River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-02-14

tull text of the bill:
A BILL
| To enable the qualified voters of any county or
| OF any town, village or city within any county
| Of the state to determine by ballot whether
/ any spirituOus, malt, ardent, or intoxicating
/ liquors or drinks shall be sold within the
| county. or in any town, village or city within
| the county rs a beverage.
The people Of the state OF Wisconsin represented
| in senate and assembly, do enact as follows
sec. /. Whenever any number OF the qualified
| electors OF any county OF this state equal TO or
i more than ten per cent of the number of votes
/ cast at the last general election in said county
| for governor shall present 10 the county judge
/ OF the county a petition IN writing, by them
| signed, praying inat the electors OF the said
/ county may have submitted To them, the ques-
ton neither or moi any p rsOn shall be licensed
10 deal or tIaihc IN any splrltuous, matt ardent
| or intoxicating liquors or drinks rs ii beverage,
| IL shall be the duty OF such judge forthwith, TO
/ make an order providing that such questions
shall be submitted 10 the voters OF said county,
IA the nrst tuesday OF April next succeeding
| the date OF said order, nOliee OF which election
shall be given IN the manner and as PROVIDED
i Dy law tor holding JudiCial elections: the
pense OF said notice shall, when certified BY the
| county rlerK, be Il debt OF the county ana paya-
| Dle as other similar debts.
/ see. ?. 4 he ballots which shall be pOlled upon
| The question submitted according 10 The nrsl
section OF this acI shall be deposited in sepd-
Iate ballot box PROVIDED for that purpose in each
4 election precinct or voting district Ia the cUuu-
4 ~, anu shall contain the words Tor license, OF
1 against license" IL a majority OF the votes
i cast al SuG0 election upon the questions sub
/ mltledl De against Incense, then II snail De un-
| lawful Tor any person TO venu, SELL deal or
/ traffic III splrIiuOus, malt, ardent OF in
| tuulcaJimg liquors or DRINKS in any guam
| uty Whatever, in said county, or in any
| Town, village or city in such county, ana nV
license Tor such sale shall De granted OF issueu
! ia said county. should "a majority OF the votes
80 cast at such election be Tor license, then, anu
/ IN that case, II shall not be lawful Tor any per
son 10 vehd, sell, deal, or tralhc III any splrltu-
| Jus, malt, ardent or intoxicating liquors UI
| drinks i'll any quantity whatever, IN any Town,
| village city IN said county, which salu town,
| village or city at such election cast a majority
| VI lis votes against hCeuse, anu no license fUT
| such sale shall be granted or issued ia such
| town. village or city; anu any license granted
i or issued contrary 10 the PROVISIONS OF thI SEE
| lon or Of TINS act snail be VOID aud OF nO
| elect.
sec. 8. The election on the questions sub
| United under TINS ACT section l. shall be held,
| tue votes reported " the cUun.y CIerk ami can
/ sasseu Uy The proper canVassIng board Vt tine
| county, in accordance with The law governing
general elections III this state; the results Of suCh
4 election shall be duly certified uy the county
| CanyasseTs 10 the county judge Immediately
| upon the determination tnereOi, ana such judge
| snaII forthwith make al Oruer declaring tie
re- ait said election both REGARDS the county
/ al large ana the several towns, villages ana
| cities thereof All papers presented 10 OF hleu
| with suCh judge ana ali notices, proofs OF puO-
loaliOn. and orders. shall be MED with the
| county clerk ana the order declaring the result
| Vi SAID election shall be by said county CLERK
| recorded as required by law.
| sec. 1. The questions submitted according TO
| LhS provisions UI section one OF this ACT shall
| not he e-su omitted ia the same county before
nIrst tuesday Ot April three years thereafter,
/ at which time II may be re-suDmItted on IKE
petition, ia The same manner as provided ia
section OF this act
see D. II any person SHALL on or before the first
Trusday III May following the holding OF an elec-
non, under the provisions Oi this act, vend sell,
ueHl or traffic ia, OF Tor the purpose OF egauIng
any law VI ,his state, give away any spirltuOus,
| malt, ardent or intoxicating liquors Or drinks,
| IA any quantity whatever, either in any county
MT
al such election shall have been against license,
| or in any town, village or city III any county
where such election mas been held, as herein
provided, in which said town, village OF city
majority OF the votes cast at said election
snail have been against license, ne shall be
| deemed guilty OF a inlsdemeauOr, ana, on con-
yICtion thereof, shall be punished therefor by ii
me of mol less tuan nifty dollars. nor more than
/ one huuureu dollars, besides the Gusts VI SUIT,
| or, in Ii, u OF such me, by Imprisonment in the
| county jail of the proper county, not 70 exceed
SIX months, nor less than three months; ana III
| case of punishment By hue as above provided,
| such person shall unless the me ana cost Dc
paid forthwith, be committed 10 the county jail
| vi the proper county until such the ana Gusts
| are pHId, or until discharged by que course OF
law; and in case OF a second or any subsequent
| conviction OF the same person during any year,
/ The punishment shall be by both me ana i'm
| prIsonmenJ.
| az affecting the sale OF strong, splrltuOus ana
| ardent liquors Tor medicinal mechanical Or
| scientific purposes Gully by licensed pharmacists,
/
/ Of " lsCOnsln OF lSso.
see Z mis- act shall take effect and be III
| force from ana alter It's passage and publlca-
/ tiou.
The premises upon which the bill Is
based is that the sale of liquor is a
CURSE To any community, and ought To
be suppressed wherever a majority OF
the people of any community uecld,
~ dispense with 1t. That tins state,
IS state, is not ready Tor legal plOhi
| billion. but that many sub division
within the state are ready 10 prohibit.
| That 1t is better To prohibit ia one o.
none counties, where public opinion
IS IIte for such p OhIbItiUn, than to
| isk the test OF a vote IpOn The qdrs
zion of state prohibition it'll the lone
| zone cOnclusiun that It would be ue.
feated by an overwhelming mtjorlty
This bill. as will be- seen, provides
that whenever 10 per cent. of The vOL
| rrs p-tltion for "A special election upon
/ The question IN any county, sucn a
I
| prohibition, then the law covers the
| whole county. Ii. however, the total
| vote is against, then 1t does not APP
| ply to the county, as whole, but
still holds good in such towns, will 'grs
and cities as shall cast d majority vote
against license" while in those
towns which vote "for license, IL
censes may be granted, as under the
pi esrnt law. This gives to every
community an opportunity TO at least
secure mo license in their own pre-
cinct, with the opportunity TO assist
other communities in represSing the
saloon by adding TO the majOTIties on
the county option vote. All its pro-
visions favor the temperance people
of every community within the coun-
~, with no possibility that the vote
Of any other community or precinct
will operate To prevent the control Of
the traffic in their own town or city.
For the State of Wisconsin do not
think better law could be framed
1t Is all that can be hoped for for
many years, and it is to be hoped tn I
there will be cordial cooperation of
all voters, of whatever politics, who
are of one MUD upon the question of
suppressing the saloons. such vote
ought to carry in Pierce county if fac.
tional fights were dropped for a sea
son. and partisan rancor laid aside for
time.
tnink it would be in order for the
temperance people of Pierce county
and all cOunties-tO at once petition
their members TO vote and work for
the passage of this bill. II will meet.
first of all, with determined opposi.
ton from the Democratic side of the
house, and also from Republicans rep
TesentiBg Milwaukee, Buffalo, Dane