Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-01
THE GOVERNORS DROWNING INSULT

Every effort is being made by the Democrats to concen-
trate on the booze question as the one predominating issue
in the campaign this fall. While Governor Edwards has fail
ed miserably in his attempt to make the state as wet as the
Atlantic ocean-although he has done everything in his
power to make it so-Frank Hague, for whom Edwards is
merely a tool, has succeeded in d%renching the Democratic
party, and those who are not out and out "wet" need not
hope to get very far in party affairs.
Judge Silzer, who has been picked by Hague as a "safe'
candidate for governor this fall, has tried to dodge the booze
issue, it being a little more than he could stomach right off
the bat, but he soon found that he would have to climb
aboard the booze barrel if he wanted to get very far with his
ambition as far as Hague was concerned. While he hasn't
openly declared himself as yet, it is expected that within a
few days he will be out with his "beer and light wine' dodge
in order to appease the party's master.
But when it comes to insulting the intelligence of the
people of New Jersey Governor Edwards still holds the palm.
While continually Boosting that, personally, he never touch
es a drop, he seems to glory in the reputation he has gained
as a booster for booze. Perhaps his browning insult was given
last Friday when the Democrats from Middlesex county were
his guests at Sea Girt. The New Brunswick delegation took
along with them st. Peters Boy Scout Fife and Drum Corps
of that city. These boys made a great hit at the governors
cottage by the music they rendered.
The climax was reached when the governor himself
asked the boys to play what the governor called the state
anthem, slow Dry l AM The boys, at the request of the
chief executive of the state, complied. Fine training, this,
for the youth of the land! Here were a lot of boys-Boy
Scouts, no less-being taught defiance of the law by the
governor of the state, for it was nothing short OF defiance
10 make the law and the constitution such a butt of ridicule.
No matter how little respect for the law the governor him.
self NAV have, he ought at least to let the boys alone.
then the insult that was given to every respectable
citizen of New Jersey in calling such a bar room dltty as
.How Dry l Am" the state anthem-could anything De more
repulsive to the decent people of this commonwealth!
Having declared "How Dry | Am" the state anthem,
the next move on the part of Governor Edwards probably
will be to declare that a beer key with a wine bottle on it is
the states coat of arms. Perhaps he would pin this emblem
on the breast of every boy in the state as the governors idea
of a badge of honor and responsibility.
And now this man who has so disgraced the state as its
Dry I Am" and who seems to be ready to make a beer key
and a wine bottle the states emblem, wants to be sent to
Washington as United States senator where he may still fur
Their insult New Jersey on the floor of the United States
senate. He would even have this band of Boy Scouts accom-
nanv him to Washington should he be elected (which, God
Forbid in order to play 'How Dry I Am" for the edIication
Of the bootleggers and disgust of the law-abiding, respect
able people of the country.
incidentally, what have the executives of the Boy Scout
organizaton-an organization that is based on the highest
principles for training boys to be honest, upright, law-abid-
inr men-to saw about one of their troops being thus used
as a medium to serve the purpose of the rum interests to
boost lawlessness?
But what is that to Governor Edwards and his cohorts
as long as he can keep the booze issue uppermost before
the people so that he can hedge on other questions that are
really of vital importance in the coming campaign? New
Jersey has only a few more months Of Edwards as governor.
God grant that he may then be retired to private life where
he can no longer bring disgrace upon the people OF New
Jersey.