Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-22
FnoM OUR SPECIAL COMMISSIONED

TFROM OUR SPECIAL COMMISSIONER
MEADvmLE, February 2l.-Pennsylva-
MAS western border is fenced in by at least
six solid prohibition counties. The only
spot where the rails have been knocked
down is in Erie county, as explained in my
letter Yesterday. But, as also stated then,
some people hope to find temperance timber
plenty enough to rebuild the Erie section
of the fence in June. 1t may be hard
task, however At the other end, Greene
and Washington counties use a sort of
barbed-wire fencing, and appended is the
result of an examination of the post-holes
and pickets located in Crawford, Mercer,
Lawrence, Butler and Beaver counties.
In all that large extent of country from
Conneaut Lake down to the Ohio river, and
from Neshannock creek across to the sources
of the Compromising, the liquor interests
have not the ghost of a chance for winning
the June campaign. The aggregate of votes
for Constitutional amendment that will go
down from this region to the threshold of
Allegheny county will have much to do
with toning down the opposite influence of
Pittsburg and Allegheny in the sum total
of Western Pennsylvania work. Yet
there is one danger for the temperance lead
ers in the territory described, viz:
BIG FARM VOTE.
The bulk of the votes Prohibitionists are
relying upon are from the farmers, and as
they, with their farms practically adjoin-
ing those of Ohio, are ambitious in their
harvesting, June Is will find them almost
too busy to take half day off to go to the
polls. 1 found this fear in every border
' county-not that it might lose the fight for
prohibition, but that unless organization
was thoroughly advanced SO as to arouse
the farmers and get full vote, the aggre-
gate of majorities would not count for SO
much as anticipated in swelling the total
vote of the State at large. However, move
ments are now on foot to that end in every
one of the counties
The amendment may find all over the
State new source of friendship, according
to the opinion of ex-State Senator Homer j.
Humes, of MeadVille. The Senator is one
of the best-known Democrats in Pennsyl-
Vania. He said to me:
Manyvotes will be given the amendment not
only here but all over the State by liquor men
themselves as result of the recent Supreme
Court decision declaring the municipal act un-
constitutional. Based upon legislation Of that
class the Brooks law graded liquor licenses for
seven classes of cities. Now that the munich
pal act is no good, the Wallace act dividing
cities simply into three classes, remains in
force. Therefore, liquor dealers in all the
small cities, such as Meadville, Titusville and
JohnstOWn. will have to pay $500 for license
instead Of Sl50. The result is the poorer dealers
Will have to 60 out of the business, leaving it
in the hands Of capitalists. Those driven out
will deliberately vote for the abolition of all
licenses to get even for the good fortune Of
richer saloonists.
CRAWFORD FOR PROHIBITION.
In reply to a question about Crawford
county'S intentions, Mr.. Hume, said:
Ibelieve Crawford county will give majority
of 1000, and possibly l,5OO for the amendment.
MeadvIlle will be Close with chances in favor
OF temperance victory, 1itusville will proba-
bly, vote against il, but the townships and
boroughs are strongly in favor of it. The cam
paign for the amendment is being managed by
the Republicans, although afew Democrats are
put on the committees
But it cannot be denied that the Demo-
cratic voters here, as elsewhere, feel
that Matt Quay put this question through
the Legislature to get temperance votes
for the Republican party; that he
also got money from the State Liquor League
to help elect Harrison, and led them to rest
contented that the Democratic party would
XIII the Ib LIE popular
Now, many Democrats propose, not only to
fool Mr.. Quay, but TO retaliate upon the liquor
ring which has continually played into the
hands of the Republicans when added
planks to our platforms, year after year,
against sumptuary legislation as part of our
fundamental principles. and thus offered them
protection.
Joseph L. Shippen, ESQ.,, a leading Re
publican attorney, and one of the leaders of
the amendment movement here, explained
to me that purely non-partisan organiza-
ton had been formed, which held a county
convention, sent delegates to Harrisburg,
and Will canvass every nook and corner of
the county. He expects ], 500 majority for
the amendment in the county, although pre-
dieting that both Titusville and Meadville
will vote for license, and Meadville is the
seat of Allegheny College.
MeadvilIe has about 1900 population
and Titusville about 1000. The county
adopted local option by $50 majority in
1873. when Meadville voted for it and Titus
vile against. The county has only "a Ii
censed bars.
MERCER COUNTY SURE.
The recent experience of prominent
Pittsburg druggist in shipping liquor to
Mercer is fair example of the strong tenn
pSIduCC 6ChbALlCub lIlOh oA4AuS v.
The number of licenses there have not ex-
ceeded a dozen for two or three years now,
the late rulings of the courts having been
given in the telegraphic news of The DIS
PATCH. The largest towns in the county
are Mercer, Sharon, Greenville, Sharpsville
and West Middlesex.
Local option was adopted in Mercer
county by 943 majority, but since then the
prohibition sentiment throughout the county
has grown surprisingly, manitesting itself
in various ways. Only once, however, did
il waver, and that was six or seven years
ago when two Legislative candidates
pledged to SUPP ort a prohibitory amend
ment were defeated. But that is no criterion,
for one of Mercer's present members in As
sembly, Hon. Henry Hall, was chairman of
the Republican caucus which decided to
submit the question to popular vote this
summer. He and his colleagues are sup
p0rters Of the measure. The estimates of
Mercer county people Of their majority for
the amendment range from 1000 to 5000.
LAWRENCE CoUETY's MITE.
Lawrence county has emily about 28