Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-04-25
The NEcConneIsvilIe Ordinance,

The McCOnmelsville Ordinance
A bill was introduced in the House of
Representatives to re-enact what is called
the McConnelsville ordinance; that is to
give the Council of an incorporated city
or village the power to prohibit the estab-
lishment or the maintenance of public
resorts, kept for tippling purposes. In 9TH
er words, places kept for the purpose of
perpetrating violations of the laws of our
State. The bill was, of course, defeated.
The vote being 80 in its favor to 45 against
it's passage. 1t will be seen that this Leg
islature, which claims to be in favor of
reform, has recorded it's vote against al
lowing the people, by their ordinances, to
say that this character of houses shall not
be kept in our incorporated cities, towns
and villages. The test, as to the wishes
of the people on this subject, was not to
be arbitrary, but to be made through that
medium which we, the people of the Uni
ted States, so highly prize-the ballot
box. If a majority of the people of town
or city desire an ordinance to keep these
tippling houses out of their limits, they
would express that desire by majority
be favorable to that course, and Uice persa.
This manner of deciding questions of
vital importance to all the people is cor
rect principle, and there is no good rea-
Ron why it should not prevail in questions
Of this sort as well as in any other.
The truth is, that all our villages are
being cursed with this class of houses of
notorious resort for tippling purposes un-
til men of thought, men of close obser-
vatlon, are becoming alarmed, and the
fearful lookout is that we are in imminent
danger Of being a nation of inebriates
The prevention of the establishment and
maintenance of tippling houses in oul
villages is positively becoming matter
of self-defense.
We are glad to motto that the friends o.
law and good order, at Good Hope, in thi
county, are not insensible to the rights O.
the people on this question of self-defense
They have witnessed the demoralizins
influence that tippling houses have upor
the young men in the towns and neigh
borhoods where these tippling blight
upon the morals of society are permitte,
to exist. To their credit, be it it said, the,
have no houses of this character in Goo
Hope; and, to prevent the location c
them there, the friends of temperance
law and good order have chosen con
mittee of vigilants to watch the move
ments of any who may evince desire I
esihblish tippling house in their towl
and upon the broad principle, that sci
protection is the first law of natur
They are unflinchingly determined to T,
sist, by all reasonable and proper effort
the establishment Of tippling houses
their quiet, moral, law-abiding tow
Properly they regard the right to prote
their village against the demoralizing il
Auenees of these debasing institution
above the rights of individuals to obtai
pecunlary interest, by the infiction
those schools of vice in their midst. Or
friends there make no threats; but v
would suggest, that if any one has an id'
of engaging in the liquor trfflc in Goo
Hope, he had better consult with IL
good people there before entering in
The business.