The Penn's Grove record., 1921-02-18
GOVERNOR ACCEPTS DEFEAT
He Signed Beer Law Repeater Because
Beer Is Legally Dead

Those who were acquainted with the
decisions of the U. S. Supreme Court
made a generation ago on which the
constitutlonality of liquor prohibition
rests, knew that Gov. Edwards cam
paign against prohibition would finally
end in defeat. But it was "a good
enough Morgan" to get the brewers
campaign fund and the votes of
boozerS to win an election on.
With all the knightly bravery of
Cervantes Don Quixote Gov. Edwards
used the full legal powers of the State
of New Jersey to charge the U. S.
Government and the U. S. Supreme
Court to Stay the arrogant Prohibition
dragon which often appears in spirit
uouS minds.
Story of Don Quintox
The Spanish story of Cervantes
reads, that Don Quixote having been
entertained at the inn the keeper and
the jolly girls made him think he was
a great knight. The spirituous in
sight made him imagine the windmills
In a distance were great giants which
a good knight of the beer kegs could
STAY and gain great honor. So Don
Quixote made a charge.
"Stand, co~wards!" cried he as loud
as he could. "Stand your ground,
ignoble creatures, and fly not basely
from a single knight, who dares en-
counter you all. y = Base miscreants!
Tho you move your arms you shall
pay for your arrogance"
Don few on his galloping steed.
When the lance entered the sail
of the windmill, Don and his horse
went rolling over the field.
Sancho Panzo Thomas J. McCran,
Attorney General], ran as fast as his
ass could drive to help his master,
whom he found lying and not able to
stir. Sancho said:
did l not give your worship fair
warning? Did | not tell you they
were windmills and that nobody could
think otherwise unless he had also
windmills in his head?"
{. A Woman's Deed
The bill by Mrs. Margaret B. Laird,
of Newark, (home of German brewers)
repeating the much heralded 3.5 per
cent. beer law, which was enacted last
year under the boot and spur of the
valiant knight of the beer key, Ed
ward l. Edwards, passed the House
and Senate last week and much to the
surprise of the thousands of Gov. Ed
wards political army, the valiant
knight acknowledged defeat and sign
ed the repeater bill.
Signing the repeater of the law
which was put on the books at his
insistance, the Governor said:
"In signing the Laird bill l have
been actuated by this thought: The
Volstead Act is now the law of the
land, and in its definition of intoxi-
eating liquors supersedes any State
enactment. The decision of the United
States Supreme Court rendered the
Act of 1920, repealed by the Laird bill,
nugatory an ineffective. The Laird re-
pealer would SEEM, therefore, to be
unnecessary. But, inasmuch as it was
passed by SO overwhelming a vote, l
regard it as my duty to sign it."
Thus comes to a sad political end
the most valiant knight of the beer
key, who will go down in the States
history as the Don Quixote of New
Jersey politics.
And then to think as Virgil did
1000 years ago: ga woman was
leader in the, deed"
P. S. Now that Governor Edwards
has accepted prohibition it would be
politically wise for the Democratic
State Senators to fall in line and vote
for the Ratification of the U. S. Con-
stitutional amendment.