The Penn's Grove record., 1921-02-04
Prohibition Not Endorsed


By defeating the house resolution
for ratification of the federal prohibi-
ton amendment the New Jersey Sem
ate on Monday night sprung the sur
prise of a generation in this State as
far as any action by the legislative
body is concerned. 1t had been taken
for granted all along that the Senate
would concur in the House action
without formidable opposition to rati-
fication, but after sharp debate the
resolution was defeated because its
sponsors could muster but ten votes
for it, one short of the eleven neces-
sary to pass a measure in the Senate.
Eight Senators voted against ratifica-
ton and three refused to vote.
AS soon as this entirely unexpected
result was announced Senator White,
of Burlington County, father of the
resolution in the Senate, moved that
it be laid over. The effect of this is
that the resolution can be revived
later in the session by a motion to
reconsider the vote by which it was
lost. 1t is now questionable whether
the drys will be able to get the one
vote necessary to put New Jersey in
the line of the ratification States.
The three Senators who refused to
vote on the resolution are Democrats,
Barber, of Warren; Rays, of Sussex,
and Martens, of Hunterdon. With the
exception of Rays these Senators are
from dry territory. They gave no
reason for their refusal to take a
stand on ratification and their silence
created surprise among their col
leagues in the Senate.
The Senators voting against ratifi-
we're Brown, of Middlesex;
Case, of Somerset; Heath, of Mercer;
Simpson, of Hudson; Smith, of Pas
sale; Stevens, of Monmouth; White, of
Atlantic, and Whitney, of Morris.
Senators voting for ratification were
of Salem; Bright, of Cape May;
of Ocean; Mckay, of Ber-
gen; Parry, of Essex; Reeve, of Cum
berland; Runyon, of Union; Sturgess,
Gloucester WRllworth, of Camden,
and White, of Burlington.
At the time the debate was on and
when the vote vas taken leaders of
the Anti-Saloon League of New Jer-
were in the Senate gallery and
hey gasped in amazement when they
that ratification had been de-
Immediately after the Senate de-
feated the prohibition ratification res
the bill introduced in the
House by Mrs. Vanness, of Essex
County, for repeal of the Edwards
3.5 beer bill of last winter was taken
up and passed by a vote of IL to l..
The only negative vote was that OF
Senator Simpson, Democrat, of Hud-
ION. Senators Brow, of Middlesex,
and Heath, of Mercer, did INST vote.
The failure of Senator Case, of
Somerset, and Stevens, of Monmouth
Counties, to vote for the resolution
ratify the Prohibition Constitu-
,ional Amendment caused it to fail OF
passage.
Mr.. Case said he did not believe in
making such a part of fundamental
aw of the nation. He is atlawyer
With some honorary legal ornaments
% his name, but he. evidently has not
cad up on the decisions of the U. 5.
supreme Court which made prohlbi-
ion the fundamental law before the
people sanctioned it. The decisions
ire published in another column.
Deserted Party Platform
The platform adopted by the Re
publican State convention last Octo-
.er pledged the unfolding of The
.m-endnent and contained a specific
lause en- Prohibition, setting forth
hat the party believed .'the Will of
he people, as expressed IN lawful
manner, through the government Of
he United States must ue supreme"
nd chat neither government nor
,arty can afford to cheat Tie Ameri-
al people,"
Further it set forth: eve declare
he policy of our party til be for I'M
enforcement Of the Eighteenth
amendment and the laws relating
hereto"