Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-11-15
SLIGHT COMFORT FOR THE SWEETS"

comfort as they may get from the recent election. In seVerai
of the counties the issue was clearly drawn and the "drys
were victorious almost without exception. What more IS
needed to prove that prohibition, with all the laxity OF its
enforcement at the present time, has come to stay?
The thing that delights the "wets' most is the fact that
they made a notable gain in the state legislature for the COM
ing year. But a little consideration of the returns will take
much of the joy out of this apparent bright spot. In the hrsl
place. it must be remembered that where prohibition was the
main issue the Democratic ticket was the I'VE" ticket and
the Republican ticket was the dry" ticket. Democratic
gains, therefore, represent wet gains and where Republic
cans were elected it was evidence of a preponderance of
dry sentiment.
In the last legislature the Democrats had only one mem
member in the assembly. In the next legislature they will
have fifteen members, a gain of fourteen. But OF these four
teen, twelve come from Hudson county. Naturally, hudson
county would send a Democratic delegation to the legislature
because the county is overwhelmingly Democratic no matter
what the issue might be. 1t was represented by a hepuDhoah
delegation last year for the first time in many, many years
and that was because of the Harding landslide. Everyone
knew that Hudson would return to the Democratic fold
whether the issue was wet or dry Thus the election
of these twelve men to the assembly was a normal Demo-
cratic vote. 1t means little TO the wet advocates as
far as showing real nti-prohibition sentiment.
OF the other three Democrats elected, one is reelected
Prom Warren county,. always a rock-ribbed Democratic
stronghold, one comes from H%unterdon, another county tha'
is always overwhelmingly Democratic seldom departing rom
The faith. and one is from Essex where the hardest fight of all
was MADE ana Nntr lO 60 "N NJ
tested. ,
In Essex. lin Nugent lined up his Democratic ticket
strongly with the "wets." Nothing short of absolute repeal
af the VaYNess act would satisfy him. The Republican party
look the opposite side and stood Tor the van Ness Z a"u
strict prohibition enforcement.
Assisting Nugent was the anti-prohlbtlon organization
and certain prominent Republicans whom Nugent termed the
arad -blooded" members of that party. 1t was a fight to the
finish The whole Republican delegation was under fire
from the "wets', yet the whole Republican delegation IN
Essex was elected except one. a.
That one was Mrs. VanNess, who was the sponsor for
The vanNess act. But she lost by only 714 votes-an aver
. Of less than two votes to an election district. Assem-
hlvman Hobart, who was the leader in championlng the van
Ness act on the floor of the legislature last year and who was
nnder fire AS heavily as was Mrs. Van Ness, as Tar as the
.wets' were concerned, was elected by a majority oil 4,ool'
If the "vets' were responsible for Mrs. Van Ness's defeat,
why could they not also accomplish the deleat oil hoDar''
and. in fact, all of the Republican candidates?
When it is realized that two other elements were work
inc AGAINST Mrs Van Ness her defeat by a mere IA majority
is readily explained. In the first place, there is the matter OIL
sex. 1t stands to reason that there would be that many VOTERS
in Essex county so p~reiudiced against women holding cleo
five positions as to make up the ia alone. But In addlnoh
TO this handicap the doctors were conducting an actlVe cam
paign against her. Here again were enough votes influenced
10 defeat her by the margin that was registered against her
# is apparent therefore, that while the 'Wets may be
irving 10 see a great victory for their cause in the recent
slection. they really lost m%iserably. In several other counties,
notably in Camden and Atlantic and in Ocean, the prohibl
ton issue was brought TO the fore with the Democrats
backed by the vets. Yet in each one of these counties
The Republicans. standing on a dry platform, won.
Jim Nugent did his best and lost. The liquor interests
conducted an active campaign in behalf of the Democratic
ticket. but the Democrats were elected to the legislature
only in those counties where Democrats would have been
e;gc.ed anyway.
Never will the liquor interests be so strong again. They
have fred their bolt. The prohibition movement, with ali its
present faults. has wihstood the test. Law enforcement in
New Jersey is assured.
TIE Republican leaders have every reason to stand firm
m the position they have taken. The mistake of two years
ago when Bugbee was a candidate for governor and tried to
carry water on one should and booze on the other, has been
realized. Henceforth there should be no hesitancy in meet
ting the prohibition issue squarely. The people can be de-
pended upon to stand by the constitution.
POWER