Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-25
GSs-s
REPUBLICAN SURRENDER.

REPUBLICAN SURRENDER
Republicans in the state Legislature
look about as small as the most in
significant peanut today. 1t is appar-
ent that Governor Edwards a them
eating out of his hand. 1t is about the
most ignominious surrender that has
taken place in the State House In
many q year.
After lodging and hedging on the
liquor question ever since last fall, the
Republicans, who control the legisla-
ture, unable to fix any policy of their
own, have adopted the Democratic
policy. Governor Edwards. as leader
of he Democrats, determined IN a
bill legalizing 4 per cent. alcohol in
liquors. Tho measure was introduced
and the Republicans were in a near
panic to know what to do. They held
frequent conferences In an effort to
find out where they were at, but they
couldn't decide.
Finally, Governor Edwards gave
them a good scoldlng and, 1t is under
stood, ever threatened to give each
member of majority a sound spank
ing If they did not get busy. Once
more thu shivers a up and down
the delly-like backbone Of the G. o. p.
legislators.
Facing tho increasing wrath of their
master, the Democratic governor, this
quaking Republican majority, who
have it In their power to do as they
please and pass any kind of a law they
like, conferred again in their despera-
ton and decided on q liquor bill that
would permit 2.75 per cent, alcohol.
Once more tho stern voice OF the
Democratic governor was heard. He
would not listen to such a thing. 1t
was 4 per cent. alcohol or nothing.
Now the Republican majority, ap-
p~arently, was on the run. 1t seemed
never to have occurred to them tina
this whole question Is a federal mat
ter; that no matter what percentage of
alcohol the state might adopt. federal
agents would come into New Jersey
and enforce the Volstead act regard
less of state action. Those arrested
by federal agents will be taken before
a federal court. The state authorities
will have nothing to say whatever.
1t does o seem TO occur to the
weaklings who head the Republican
majority in the legislature that taking
the word concurrent as it appears
in the eighteenth amendment as the
Democrats would interpret it, the fed
eral government would have to con
cur in 2.75 or 4 per cent, alcohol
Just as much as it is claimed the state
must concur" in the one-half of one
per cent, feature of the Volstead act.
If the federal government does not so
concur" what is the state going to
do about it?
But that means nothing to the Re
publican majority In the legislature.
They have surrendered body and soul
to the Democrats and when the Demo
cratic government says a liquor bill
must be passed and that it must be
4 per cent, that is all there is to 1t.
But. no., they might yet save their
faces-in their own mind. These
brave Republicans who hardly dare
call their souls their own, conferred
again and finally decided to "compro-
mise" They would pass a bill fixing
the alcohol limit at 8 1-2 per cent.
All! The governor has at last been
.defed. This glorious Republican ma
jority of a once glorious Grand Old
Party had dared to cut off one-halc
per cent, Of what the Democratic
governor wanted.
And so the humiliation of the Re-
publican party in New Jersey under
its present leadership is complete.