Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-06
THE LAW AND SPITE WORK


1t is a rather petty attempt that the New
Brunswick Home News makes to misconstrue
the meaning of the Evening News editorial on
gambling published last week in connection
with the fremen's "old Home Week" celebra-
ton. It looks like a cheap attempt to curry
favor with a public official by rushing to his
defense after trying to make it appear that he
had been criticized.
The Home News says " a great deal of SYM
pathy is being wasted by the Perth Amboy Eve
mining News over the plight of the poor firemen
of that city who are not permitted to raise
money by breaking the law" When it comes to
the attitude to be assumed toward 1aw-break-
ers, the Evening News certainly would not take
the Home News as a criterion for the proper
course to follow. We take off our hats to no
one when it comes to respect for law and order.
After trying to make 1t appear that the Eve
ming News was attacking the prosecutor in its
editorial on gambling, the Home News goes on
with an argument like this:
"There have been a number of unpublished
murders in this county, resulting from the in
ability of the authorities to locate the guilty
parties, but nobody would think of charging
the prosecutor with favoritism' because he
prosecutes those who are captured to the full
limit of the law"
Such a puerile statement would be found in
no other newspaper but the Home News. This
kind Of rot has no bearing on the subject what
ever.
The Evening News believes that Prosecutor
Stricken will conscientiously prosecute every
that he can get his hands on. He
has that reputation and we believe he will con-
tinue to live up to it.
But as Mr.. Stricken has pointed out, it is i'm
possible for him to keep the whole county con-
stantly covered. He naturally expects the police
authorities in the respective municipalities to
do their full duty and he must depend, to a
large extent, on the information he receives
from outside sources.
The point that strikes us as unusual and that
caused our mmen is that gambling in various
forms has been going on all summer at the va
rious fairs, festivals and carnivals held through
out the county yet no one seems to have thought
of calling the prosecutors attention to it until
the Perth Amboy fremen were ready to hold
their event.
Naturally, as soon as the prosecutors atten-
ton was called to the violation of the law, he
did his duty, as he doubtless would have done
if his attention had been called to any other
event, whether it be in this city, South Amboy
or New Brunswick. But the point Is, no one
went to the bother Of informing the prosecutor
until the Perth Amboy fremen became in
volved. 1t smacks very much Of spite work
rather than any desire to see the law enforced.
1t is decidedly to the credit of the prosecutor
that as soon as his attention was called to a
violation of the law he took steps Immediately
to stop it and to prevent it going on. 1t Is also
to the credit of the Perth Amboy authorities
that they at once assured the prosecutor that
they would do their full duty in the matter. 1t
it still further to the credit Of the local fremen
that in spitA of the fact that other organiza-
lions throughout the county have carried on all
kinds of gambling without, In the least, being
interfered with. they are running their event
strictly within the law.
While the New Brunswick Home News
with its sudden display of virture, may see
nothing to commend in merely obeying the law
when all the facts are considered and it is real
ized what lawlessness has been going on in the
wav of gambling at fairs and festivals In TINS
county this summer without even a righteous
protest from the Home News, we feel that the
local fremen are justified in the beEef that
someone has a particular spite against them anu
takes delight in calling upon the prosecutor TO
do his duty.