pairing of
necessary expenditures but no ex-
cesses whatever, and no holders OF
useless offices. That policy, to my
mind, constitutes consistent
omy." If nominated and elected Gov
my earnest endeavor will be to
secure the best men and women OBJ
tainable for the State service. l
should hope to leave behind me the
record of no single appointment to
office without ability and merit. |
pledge myself not to devote the great
powers of my office to the upbuilding
of a personal political machine. On
the contrary, l shall bend every effort
to make the State administration con-
form to established principles of bust
ness practice and efficiency.