The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-01-02
THE OHIO LEGISLATU RE.
The Liquor Questions Sure to Como
Up--The Lobby, Etc.

The Liquor Questions Sure to Como
Up--The Lobby, Etc.
COLUMBUS, December 81 The Legis.
lature will assemble for the adjourned
session next Tuesday, and according to
Speaker H ,dge. twill be opened witt,
prayer" What will be done after that
is a matter Of much speculation, hut
those who made themselves familiar
with the Legislature when it was here
before and who know the sort of mate
rial that enter into ils structure. shake
their heads douhtfuly over Speaker
Hodges theory that prayer will avail to
save it from falling into evil.
at ought to be prayed for" said one
R publican the other day, "for Col
knows It neels it. But it praving will
do anv good. wonld like to have the
PRAYERS offered for the Republican party
to be saved from this Legislature"
The Liquor Question
will come up soon and stay late. 1t is
not that the R ,publicsns want to wres
tie with this question again, but they
cannot help it. 1t has got to be met
and 80 nething done with it, The Re-.
publicans without a good cause invoked
this evil genius to their party last year
and now they have to Law it il they can.
The Legislature will come together with
full knowledge that some legislation
on theAiiquor question mast he dome
The question Is what shall it be? There
are two fac ions, both rampant Ole is
compos d of tho fellows VIII, g, in red
hot AMI the other of the m IRE cautious
politicians, who believe in ex Jedienci.
The first named crowl will howl for
Tho Locke Bill,
which taxes the saloons aud will in sist
on amen ling it so that the saloon man
who does not pay his tax will he sent to
jail. Tue bill as pressed will he very
similar to the unlamented Pond law
The essential difference will be that
whereas the Pond law taxad the big sa-
loon and the doggerY in the same
amount, the Locke bill will discriminate
and the bond feature OF the Puni law
will be eliminated. 1t is of course
doubtful whether such law will stand
as Constitutional, but Charley Foster
says it will ard the refOrmers have great
confidence in Charles as great Conslitr.
tional lawyer. When this is done The
whoopers for holiness will endeavor to
have the
Smith Sunday Law
amended so as to make its penalties more
severe, and taken be is ready 10 gn into
the next campaign on great moral Issues
and all that.
The expectancy crowd, on the o'her
hand, say that legislation OF this snr,
eau ed the defeat of the party last fall,
and will do it again. Thev want no
more reform laws, and say that the Ger.
mans must he concl'iated. or it is all up
with the grand old party Speaker Hodge
heads this faction, and If there is any
high moral issues injected into the next
Campaign it will he because the Speak ,r
loses his grip on things. All this fac
ton will agree 70 is to propose tn the
voters chance to vote patch on the
constitution.
When these two factions come togeth
er and the lobby is on hand again, there
will be need enough Of prayers, and il
SPEAKER Hodge is wise he will borrow
al idea from the c :inese. set up pray
ing machine in the basement OF the State
House, and hire boy 10 turn the crank
all day long.