Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-02
ADRIAN LYON PROTESTS
AGAINST STOKES STAND
CONTINUED from page y


History magazine which you have
I'doubtless already read. These things
have more of an influence than you
think and when you come to sharp
| issue on the subject, uninfiuenced by
other issues, it is my belief that you
will see a majority against any
change.
"But you say the last election
proved otherwise. l challenge that
statement. How do you account for
the election of assemblymen from
| Middlesex and Essex and elsewhere
on an absolutely dry platform. You
know as well as l that there were
other powerful considerations which
! played a large part in the last cam
paign and that to say 1t was fought
on a strictly dry question and that
| the result is therefore wet victory
| Is far from the truth.
"Far be it from me to attempt to
advise such an experienced politician
as yourself on subject of practical
y olitics, but 1 cannot refrain from
saying that it is my opinion that
your advisers are demoralized by
their defeat of last year and by the
further fact that they have no sound
moral statesmanlike political pro-
gram which carries approval and
commands the confidence of the vot-
ers. They have lost their poise and
they cannot recover it by running
after a program which they think
has made the opposite party success
| full. This very position in which
| they thereby place themselves spells
weakness and a lack of confidence.
1t lays the party open to the con-
temptible charge of the 'copy-cat' Of
our childhood and displays anything
| but sound craftsmanship. If you
think this is the great outstanding
issue before the voters of New Jersey
| today so that the election will have
to be carried on that question, how
do you expect to win when the Dem
ocratic party already have that plat
form unimpaired by the charge of
inconsistency or pure political ex-
pediency? Better to dare on high
moral plane than to face certain de-
feat under such circumstances.
But am not SO much concerned
by the purely practical political side
of the matter as I am by the real
moral statesmanlike aspect of the
question. 1t is greatly to be de-
plored that such a question must
be decided on the ground of political
expediency and with no apparent
regard to whether it is right or
wrong. The United States Supreme
Court has characterized this business
''as source OF crime and misery to
society,"" and we do not have to go
to that court to fpd 1t out. 1t is
admitted on every hand. You and
all they admit it who claim that your
effort is really to lessen the evil and
to help enforce the eighteenth
amendment.
''If it is the great moral question
that it is what should be the atti-
tude of every citizen OF New Jersey
and especially of every political par
ty. No one knows better than your
self that the eighteenth amendment
has come to stay. Long before this
amendment was adopted thirty-thr ee
states were dry by state laws, as
were ninety-five per cent of the ter
ritory and two-thirds of the people.
Thirteen states could block its re-
peal. You know, too, that the Vol
stead act has been sustained by the
supreme court and there is as little
chance of that being amended or re-
pealed. We are living in the wettest
part of the United States and are
closing our eyes to the unmistakable
sentiment of the country as a whole.
What would be our attitude
What would the result be if YOU,
together with a score or more OF
the leaders of our party which we
both could readily name with ali
the influence and power that you
could command, instead of critics.
ing and commenting on the failure
to enforce the law should come out
and say, in manner that could
not be misunderstood or misinter-
Lreted that you stood for an abso-
Lutte fidelity to the prohibition laws
and then used your influence to
enforce them? You would clean up
the state in s. fifty and carry your
party into power. No moral ques-
tion has ever lost out in the end
in a political battle,
Zone thing more. You make the
point that to permit light vines
and beer would prevent much of the
present drinking of strong intoxi-
eating liquors. TO make that state
ment without precedent and in vlo-
lation of the plain teachings of hu-
man eSpei ience is, to my mind, to
practice ard deceit which can only
bring disaster upon the party al
leging it. The fact is that two
PLATES III bnlo " HUI AoNO AAao S<A-
perience to the contrary. DR..
Charles w. Eliot, president of Har-
ward University, an unprejudiced OBJ
server who said he was in the habit
of taking light wines ana beer when
in the company of others taking
them further said that Ito use his
own words) II supported Tor many
years in Massachusetts, not prohi-
bition, but local option; but then ]
learned that the sale of distilled
liquor In saloons licensed to sell light
wines and beer cannot be plsventsG
Nobody should advocate the repeal
of the Volstead. act except those
who believe in the unrestricted sale
of alcoholic beverages"
do you think the man who now
in violation Of law, either deals in or
drinks strong intoxicating liquor to
such an extent that causes the cen
ditions complained about, is going
to be so satisfied with light wines
ann bees that he will give UP the
stronger beverage? A few might but
to build a political platform on any
such plank is to my nina unworthy
of a political party.
"In conclusion let me ASA IS the
Republican party to be the creature
of every popular emotion whether
right or wrong and comu s'!ed to
chart it's course upon considerations
Of poi;t,cal expedience only or is it
to maintain its traditions and pre-
serve the respect of the people OF
the country. -
at am constrained to use the well
known words. of Washington upon
the adoption of the constitution;
LET us raise a standard TO which
the wise and honest can repair; the