Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-08
THE "DRYsv HAVE 1T.

Governor EuWdTu 5 pTOHhlSe " hAoAV
New Jersey as wet as the Atlantic
ocean has been knocked into q cooked
hat, so to speak, by the decision of
the supreme court upholding II pro-
hibition amendment to the federal
constitution and the enforcement act
as passed by congress. Naturally, the
Edwards presidential boom has blown
rp--a little prematurely perhaps. but
as It was bound to do sooner or later
1ust as everything does that becomes
over-inhated with hot air." Incident
ally, the platform builders at the two
political conventions have been saved
a great Zeal of worry regarding a
'wet" and dry plank in the respec-
tive platforms.
II was hardly to be expected that
rho action of the court would be so
sweeping as it Is. 1t does not leave
The wet" advocates a leg to stand on.
Prohibition has come to stay in the
United States.
But passing a law and having 1t
sustained by the court Is one thing n
the enforcement of the law IS quite
something else. The latter is governed
largely by public opinion. 1t is pretty
well established that If prohibition Is
to be enforced in New Jersey 1t will
have to be done by federal authority
at least as long as the present ad-
ministration is In power. But now
that any statute that the state has
enacted contrary to the provisions or
the federal law has been declared
null and void It is likely that more
active measures will be taken to bring
New Jersey in line with the rest of the
Union. The man who sells booze now
certainly takes long chances with
Uncle Sam.
But that booze is being sold is pretty
generally understood. Reports como
from New York of bars being run
wide open so that 1t is not even
necessary to give the correct signal in
order to get something with a Kick in
II. Here in this city 1t is remarkable
how many saloons seem to continue
to prosper on the sale of near beer
alone. In fact. It is said that one
prominent saloonkeeper who closed
mt his place when the dry" law went
into effect and went into another line
of business, Is going to go back to
keeping a saloon again. He sees others
who did not close out becoming so
prosperous selling near beer" that he
As going to try his hand at 1t, too.
AS a matter of fact. 1t is reported
that these saloonkeepers who are
growing prosperous on the sale or
..near beer" but who, incidentally,
md II quite desirable to keep their
screens closed as tightly as ever, are
the ones who are back of the present
agitation TO require q license to sell
ls'n~ear-beer'' and similar booze sub
etitutes. the idea being. 1t is said. to
prevent the grocery stores and other
places of business selling this near"
stuff thereby driving all the patrons
ahto the saloons where, with the law as
1oosely enforced as It has been here
1bouts In the past, the real stuff can
be served up only at fabulous prices
making a real gold mine for the dis
pensers.
Just what effect this latest decision
of the supreme court will have on this
little scheme remains to be seen.
Heretofore there was some hope that
the country might continue to be
s'wet' In spots, particularly In New
Jersey. But now the last hope is
gone. OF course. booze will still be
sold. but more or less at the sellers
risk. And even with all the stock
stored up and with the private stills
in operation. thu supply is going to be-
como exhausted sooner or later.
Then, too. the coming generation
will grow up with an altogether diff
ferent Idea of the use of liquors. 1t will
be q form OF lawlessness. at best and
being secured only through sneaking
and underhand methods It is not go
ang to be popular. h young man OF
the next generation will hardly know
what booze is. Thus will the wet
issue work out its own solution. Re-
gardlsss of the immediate effect of the
supreme courts decision. II means that
eventually the United States will be
totally dry"