Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-28
Stokes HITS At
VOLSTEAD ACT
Former Governor Speaker at
Big Gathering of Perth AM
boy Republican Club
ACT AIDS B00TLEGGING
Senator Larson, John Pfeiffer
I and Rev. Mr.. Westcott Also
Address Big Meeting

Speaking before a large gathering
of men and women, present at the
annual dinner of the Perth Amboy
Republican Club in the Y. NJ. H. A.
hall last night former Governor Ed
ward G. Stokes attacked the attitude
taken by the "drys" on the subject
of prohibition and the Vostead Act.
Il am on what is called the dry
side, Mr.. Stokes said but | am
opposed to the Volstead act because
it is wet of the worst kind, be-
cause 1t aids bootlegging and pro-
duces lawlessness and is corrupting
the morals of American. More than
that it is a misinterpretation Of the
Eighteenth amendment. / speak as
temperance man. / am a teeto-
taller and do not use and never have
uset- liquor as a beverage. 1 sup
ported every temperance measure
during my eleven years in the legis-
iature by vote and voice. During
my many campaigns in the state,
long before the eighteenth amend
ment I never entered a saloon."
The Republican dinner last night
was in commemoration of the one
hundred and first birthday of Gener-
al Grant and Mr.. Stokes pronounce
ment on prohibition came during the
course of his speech on the life os
General Grant. The ex-governor,
after reviewing General Grants quail
tiles as a staunch Republican. assert
ed that 1t was not inappropriate that
the problems of today should be dis
cussed with the frankness and
bluntness of Grant"
zone regrettable and un-American
aspect of this case seems to have
been overlooked" the speaker said
touching upon the question of pro-
hibition, "and that is the intolerant
attitude of those who assume that
they are right and everybody else is
wrong. There is certain political
league that assumes that there is
only one way of obtaining temper
ance and anybody who differs from
that arbitrary standard is denounced
as a rummy and law-breaker.
Men have Just as good right to
differ in their opinion on the best
way of promoting prohibition as they
have TO differ in their religious be-
liefs and the man who denies this is
intolerant, un-American and fanati-
CAL"
Former Governor Stokes in speak
tion, paid a high tribute to Senator
Morgan F. Larson, president of the
local club, and Assemblymen Thomas
L. Hanson and Harold G. Hoffman,
the Middlesex Republican represen-
tatives in the lower House. The
speaker also said he was delighted
to hear that Perth Amboy had elect
ed Republican mayor last fall by
a 2,400 majority, a figure which he
would not believe possible.
The action of Governor Silzer in
ousting the Democratic highway
commission on the grounds that this
body of men had been guilty of ac-
cepting graft amounting to million
dollars was a most severe indictment
against the Democratic administra-
tion, Mr.. Stokes said. Governor
Silzer, however, the speaker pointed
out, vetoed the bill calling for an in
vestigation of the Amboy bridge
matter in which large amount was
paid for the Donnell property in this
city for use as bridge approach.
This bill was passed over the COVER
nor's veto. "Why not investigate the
whole record of the ousted commits
sion if there was such a deal put
through in one case alone?" the
speaker asked.
Mr.. Stokes touched upon the sub
deet of Taxes. THE average tax
rate in New Jersey today" he said,
sis $3.65. There was a time some
years ago when it took the money
earned by a man in four days to pay
his tax. Now a man must work fif-
ty-tWo days to earn sufficient to pay
this tax"
The Harding administration came
in for words of praise as did the
disarmament plan. The money saw
ed the country by this plan, the
speaker said, would be sufficient to
pay the cost of laying twenty-five
concrete roads from this city to San
Francisco.
With reference to the record of
the 1928 legislature, the speaker said
considerable criticism has been heard
as to the failure of the Republicans
to organize properly. "It has been
said that the Republicans were not
properly bossed and that G. o. p.
legislators were disorganized. Many of
the candidates had made their own
platforms and las result. the plat
form of one was not binding upon
the other. The people should make
the platform and the candidates
should then run on these principles"
Rev. Wilbert Westcott, speaking
after Mr. Stokes. said he could not
agree with all the things the former
governor had said and maintained
that the only way to remedy condi-
tions is to enforce the eighteenth
CONTINUED ON page p
Lawn and Garden Seed of the better
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nI1no A.