The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-01-09
SAYS beer BILL
IS SURE TO PASS
But Prohibitionists Declare Gov
ernor-EIect is Merely Bluff
ing and They're Defiant.
ALSO TO INCLUDE WINES.
jerseys Bold Stand Upon Dry Amend
ment-Bili Sponsored by Edwards
to Protect States Rights-knot
for Federal Courts.

acknowledgements Elect Edward /.
Edwards is confident that the proposed
bill legalizing the manufacture and
sale Of light wines and beers In New
Jersey will be passed by the state leg
islature soon after he assumes office
on January 20. Furthermore, he says
he will sign the measure as soon as 1t
reaches him.
New Jersey, in enacting such law,
will be well within its rights" said
the governor elect. "It will, of course,
merely provide for the manufacture
and sale of light wines and beers in
this state, so that it will deal solely
with intrastate traffic in these bever
ages"
what will be the alcoholic content
permitted in the light wines?' the gov
ernor elect was asked.
1--WE hold that light wines and beers
are not Intoxicating, so that there will
be no need of specifying" said Mr.. Ed
wards.
The governor elect said the measure
would not discuss its proposed provi-
sions in detail until it had been draft
ed. 1t is understood, however, that
the measure will continue the present
department of excise and license the
sale of light wines and beers, as at
present, and will permit the sale of
whisky, brandy and other Intoxicating
beverages for medicinal, sacramento
and scientific purposes. 1t also will
contain penalty clauses for infractions
of the proposed law.
Is Legislature "Wet?"
When it was called to his attention
that the legislature was Republican
and that the conception in many quar-
tiers outside of New Jersey was that
both the senate and assembly were
"dry" Mr.. Edwards said:
1.-THE majority of the legislature is
for the proposed legislation. The as
semblymen from Atlantic, Passaic,
Hudson and Essex counties-so called
wet cOunties-number 81, which in
itself is majority. And the sentiment
In the senate parallels the feeling on
the question in the assembly"
The proposed light wines and beer
bill is being whipped into shape by a
committee headed by Mr. Edwards and
including the following legislators:
Thomas Brown of Middlesex. minority
leader of the senate, and Assemblyman
Hugh c. Barrett of Essex. The fourth
member of the committee Is John Mil
ton, corporation counsel of Jersey City.
"Drys" Not Worried.
Despite Mr.. Edwards declaration
the Jersey prohibitionists don't seem
to be at all worried. They say that
Mr. Edwards is bluffing, that he is
merely trying to make good his cam
paign promises and that New Jersey
has about as much chance of going wet
as Mr. Edwards has of getting the SUI
preme court to nullify the national
bone dry laws.
1--WE think it's just bluff" said G.
Rowland Monroe, counsel for the New
Jersey Anti-Saloon League. "Mr. Ed
wards is simply attempting to make
good some of the rash statements he
made during his campaign. 1t is ex-
tremely doubtful whether Mr.. Ed
wards, Democrat, will have the sup
port of our Republican legislature in
his fight on the constitutionality of the
dry law.
IF such a fight is started it will be
up to the government to defend it, just
as it has other cases. The Anti-Saloon
League will take no part in the fight,
except that our national COUNSEL
Wayne B. Wheeler, l presume, will be
permitted to file a brief, as he has done
in similar attacks We are hoping that
the supreme court will pass upon these
attacks soon. 1t may be that such de-
cision will be handed down before Mr..
Edwards starts his proposed action.
We don't regard his bluff as at all Sc
rious, except that it shows that the
governor elect and his followers are
ready to go the limit to nullify the law
of the land"
To ThWart VoIstead Act.
First announcement of the text of
the preamble to the proposed anti-pro-
hibition bill which Is to be presented
to the next legislature in fulfillment of
the campaign pledges of Governor
Elect Edward l. Edwards was made by
State Senator Thomas Brown of Mid
dlesex county at New Brunswick. He
will have charge of the bill as minority
leader of the senate. Senator Brown
said that the measure itself Is not yet
ready for publication. characterized
by its opponents as fragrant attempt
to override the federal laws" and by
its supporters as being merely an as
sertiOn of the fundamental intra-terri-
torial sovereignty of the United
States" the bill is bound to attract
much attention in the Forthcoming ses-
sion.
Senator Brown says the preamble to
the bill will provide that whereas the
eighteenth amendment has not been
ratified by the state of New Jersey and
II iS dOuhtad nv tho state whether the