The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-01-18

look l.t iAslA
prsnension "a what will happen to
their wives snd little children
How%bDg SEAL we permit this M
tolerable conditian to exist? Teae
who are response for it, are g
deed ruthless and heartiess. II the
conditions are due TO selhshness and
desire to profit, quick retribution
will and should follow
Notwithstanding that this problem,
I dealing with one OF the nscessaries
OF life, is q national one, 1t may not
be amiss to briefly discuss it here.
Permanent relief must be found and
there must be no more temporizing
WHAT are the underlying causes or
these conditions Is there any reason
1 for 4 scarcity of coal in nation like
ours. so abundant in its resources!
is il not possible to discover who Is
to blame for this distressing situas
ton? Everyone asks the question
What is the remedy? Does 1t lie
| in regulation? Does it lie in laws
prohibiting combination? Win COM
netition produce results? Are the
railroads or the producers, or others,
responsible for this situation? Is the
Government of the United States so
/ impotent that it cannot provide an
answer TO these questions2 Regula-
l.tion has been tired in every crisis
that has confronted US In this dim
cult srnatter but it seems TO have
failed.
II the Congress longer neglects to
do its full duty, then the several
states must take up the problem, and
| arouse such public sentiment as will
be Irresistible. and which win bring
! about true statement Of all the
z facts, of all the conditions and ac-
! ton which will remedy the evils
Unless some permanent solution Is
j reached, then we must call halt on
this. business and the time will have
arrived When the Government, in the
exercise Of its sovereign power, VIII
| be compelled to take over the coal
mines and the railroads serving the
| mines.
Within the State an investigation
committee has found that there are
combinations to fix and control prices,
and preferential methods for control
] of distribution. This should be stop
ned. and among other remedies, the
law recently repealed prohibiting and
furnishing unlawful combinations
! should be re-enaeted.
i Our people are patient, but the time
has come for action.
Prohibition
There Is no doubt that the elector-
ate spoke, and spoke decisiyely, at the
last election on the subject Of prohibit
| ton. The issue was clearly defined,
and the positions of the candidates
uneouivocal. Partisans on both sides
waged aggressive campaigns, with
this the paramount issue.
We must therefore respect the yer
dict of the people. All talk of refer
| endum now, is evasion and evinces a
lack Of courage to face conditions.
We just had referendum.
The question was, whether we
should have Prohibition with all its
attending evils. or Temperance with
| all its attendant benefits.
Our people are against the kind of
prol:bit on ne have today. For we
| know that prohibition has brought in
| 1ts wake, its bootleggers, its violation
/ Of. and disrespect for, the law, its i'll
neffeets upon youth, its Increase OF IN
| dulgences in hard liquors by adults, It's
! ~ "a offi ic1l
| corruption of enforcement officers, its
pernicious effect upon public and pri-
| vate conscience, its breeding of
| hypocrisy, it's disregard for the rights
I of citizens, and the deprivation OF
| their cherished constitutional rights
and privileges. its bad example to
| those of foreign birth, who are thus
invited to disrespect and disregard
| ,,ot only this but all laws, it's turning
OF our best citizens into part .cipants
! in law violating, its trail Of those
| who have been blinded, aad those who
have been carried to. the grave. its
| deprivation of medicine to the sick,
| aged and infirm, its demoralizing ex-
, ample of law violation on the sea- by
the Government itself, It's interna-
| tional complications. the observation
| at elections of all other important is
sues to that OF prohibition.
Instead of this our people prefer
| temperance. Before the advent Of
prohibition w had already made
rapid strides in this direction The
younger generation was becoming
/ oonvincad that whisky was bad for it,
| and men in all walks of life no longer
INDUCED during business hours.
There was and is strong senti-
! ment against the saloon and its at
tendant evils. They must be abolished
| and never be allowed to return.
Temperance can be brought about
i by education. Legislation often
fails, education never does. There is
but one way to make moral progress,
that is in the hearts and consciences
of men, not in legislation.
| rJ,p,an rat,,ra is obstinate and re-